U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday ordered a full blockade on all oil shipments going in and out of Venezuela, marking a significant escalation in tensions as Washington intensifies pressure on the government of President Nicolás Maduro.
The decision comes just days after the U.S. seized its first oil tanker linked to Venezuela, which was reportedly carrying nearly 2 million tons of crude. The seizure signaled a shift toward direct maritime enforcement after months of increased U.S. military deployments in the Caribbean.
In a lengthy post on Truth Social Tuesday evening, Trump claimed Venezuela was now surrounded by “the largest Armada ever assembled in the history of South America,” warning that the pressure would intensify unless Caracas returned what he described as “stolen” U.S. assets.
Trump accused the Maduro government of using oil revenues to finance drug trafficking, human trafficking, and terrorism, and declared that Venezuela had been designated a “Foreign Terrorist Organization.” He stated that the blockade would apply to all “sanctioned oil tankers” entering or leaving Venezuelan ports.
The president also linked the move to immigration, claiming that individuals sent to the U.S. during the Biden administration were being returned to Venezuela “at a rapid pace,” and framed the blockade as part of a broader effort to protect U.S. national security and economic interests.
Despite the aggressive rhetoric, Trump has continued to insist publicly that he is not pursuing regime change in Venezuela. However, comments made by his Chief of Staff Susie Wiles have cast doubt on that position.
In an interview published Tuesday by Vanity Fair, Wiles reportedly said Trump wanted to “keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle,” adding that advisers believed the strategy would succeed. The remarks appeared to contradict the administration’s stated justification that recent actions were solely aimed at counter-narcotics operations.
The comments triggered swift damage control inside the White House, with Wiles later claiming she had been taken out of context. Nevertheless, her remarks reinforced perceptions that the blockade is intended to cripple Venezuela’s economy and force political concessions from Caracas.