US President Donald Trump has ordered a “total and complete blockade” of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela, escalating tensions between the two countries.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro’s government has been designated a foreign terrorist organisation. He accused the administration of stealing US assets and participating in “terrorism, drug smuggling, and human trafficking.”
“Therefore, today, I am ordering a total and complete blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers going into, and out of, Venezuela,” Trump wrote.
The announcement follows last week’s seizure of an oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast.
Trump also stated that Venezuela is “completely surrounded by the largest armada ever assembled in the history of South America,” warning that the blockade will only grow larger.
Venezuelan authorities immediately rejected the US action, calling it a “grotesque threat.”
The Trump administration has increasingly focused on Venezuela’s alleged involvement in drug smuggling. Since September, US military strikes on boats accused of carrying fentanyl and other illegal drugs have reportedly killed at least 90 people.
Recent months have also seen a buildup of US warships in the region.
