President Donald Trump has ordered a sweeping crackdown on Venezuela’s oil trade, announcing a “total and complete blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving the country.
The move follows the U.S. seizure of a Venezuelan oil tanker last week and marks a sharp escalation in Trump’s pressure campaign against Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro, whose regime relies heavily on oil revenues to stay afloat.
“Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America. It will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before — Until such time as they return to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Tuesday night.
The president accused the Maduro regime of using stolen oil wealth to bankroll violence and crime.
“The illegitimate Maduro Regime is using Oil from these stolen Oil Fields to finance themselves, Drug Terrorism, Human Trafficking, Murder, and Kidnapping,” Trump said, adding that Venezuela has been designated a “FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION.”
Trump also tied the regime directly to illegal immigration and crime inside the United States.
“The Illegal Aliens and Criminals that the Maduro Regime has sent into the United States during the weak and inept Biden Administration, are being returned to Venezuela at a rapid pace,” he said. “America will not allow Criminals, Terrorists, or other Countries, to rob, threaten, or harm our Nation.”
He closed with a blunt demand.
“[We] will not allow a Hostile Regime to take our Oil, Land, or any other Assets, all of which must be returned to the United States, IMMEDIATELY.”
The stakes are high. Roughly 80% of Venezuela’s oil exports currently flow to Chinese buyers, according to The New York Times — a lifeline Trump now appears determined to sever.
BREAKING: President Trump ordered a total blockade of oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela, declaring the Nicolás Maduro regime a foreign terrorist organization and accusing it of using stolen U.S. assets to finance terrorism, trafficking and other criminal activity. pic.twitter.com/74lvOxgsEY
— Fox News (@FoxNews) December 17, 2025
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