Trump orders blockade of sanctioned oil tankers in and out of Venezuela

US President Donald Trump said he is ordering a blockade of all “sanctioned oil tankers” going into and a out of Venezuela, in a move that seemed designed to furhter target the South American country's economy and ramp up pressure on its leader Nicolás Maduro.

Trump's escalation comes after US forces seized an oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast last week, an unusual move that followed a buildup of military forces in the region.

In a Truth Social post on Tuesday night announcing the blockade, Trump accused Venezuela of using oil to fund drug trafficking and other crimes and vowed to continue the military buildup until the country gave the US oil, land and assets, though it was not clear why he felt the US had a claim.

“Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America,” Trump said in a post on his social media platform.

“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 stole from us.”

Venezuela’s government released a statement Tuesday accusing Trump of “violating international law, free trade, and the principle of free navigation” with “a reckless and grave threat” against the South American country.

“On his social media, he assumes that Venezuela’s oil, land, and mineral wealth are his property,” the statement said of Trump’s post. “Consequently, he demands that Venezuela immediately hand over all its riches. The President of the United States intends to impose, in an utterly irrational manner, a supposed naval blockade on Venezuela with the aim of stealing the wealth that belongs to our nation.”

The statement said Maduro’s government plans to denounce the situation before the United Nations.

US military continues strikes on boats

The US military has conducted a series of military strikes on boats in international waters in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific in recent months. The campaign, which has drawn bipartisan scrutiny among US lawmakers, has killed at least 95 people in 25 known strikes on vessels.

Over the past weeks, Trump said that the US will move its campaign beyond the water and start strikes on land.

The Trump administration has defended the strikes as a success, saying they have prevented drugs from reaching American shores, and pushed back on concerns that they are stretching the bounds of lawful warfare.

The Trump administration has said the campaign is about stopping drugs headed to the US, but Trump’s chief of staff Susie Wiles appeared to confirm in a Vanity Fair interview published Tuesday that the campaign is part of a push to oust Maduro.

Wiles said Trump “wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle.”

Venezuelan economy relies on oil revenue

Venezuela has the world’s largest proven oil reserves and produces about 1 million barrels a day. The country depends heavily on its oil revenue as a lifeblood of its economy.

The state-owned oil company Petróleos de Venezuela SA, commonly known as PDVSA, has been locked out of global oil markets by US sanctions. It sells most of its exports at a steep discount in the black market in China.

In October, Trump appeared to confirm reports that Maduro has offered a stake in Venezuela’s oil and other mineral wealth in recent months to try to stave off mounting pressure from the United States.

“He’s offered everything,” Trump said at the time. “You know why? Because he doesn’t want to f—- around with the United States.”

It wasn't immediately clear how the US planned to enact the blockade of oil tankers.

The US Navy has 11 ships, including an aircraft carrier and several amphibious assault ships, in the region.

Those ships carry a wide complement of aircraft, including helicopters and V-22 Ospreys. Additionally, the Navy has been operating a handful of P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft in the region.

Those assets provide the military a significant ability to monitor marine traffic coming in and out of the country.