US Orders Oil Tanker Blockade on Venezuela, Escalating Pressure on Maduro

December 16 2025

The United States has announced a major escalation in its approach to Venezuela, with President Donald Trump ordering a full blockade on oil tankers travelling to and from the South American country.

In public statements, President Trump said his administration has reclassified the government of President Nicolás Maduro as a foreign terrorist organisation. He alleged that the Venezuelan government has diverted U.S. assets to support terrorism, drug trafficking, human smuggling and other criminal activities.

Posting on his Truth Social platform, Trump claimed that Venezuela is now surrounded by what he described as the largest naval deployment ever assembled in South America, signalling a sharp intensification of U.S. pressure on Caracas.

According to the U.S. president, the new measures are aimed specifically at sanctioned oil shipments. He said an order is now in effect to prevent oil tankers subject to U.S. sanctions from entering or leaving Venezuelan ports.

Trump said the action was taken in response to what he described as the continued theft of U.S. assets and the Maduro administration’s alleged involvement in transnational criminal networks.

The announcement represents a significant tightening of Washington’s policy toward Venezuela and is expected to carry wide-ranging economic and geopolitical consequences for the region.