Trump announces ‘total and complete blockade’ of all Venezuelan oil
In a public statement, Trump asserted that “Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America,” adding that the restrictions would stay in place until the authorities in Caracas handed back “all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets.”
Trump accused the Maduro administration of channeling profits from petroleum exports into criminal activity, alleging the funds support “drug terrorism, human trafficking, murder, and kidnapping.” He also claimed that Venezuelan citizens who had previously been transferred to the United States were now being sent back “at a rapid pace.”
This declaration comes as relations between Washington and Caracas continue to deteriorate.
Trump has repeatedly insisted that Maduro relinquish power and has emphasized that no options have been ruled out, including the possible use of military force, as U.S. assets reportedly continue to amass in the surrounding region.
According to reports, U.S. forces have already conducted 22 confirmed attacks on what they describe as “narco-terrorist” vessels operating at sea. These operations, which began in early September across the Caribbean Sea and the Eastern Pacific Ocean, have reportedly resulted in 87 fatalities.
Venezuelan officials have pushed back strongly, recently accusing the United States of engaging in “maritime piracy” and describing the actions as part of a “sustained policy of coercion and aggression” following the interception of a Venezuelan oil cargo in international waters.
U.S. authorities have defended the seizure, arguing that the ships involved are part of an “illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations,” allegedly moving sanctioned crude from Venezuela and Iran.
While the Trump administration maintains that its actions are aimed at curbing regional drug trafficking, officials in Caracas argue otherwise. They contend that Washington is attempting to “appropriate Venezuela’s vast oil reserves through the lethal use of military force,” claiming that counter-narcotics operations are being used as a pretext for an unlawful effort to remove Maduro from office.
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