Trump orders blockade of Venezuelan oil tankers
By: Josey Garrison
USA Today
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump ordered the blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers for entering and leaving Venezuela, escalating U.S. tensions with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
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Trump announced the mover in a December 16 [2025] post on Truth Social, also relaying he formally designated Maduro and his government allies a foreign terrorist organization.
..... The actions come less than one week after the United States seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela that the Trump administration said was transporting sanctions oil from Venezuela and Iran.
..... "Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America," Trump said in his social media post. "It will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before -until such time as they return to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stoled form us."
..... The Trump administration has moved thousand of troops and nearly a dozen warships - including an aircraft carrier - to the region in recent months. Trump has also warned the United States will soon begin land-strikes in Venezuela.
..... Trump accused Maduro and other Venezuelans of suing oil from 'stolen oil fiends" to finance themselves and to facilitate drug smuggling, human trafficking, murder and kidnapping.
..... "Therefore today, [12/16/2025] I am ordering A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIOONED OIL TANKERS going into and out of Venezuela," trump said in his post, later adding that he "will not allow a Hostile Regime to take our Oil, Land, or any other Assets, all of which must be returned to the United States, IMMEDIATELY."
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The U.S. military has launched at least 25 strikes on boats in the Caribbean Sea that the Trump administration has said were carrying drugs into the United States, killing at least 95 people, including some Venezuelans. Democrats have called the strikes, which have not been approved by Congress, illegal and said they amount to extra-judicial assassinations.
..... Trump and his officials have said Maduro is the leader of a criminal enterprise called Cartel de los Soles. Experts say Cartel de los Soles is a loose network of corruption and not a real drug trafficking organization.
..... Maduro and other top Venezuelan officials were indicted on drug trafficking and corruption changes in 2020.
..... The United States has imposed sanctions on Venezuela for two decades,. Later in November, [2025] the Trump administration declared Cartel de los Soles a foreign terrorist organizing, paving the way for heavy sanctions against it and any entities with which it does business.
..... In July, [2025] the Trump administration walked back a February [2025] mover to cut off oil giant Chevron from doing business in Venezuela.
..... Contributing: Reuters; Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today