Trump orders blockade on sanctioned oil tankers off Venezuela
Summarize this article with:
US foreign policyAdd to myFTGet instant alerts for this topicManage your delivery channels hereRemove from myFTDonald Trump orders blockade on sanctioned oil tankers off VenezuelaUS president says military build-up will continue until return of oil and assets ‘they previously stole from us’The USS Gerald R Ford. Washington has launched its largest military build-up in the Caribbean Sea since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis © 2025 US NavyDonald Trump orders blockade on sanctioned oil tankers off Venezuela on x (opens in a new window)Donald Trump orders blockade on sanctioned oil tankers off Venezuela on facebook (opens in a new window)Donald Trump orders blockade on sanctioned oil tankers off Venezuela on linkedin (opens in a new window)Donald Trump orders blockade on sanctioned oil tankers off Venezuela on whatsapp (opens in a new window) Save Donald Trump orders blockade on sanctioned oil tankers off Venezuela on x (opens in a new window)Donald Trump orders blockade on sanctioned oil tankers off Venezuela on facebook (opens in a new window)Donald Trump orders blockade on sanctioned oil tankers off Venezuela on linkedin (opens in a new window)Donald Trump orders blockade on sanctioned oil tankers off Venezuela on whatsapp (opens in a new window) Save Steff Chávez and Jamie Smyth in New York and Joe Daniels in BogotáPublishedDecember 17 2025Jump to comments sectionPrint this pageUnlock the White House Watch newsletter for freeYour guide to what Trump’s second term means for Washington, business and the worldDonald Trump has said he is ordering “a total and complete blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers travelling to and from Venezuela, increasing the US’s financial pressure on the regime of Nicolás Maduro.The US president has been turning up the heat on the Venezuelan strongman in recent days, making oil a new front in his campaign against the Latin American leader that has included Washington’s largest military build-up in the Caribbean Sea since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.“Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America,” Trump wrote in a social media post on Tuesday, referring to the US military forces in the Caribbean.“I am ordering A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela,” he added.Oil prices jumped by more than 1 per cent following Trump’s blockade order, with West Texas Intermediate, the US benchmark, adding 72 cents to trade at $55.99.Last week, US forces launched a dramatic raid to seize a sanctioned oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast.Trump also said the US military build-up would continue until Venezuela “return to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us”. Under Maduro’s predecessor Hugo Chávez, Venezuela expropriated assets belonging to US oil companies.Washington’s military activity in the region is widely seen as an effort to pressure Maduro to step down from power.Washington imposed oil sanctions on Venezuela during Trump’s first term, but a small amount is sent to the US under a special licence provided by Washington to US oil major Chevron. About 80 per cent of Venezuelan oil exports are shipped to China.An effective embargo on oil exports, which surpassed 900,000 barrels a day in November, would have a devastating impact on Venezuela’s economy. Some content could not load. Check your internet connection or browser settings.Maduro, who is designated by Washington as the leader of a drug cartel, has relied on sales of sanctioned oil as foreign exchange has dwindled.Fifty-five sanctioned tankers have participated in Venezuelan oil trades in the past year, with 15 of them currently in the Caribbean region, according to ship tracking data compiled by Kpler.Last week Washington also imposed sanctions on six shipping companies and six more oil tankers for their role in Venezuela’s energy sector.US deployments to the region include a dozen warships — including its newest and largest aircraft carrier — more than 14,000 troops and F-35 fighter jets.Trump has carried out 25 strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, killing at least 95, since early September. He has also repeatedly said that he would soon strike drug targets on land, including potentially in Venezuela.The boat strikes campaign has come under increasing legal scrutiny, including from some Republicans. A focus on oil could give the US, which maintains it does not want a prolonged war, a path to negotiate a solution.In a statement on Tuesday evening Venezuela’s government said Trump sought “to impose, in a totally irrational manner, a supposed naval military blockade on Venezuela with the aim of stealing the riches that belong to our homeland . . . Venezuela will never again become an empire’s colony”.Earlier on Tuesday Maduro called on oil workers to organise a worldwide protest “against the piracy of those who believe they have a licence to plunder the world’s resources”.Reuse this content (opens in new window) CommentsJump to comments sectionPromoted Content Follow the topics in this article Oil Add to myFT Americas companies Add to myFT Oil & Gas industry Add to myFT US foreign policy Add to myFT Nicolas Maduro Add to myFT Comments