Tensions between the United States and Venezuela have reached new heights following a sweeping move by former US President Donald Trump. Trump has ordered “a total and complete” blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuelan waters, a decision that Caracas has denounced as aggressive and “warmongering threats.”
In his announcement, Trump designated Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s government as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO), citing involvement in drug smuggling and human trafficking. This move comes on the heels of several high-profile US actions targeting Venezuela’s oil sector, including the seizure of an oil tanker off its coast last week — a significant escalation given the South American nation’s heavy reliance on petroleum exports.
The US has also conducted lethal strikes on vessels it alleges were carrying Venezuelan drugs, while simultaneously building up its naval presence in the region. However, Trump’s statement offered little detail about how the proposed blockade on sanctioned tankers would be implemented. According to TankerTrackers.com, over 30 of the 80 ships in or approaching Venezuelan waters were already under US sanctions as of last week.
Further actions by Washington include sanctions targeting additional ships transporting Venezuelan oil, as well as businesses and relatives associated with President Maduro’s administration, which the US labels as illegitimate. On his social media platform Truth Social, Trump claimed Venezuela was “completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the history of South America,” warning that the US naval presence “would only get bigger” and “be like nothing they have ever seen before.”
Trump’s post went further, accusing Maduro’s government of using stolen oil to finance drug trafficking, terrorism, murder, and kidnapping. While previously the US had applied the FTO label to Maduro personally, his latest statements suggest the designation is being extended to the entire Venezuelan government. Last month, the US formally designated the Venezuelan Cartel de los Soles as an FTO, a label which implicitly targeted Maduro as its alleged leader — a claim he denies.
Venezuela, home to the world’s largest proven oil reserves, has condemned these actions as a blatant attempt by Washington to seize its resources. Trump and other US officials have repeatedly accused Venezuela of involvement in drug smuggling. Since September, US military strikes on vessels allegedly transporting fentanyl and other illicit drugs have reportedly resulted in around 100 deaths, although no public evidence has been provided linking the targeted ships to these drugs. One vessel accused of drug trafficking was destroyed in a strike in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing four men according to US authorities.
The unfolding situation underscores a rapidly escalating standoff in the region. Venezuela continues to decry what it calls foreign interference and resource theft, while the US maintains that its actions are aimed at combatting drug trafficking and terrorism. With oil at the center of the dispute and naval forces amassing nearby, the region faces a tense and unpredictable chapter in its geopolitical landscape.