Trump orders “total and complete” blockade of sanctioned oil tankers in and out of Venezuela

President Trump on Tuesday ordered a “total and complete blockade” of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela, in a major escalation of his pressure campaign against the country’s leader Nicolas Maduro.

“Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America,” Trump wrote in a lengthy post on his social media platform. 

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,” Trump said.

In the post, Trump announced “A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela” and demanded the return of oil and assets. 

The Venezuelan government responded to Trump’s post, calling his declaration a “reckless and serious threat,” against the country that it says violates international law, free trade and freedom of navigation.

“The President of the United States intends to impose in an absolutely irrational manner, a supposed naval military blockade on Venezuela with the objective of stealing the wealth that belongs to our homeland,” the Venezuelan government said in a statement.

The Venezuelan government said its ambassador to the United Nations will “proceed to denounce this serious violation of international law against Venezuela.” It called on “the people of the world to reject” Trump’s announcement.

Venezuela has the largest known oil reserves in the world, and oil exports are the government’s main source of revenue. The US currently has 11 warships in the Caribbean — the most in decades — but even with an increased military presence, that would likely not be enough to put in place a blockade in the traditional sense, which involves sealing a country’s coastline completely and would effectively have been a declaration of war.

Trump’s announcement could be a precursor to the seizure of more tankers, after the US last week seized a sanctioned oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast that officials said was involved in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations and used to transport oil between the South American country and Iran. The oil tanker was headed to Cuba.

The US Treasury Department last Thursday announced sanctions on six additional tankers — White Crane, Kiara M, H Constance, Lattafa, Tamia and Monique — and six shipping companies it said transported Venezuelan crude oil in recent months. 

The Treasury Department said the sanctions are designed to attack Venezuela’s oil sector, which they say “continues to fund Maduro’s illegitimate regime.” The measures were part of a larger package that also sanctioned three Maduro family members and a business associate of the Venezuelan President.