U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a Mexican Border Defense Medal presentation in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., Dec. 15, 2025.
Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday stateside ordered a “complete and total” blockade of sanctioned oil tankers moving in and out of Venezuela as tensions ramp up between the Washington and the South American country.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said “Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America.”
He added, “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.”
“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. Therefore, today, I am ordering A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela,” Trump said.
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