President Donald Trump on Monday ordered what he described as a “total and complete” blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers traveling into and out of Venezuela, sharply escalating U.S. pressure on President Nicolás Maduro’s government and raising concerns about a broader military confrontation in the region.
In a post on Truth Social, Mr. Trump said Venezuela’s government had been designated a foreign terrorist organization and accused it of financing criminal activity through oil exports. He claimed the Maduro administration was engaged in “terrorism, drug smuggling and human trafficking,” and said the blockade would prevent oil revenues from sustaining what he called an illegitimate regime.
“Venezuela is completely surrounded,” Mr. Trump wrote, adding that the U.S. naval presence in the region would “only get bigger.”
The announcement came days after U.S. authorities seized an oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast, accusing it of illicit shipping. The White House said the vessel, the Skipper, would be taken to an American port. Venezuela’s government denounced the seizure, with Mr. Maduro accusing Washington of “stealing” the ship and kidnapping its crew.
Caracas also rejected Mr. Trump’s latest declaration, calling it a “grotesque threat” and accusing the United States of seeking to plunder Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, among the largest in the world.
The Trump administration has steadily increased pressure on Venezuela in recent months, imposing new sanctions on oil vessels and businesses linked to Mr. Maduro, as well as on members of his family. U.S. officials have repeatedly accused Venezuela of playing a role in drug trafficking, claims Caracas denies.
Since September, the U.S. military has conducted a series of operations in the Caribbean and surrounding waters, including strikes on boats it alleges were transporting fentanyl and other narcotics toward the United States. The Pentagon has also deployed additional warships, including the USS Gerald Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, along with thousands of troops.
The blockade order drew swift criticism from lawmakers. Representative Joaquin Castro, a Democrat from Texas, said the move amounted to “an act of war” and announced plans for a congressional vote aimed at limiting the president’s authority to escalate hostilities with Venezuela.
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The United States has opposed Mr. Maduro’s rule for years, under both Republican and Democratic administrations, using sanctions to try to force political change. But the latest measures mark one of the most aggressive steps yet, pushing the standoff beyond economic pressure and into overt military posturing.
As tensions rise, regional leaders and U.S. allies are watching closely, wary that a blockade could spiral into a wider conflict in the Caribbean.