US President Donald Trump on Wednesday declared the Nicolás Maduro government in Venezuela a “foreign terrorist organisation” and ordered a blockade of all oil tankers in and out of the nation. He also said that the US has surrounded Venezuela with the largest fleet of warships “ever assembled in the history of South America”.
“Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America. 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. The illegitimate Maduro Regime is using Oil from these stolen Oil Fields to finance themselves, Drug Terrorism, Human Trafficking, Murder, and Kidnapping,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
The statement comes just days after US authorities seized an oil tanker near Venezuela’s coastline. Caracas has yet to issue an official response to Trump’s latest comments.
He accused Venezuela of stealing the assets of United States and propagating terrorism, drug smuggling, and human trafficking. “The Venezuelan Regime has been designated a foreign terrorist organisation”, he said. He further posted: “I am ordering a total and complete blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers going into and out of Venezuela. The illegal aliens and criminals that the Maduro Regime has sent into the United States during the weak and inept Biden administration are being returned to Venezuela at a rapid pace.”
US’ history of sanctions against Venezuela
Washington has long accused Venezuela of being a hub for drug smuggling. Since September, the US military has carried out strikes on boats it claims were transporting fentanyl and other illicit narcotics toward the United States, resulting in at least 90 deaths, according to US statements.
In parallel, the US has steadily increased its naval deployment in the region, with additional warships moved closer to Venezuelan waters in recent months.
Venezuela, which holds some of the largest proven oil reserves globally, has consistently rejected these allegations, accusing the US of attempting to seize control of its natural resources.
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Successive US administrations, including those led by Trump and former president Joe Biden, have opposed Maduro’s leadership and imposed sweeping sanctions in an effort to force political change in Caracas.
Last week, Washington expanded those measures, placing sanctions on six additional vessels it said were involved in transporting Venezuelan crude. The US also targeted some of Maduro’s relatives and companies linked to what it described as his illegitimate government.
White House defends seizure of tanker off Venezula
A day earlier, US officials confirmed the seizure of a tanker identified as the ‘Skipper’ off Venezuela’s coast, reported the BBC. The White House said the ship was engaged in illegal oil shipments and would be escorted to a US port.
Venezuela strongly condemned the move, with Maduro accusing the US of abducting the crew and stealing the vessel.
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In the days leading up to the operation, the US had significantly reinforced its military footprint in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela. The buildup reportedly included thousands of troops and the deployment of the USS Gerald Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, positioned within striking range of the country.
