President Donald Trump sharply escalated pressure on Venezuela on Tuesday by designating President Nicolás Maduro’s government a foreign terrorist organization and ordering a “complete and total” blockade of sanctioned oil tankers moving in and out of the country.
The move follows new U.S. sanctions imposed last week on Venezuela’s oil industry and members of Maduro’s family, as well as recent U.S. seizures of oil tankers accused of transporting sanctioned crude to Iran. Trump accused the Venezuelan regime of using “stolen” oil revenues to finance terrorism, drug smuggling, human trafficking, murder, and kidnapping.
In a Truth Social post, Trump said Venezuela is now “completely surrounded by the largest armada ever assembled in the history of South America,” warning that U.S. military pressure in the region will continue to increase. He demanded the immediate return of “oil, land, and other assets” he said were stolen from the United States, adding that the U.S. would not allow “criminals, terrorists, or other countries” to threaten American interests.
Designating the Maduro regime as a foreign terrorist organization makes it illegal for U.S. citizens to provide material support to Venezuela’s government. The blockade targets sanctioned oil tankers, a move expected to further choke off the country’s oil-dependent economy, which produces roughly one million barrels per day.
The announcement comes amid a major U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean and northern South America, including the deployment of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, multiple warships, fighter jets, and thousands of troops. Since September, U.S. forces have carried out more than 20 strikes against alleged Venezuelan drug-trafficking vessels, and Trump has warned that operations could soon expand to land-based targets.
