WASHINGTON ‒President Donald Trumpordered the blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers from entering and leaving Venezuela, escalating U.S. tensions with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Trump announced the move in aDec. 16 post on Truth Social, also relaying he formally designated Maduro and his government allies a foreign terrorist organization.
The actions come less than one weekafter the United States seizedan oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela that the Trump administration said was transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.
"Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America," Trump said in his social media post. "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."
More:US seizes oil tanker off Venezuela coast, Trump says
The Trump administration has moved thousands of troops and nearly a dozen warships ‒ including an aircraft carrier ‒ to the region in recent months. Trump has also warned the U.S. willsoon begin land strikes in Venezuela.
Trump accused Maduro and other Venezuelan of using oil from "stolen oil fields" to finance themselves and to facilitate drug smuggling, human trafficking, murder and kidnapping.
"Therefore, today, I am ordering A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela," Trump said in his post, later adding that he "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."
More:Trump says land strikes in Venezuela will 'start very soon'
The U.S. military has launched at least 25 strikes on boats in the Caribbean Sea that the Trump administration has said were carrying drugs into the United States, killing at least 95 people, including some Venezuelans. Democrats have called the strikes, which have not been approved by Congress, illegal and said they amount to extrajudicial assassinations.
Trump and his officials have said Maduro is the leader of a criminal enterprise called Cartel de los Soles. Experts say Cartel de los Soles is a loose network of corruption and not a real drug trafficking organization.
Maduro and other top Venezuelan officials were indicted on drug trafficking and corruption charges in 2020.
The United States has imposed sanctions on Venezuela for two decades. Late last month, the Trump administration declared Cartel de los Soles a foreign terrorist organization, paving the way for heavy sanctions against it and any entities with which it does business.
In July, the Trump administration walked back a February move to cut off U.S. oil giant Chevron from doing business in Venezuela.
Contributing: Reuters; Cybele Mayes-Osterman of USA TODAY
Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Trump orders blockade of sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers
