Trump announces total blockade of “sanctioned” Venezuelan oil tankers

US President Donald Trump has ordered a complete blockade of sanctioned oil vessels entering and leaving Venezuela, dramatically escalating Washington's military pressure campaign whilst demanding the return of what he characterised as stolen oil assets and land.

Trump revealed the directive via his Truth Social platform on December 16 evening, ramping up a Caribbean military operation that has been building for months. Whilst the White House frames the deployment as an anti-narcotics initiative, Caracas views it as an effort to force out President Nicolás Maduro.

"Today, I am ordering A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela," Trump wrote, warning that Venezuela is "completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America."

Trump said the naval deployment, which includes the world's largest aircraft carrier, "will only get bigger" until Venezuela returns "all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us." The president provided no details about which specific assets he meant, though Venezuela took control of its petroleum sector through nationalisation in the 1970s and subsequently, under former president Hugo Chavez, required foreign operators to hand majority stakes to state oil company PDVSA.

The blockade announcement follows the December 10 seizure of the Skipper, a very large crude carrier (VLCC) intercepted by US forces in Caribbean waters whilst transporting approximately 1.8mn barrels of Venezuelan heavy crude. Trump described the vessel as "a large tanker, very large, largest one ever, actually" and said authorities would keep the seized cargo.

That operation, executed by the FBI, Department of Homeland Security and Coast Guard with Pentagon support, marked Washington's first physical interdiction of Venezuelan oil cargo since 2019. The Skipper, sanctioned by the US in 2022 over allegations it facilitated oil smuggling funding Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps and Hezbollah, had loaded its cargo at Jose terminal in early December.

Venezuela condemned both actions, calling the tanker seizure "barefaced robbery and an act of international piracy" and describing Trump’s blockade threat as an attempt at "stealing the riches that belong to our homeland." In a statement, the Venezuelan government said it would formally denounce the "grotesque threats" to the United Nations, calling the blockade a violation of international law, free trade and freedom of navigation.

Venezuelan Ambassador to the UN Samuel Moncada will proceed to formalise the complaint for what Caracas described as a "serious violation of International Law," according to the government statement.

Washington has portrayed its Caribbean operation, called "Southern Spear," as focused on combating drug trafficking organisations that the Trump administration has labelled foreign terrorist groups. Military personnel have intercepted vessels in international waters on suspicion of narcotics smuggling, conducting more than 20 strikes since September that have killed over 90 people in actions some analysts describe as unlawful killings without due process.

The Trump administration has designated an alleged Venezuelan criminal group, the Cartel de los Soles, as a terrorist organisation and claims Maduro leads it, a characterisation that could provide justification for expanded military operations. Trump has repeatedly hinted at extending operations beyond maritime interdictions to land strikes within Venezuelan borders, whilst simultaneously holding phone conversations with Maduro about arranging a meeting.

The blockade order threatens to further cripple Venezuela's economy, which remains heavily dependent on crude exports. Energy analysts have warned that aggressive interdiction tactics could discourage maritime transport companies from accepting Venezuelan shipments, which already trade at substantial discounts as they move primarily to China through third-party handlers to mitigate sanctions exposure.

The Venezuelan regime depends heavily on petroleum revenues to finance government operations and import essential goods. Production has plummeted from over 3mn barrels per day two decades ago to roughly 900,000 barrels daily currently, reflecting years of poor management, international sanctions and endemic corruption at PDVSA.

Chinese buyers now account for approximately 80% of Venezuelan crude exports, with the remainder going primarily to US refineries along the Gulf Coast and to Cuba.

According to AFP, a spokesperson for Chevron, the only US oil major allowed to operate in Venezuela under a sanctions waiver, said its operations "continue without disruption and in full compliance with laws and regulations applicable to its business."

White House officials have drafted various military scenarios including operations targeting Maduro directly and plans to take control of Venezuela's oil production facilities, though people close to Trump say he harbours doubts about pursuing regime change given the risk of operational failure. However, the US president has often publicly stated he believes Maduro’s days are “numbered.”

It remains unclear how many oil tankers would be affected by the blockade order or what specific consequences the measure will have for Venezuelan oil operations.