US President Donald Trump on Tuesday ordered "a total and complete" blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela.

"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," Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.

"Therefore, today, I am ordering A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela."

Trump's comments came a week after the United States seized a sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela.

Trump also said the large US naval armada amassed in the Caribbean "would only get bigger" until Venezuela returns "to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us."

Maduro has repeatedly claimed the massive US military deployment within striking distance of his country is part of a plan to overthrow him and "steal" Venezuela's abundant oil under the ruse of its anti-drug operation.

Though the United States already has sanctions on Venezuela's oil sector, seizing its exports could potentially cripple its already struggling economy, creating massive political headwinds for Maduro.

"If there are no oil exports, it will affect the foreign exchange market, the country's imports... There could be an economic crisis," Elias Ferrer of Orinoco Research, a Venezuelan advisory firm, said recently.

"Not just a recession, but also shortages of food and medicine, because we wouldn't be able to import."

Venezuela has been sidestepping US oil sanctions for years, selling crude at a discounted price on the black market.

Venezuela is estimated to have oil reserves of some 303 billion barrels, according to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) -- more than any other nation. (Agencies)
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Last updated: 2025-12-17 HKT 09:32