President Donald Trump dramatically escalated tensions with Venezuela on Tuesday, announcing he is ordering a blockade of all “sanctioned oil tankers” bound for the South American nation.
This move threatens to further choke the country’s already fragile economy and intensify a rapidly expanding U.S. military campaign in the region. The announcement follows the recent seizure of an oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast and comes amid growing scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers and international observers over the legality and scope of Washington’s actions.
Donald Trump Announces Blockade
In a late-night post on his social media platform, Trump declared that Venezuela is now surrounded by what he described as an unprecedented naval force, signaling that the pressure campaign is far from over.
“Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America,” Trump wrote. “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.”
