Donald Trump on Tuesday announced a naval blockade of \u201csanctioned oil vessels\u201d leaving and heading to Venezuela, sharply escalating his pressure campaign against Caracas.<\/p>\n
The US has for months been building a major military deployment in the Caribbean \u2013 with the stated goal of combatting drug trafficking, but Venezuela views the operation as a campaign to oust Nicolas Maduro.<\/p>\n
Though the US already has sanctions on Venezuela\u2019s oil sector, seizing its exports could cripple its already struggling economy. Last Wednesday, the US seized an oil tanker that was carrying Venezuelan crude.<\/p>\n
Trump declares Venezuela \u2018completely surrounded\u2019 by US armada<\/p>\n
In a post on social media announcing the blockade, Trump alleged Venezuela was using oil to fund drug trafficking and other crimes.<\/p>\n
\u201cVenezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America,\u201d Trump said on Truth Social. \u201cIt will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before \u2026 today, I am ordering A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trump said the armada \u2013 which includes the world\u2019s largest aircraft carrier \u2013 \u201cwill only get bigger\u201d until Venezuela returns \u201cto the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us\u201d.<\/p>\n
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