President Donald Trump has announced that the United States has enacted a “total and complete blockade” on sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela.
The move marks the most significant escalation yet in a months-long confrontation with Nicolás Maduro’s socialist regime.
“Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
“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.”
He added that “the illegitimate Maduro Regime is using Oil from these stolen Oil Fields to finance themselves, Drug Terrorism, Human Trafficking, Murder, and Kidnapping,” and reiterated that the regime has been designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization, citing “Terrorism, Drug Smuggling, and Human Trafficking.”
The president announced that, effective December 16, 2025, all Venezuelan oil tanker traffic would be blocked.
“The Illegal Aliens and Criminals that the Maduro Regime has sent into the United States during the weak and inept Biden Administration, are being returned to Venezuela at a rapid pace,” Trump wrote.
“America will not allow Criminals, Terrorists, or other Countries, to rob, threaten, or harm our Nation and, likewise, 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.”
“Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
A Military Operation Already Underway
The blockade caps a steady buildup of U.S. military power in the Caribbean that began in early September under Operation Southern Spear, overseen by U.S. Southern Command.
More than 20 strikes have targeted vessels suspected of narcotics trafficking linked to Venezuelan ports, resulting in dozens of fatalities.
The deployment now includes:
• The USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group
• Seven additional U.S. warships
• A nuclear submarine
• F-35 fighter jets and B-52 bombers
• Roughly 10,000 personnel stationed across Puerto Rico, Florida, and allied sites
Pentagon briefings describe the mission as an effort to sever fentanyl and cocaine supply chains flowing into the United States, networks long tied to Maduro’s security apparatus.
Maduro’s Narco-Terrorism Network
The U.S. government’s case against Maduro dates back to 2020, when federal prosecutors indicted him and 14 top associates for narco-terrorism, alleging he leads the Cartel de los Soles.
According to Justice Department filings, the syndicate, composed of military officers and regime loyalists, partners with Colombia’s FARC to ship multi-ton quantities of cocaine into the United States.
Prosecutors say the network is also involved in human smuggling, arms trafficking, and large-scale money laundering.
The State Department recently raised the reward for Maduro’s capture to $50 million.
This year, the Treasury Department designated Cartel de los Soles a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) entity. On November 24, the State Department added a Foreign Terrorist Organization designation, placing it alongside Venezuela’s transnational gang Tren de Aragua.
The consequences are sweeping and include frozen assets, criminal penalties for material support, secondary sanctions on global enablers, and strict immigration bars.
Room for Diplomacy Still Open
Despite the military escalation, Trump has not ruled out a negotiated exit for Maduro.
During a November 21 call, the president offered Maduro and his family safe haven if he resigned immediately.
According to the Miami Herald, Maduro sought blanket amnesty and sanctions relief, terms the United States rejected.
The blockade marks the most forceful U.S. action against the Venezuelan dictatorship in decades, signaling that the Trump administration intends to intensify economic and military pressure until Maduro relinquishes power or faces removal.
READ MORE – Trump Suggests U.S Land Strikes in Venezuela Coming ‘Pretty Soon’
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