CARACAS — President Donald Trump has ordered a “total and complete” blockade of oil tankers around Venezuela, sparking fury in Caracas and warnings of war from U.S. lawmakers.
Trump boasted on Truth Social that Venezuela was “completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America.” He promised it would “only get bigger” and accused Nicolás Maduro’s government of using “stolen oil” to fund drug terrorism, human trafficking, murder, and kidnapping.
The move comes days after U.S. forces seized a tanker, the Skipper, off Venezuela’s coast. Maduro blasted the raid, saying Washington “kidnapped the crew” and “stole” the ship. Caracas denounced the blockade as “warmongering threats”, accusing the U.S. of trying to plunder the country’s vast oil reserves.
Thousands of U.S. troops and the USS Gerald Ford aircraft carrier have already been deployed to the Caribbean, putting Venezuela under the shadow of American firepower. Since September, U.S. strikes on alleged drug‑smuggling boats have killed at least 90 people — though officials have offered no public proof the vessels carried fentanyl or cocaine.
Maduro’s government branded Trump’s order “an act of piracy dressed up as policy,” vowing Venezuela would resist. State media called the blockade “irrational” and warned it could strangle the country’s already battered economy.
In Washington, Congressman Joaquin Castro (D‑Texas) fired back, saying the blockade is “unquestionably an act of war.” He pledged Congress would vote to rein in Trump’s hostilities. Other critics warned Trump was dragging America into a dangerous conflict in South America without evidence or congressional approval.
Trump’s allies, however, cheered the move, framing it as tough action against Maduro’s “narco‑terrorist regime.” They argued the blockade would choke off illicit oil shipments and weaken Venezuela’s grip on power.
International voices added to the chorus. UN human rights chief Volker Türk cautioned that Venezuela’s crackdown on civic space has “intensified, suffocating freedoms,” and warned the blockade could worsen humanitarian suffering. Analysts noted oil prices briefly spiked as traders feared disruption in Caribbean shipping lanes.
For now, Venezuela is ringed by warships, Trump is doubling down, and the oil‑rich nation is bracing for what could be its most dangerous standoff yet.
