U.S. President Donald Trump has announced a "total and complete" naval blockade targeting all sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers.
President Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, Tuesday evening to declare that Venezuela is now "completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the history of South America." He accused the Venezuelan regime of theft, terrorism, drug smuggling, and human trafficking, labeling it a "foreign terrorist organization."
"The United States is enforcing a total blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela," Trump stated, emphasizing the gravity of the measure.
In response, the Venezuelan government condemned the U.S. actions, calling them "grotesque threats" and accusing Washington of attempting to "steal the riches that belong to our homeland." Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro responded by warning that "the world will rise up against piracy and oil plunder," condemning the recent seizure of a Venezuelan tanker.
Earlier, U.S. forces seized the Skipper oil tanker off Venezuela's coast, bringing it to Texas to unload its cargo. The incident has further inflamed tensions between the two nations, with Caracas vowing to defend its sovereignty.
