Donald Trump has ordered a blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela, ramping up pressure on Nicolas Maduro, the country’s authoritarian leader.
The US president claimed that Venezuela was using oil to fund drug trafficking and other crimes as he announced the “total and complete” crackdown on Tuesday evening.
Mr Trump added that Venezuela was surrounded by the “largest armada ever assembled in the history of South America”.
“For the theft of our Assets, and many other reasons, including Terrorism, Drug Smuggling, and Human Trafficking, the Venezuelan Regime has been designated a FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION,” the US president wrote on Truth Social.
“Therefore, today, I am ordering A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela.”
Oil ‘financing drug terrorism’
Caracas said the move was “utterly irrational” in a statement on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Mr Trump claimed that Venezuela had stolen US land for oil fields, without specifying where, and demanded it be returned.
“The illegitimate Maduro Regime is using Oil from these stolen Oil Fields to finance themselves, Drug Terrorism, Human Trafficking, Murder, and Kidnapping,” he said.
He added that the US “will not allow a Hostile Regime to take our Oil, Land, or any other Assets, all of which must be returned to the United States, IMMEDIATELY”.
Last week, the United States seized a large, sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela that was destined for Cuba.
Footage of the moment US troops took control of the vessel shows helicopters hovering above the vast ship as armed troops rappelled on to the deck.
