Trump orders oil tanker blockade in Venezuela, designates regime as foreign terrorist organization
by Misty Severi, Just the News.com, December 17, 2025
President Donald Trump increased pressure on the Venezuelan government Tuesday by designating its regime a "foreign terrorist organization" and ordering a “complete and total” blockade of oil tankers moving in and out of Venezuela.
The actions come after the United States issued new sanctions on the country’s oil industry last week and on members of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s family. The U.S. has also been conducting military strikes against boats from the South American country that it alleges are carrying drugs.
🚨 TRUMP: “Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America… I am ordering A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela.”
— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) December 16, 2025
Omg. pic.twitter.com/62NnwikZX7
Trump claimed the country is using "stolen" oil to finance itself and to fund actions including terrorism, human trafficking, murder and kidnapping.
"Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America," Trump posted on Truth Social. "It will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before.
"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," he continued. "Therefore, today, I am ordering a total and complete blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers going into, and out of, Venezuela."
Trump called for Venezuela to immediately return all "oil, land, and other assets" that the country "previously stole" from the U.S. and added that he would not allow "criminals, terrorists, or other countries, to rob, threaten, or harm our nation."
The actions also come after Trump warned that U.S. operations against alleged Venezuelan narco-traffickers will soon expand onto land.
