Trump Orders ‘Complete Blockade’ Of Sanctioned Oil Tankers Moving In And Out Of Venezuela

President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he ordered “a total and complete blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela.

Trump made the announcement after the United States government seized a Venezuelan oil tanker last Wednesday, and as the president has ramped up a pressure campaign targeting Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro. Now, the president has zeroed in on Venezuela’s oil industry, its main source of funding.

“Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America. 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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Tuesday night.

“The illegitimate Maduro Regime is using Oil from these stolen Oil Fields to finance themselves, Drug Terrorism, Human Trafficking, Murder, and Kidnapping. For the theft of our Assets, and many other reasons, including Terrorism, Drug Smuggling, and Human Trafficking, the Venezuelan Regime has been designated a FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION,” Trump said, adding: “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. 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!”

Roughly 80% of Venezuelan oil exports go to Chinese buyers, according to The New York Times.

Chevron operates in Venezuela using a waiver from the Treasury Department that allows the company to conduct business with  Venezuela’s state-owned oil giant PDVSA to develop the country’s massive oil reserves.

Chevron gives a portion of its oil to the Venezuelan government in order to drill in the South American country.

Chevron responded to Trump’s latest actions Tuesday evening, saying “operations in Venezuela continue without disruption and in full compliance with laws and regulations applicable to its business, as well as the sanctions frameworks provided for by the U.S. government,” according to The New York Times.

For months, the Trump administration has focused its efforts on destroying alleged drug boats off the Venezuelan coast.

The U.S. military has taken out over 20 alleged boats in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean as part of the Trump administration’s larger campaign to destabilize the region and take out the cartels operating there.

The Trump administration has accused Maduro of leading Venezuela’s Cartel de los Soles and supporting the Tren de Aragua prison gang, placing a $50 million bounty on information that leads to the socialist leader’s arrest.

The president of Belarus has offered Maduro refuge in his country if he decides to cave to the pressure.