US President Donald Trump has announced a “total and complete” blockade of Venezuelan oil tankers, marking one of the most significant military escalations in South America in recent history. The move comes amid rising tensions between the United States and Venezuela over oil and nationalized U.S.-linked assets.
Taking to his social media platform Truth Social, President Trump declared: “Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America.” The operation currently involves U.S. warships, aircraft, and thousands of troops stationed in the region.
Trump warned that the U.S. could further increase its military presence, stating that the response to Nicolás Maduro’s regime would deliver a “shock like nothing they have ever seen before.” He cited the return of oil, land, and other assets previously nationalized by Venezuela as a key demand.
This escalation follows recent U.S. actions, including the seizure of a Venezuelan tanker filled with crude oil. Shipping data indicates that other tankers are avoiding Venezuelan ports, wary of potential interception by U.S. forces.
While a full military blockade is considered an act of war under international law, Trump’s current measures have not fully halted operations by Chevron, which continues to export oil under a licensed exemption from sanctions.
Experts have raised concerns about the legality of the move. Ryan Goodman, a law professor at an American university, emphasized that “a military blockade without a response to armed attack violates the UN Charter and can be considered a crime of aggression.”
Russia has publicly reaffirmed support for President Maduro, though analysts suggest Moscow’s involvement in Venezuela has been limited in recent months. The Venezuelan government has condemned the U.S. actions, stating that the country “will never go back to being a colony of the empire, nor any other foreign power.”
Economists warn that the blockade could have severe repercussions. Francisco Rodriguez of the University of Denver noted that no country in the Western Hemisphere has faced a blockade that halts its main export revenue. He added that Trump’s demands for oil transfers would violate both Venezuelan and international law.
Meanwhile, U.S. military assets in the region have intensified. The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier and accompanying strike group are deployed nearby, with stealth fighters and mid-air refueling aircraft positioned in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
As the standoff continues, Venezuela faces more than 10 million barrels of crude oil stranded aboard tankers, creating potential disruptions to global oil markets and escalating geopolitical uncertainty.
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