In a major escalation of maritime pressure on Caracas, US president Donald Trump has ordered “a total and complete blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers going into, and out of, Venezuela,” intensifying efforts to squeeze president Nicolás Maduro’s lifeline crude exports. The dramatic declaration, posted on social media and backed by a growing US naval and troop presence in the Caribbean, marks a significant shift in Washington’s use of military power against oil shipping linked to Venezuela.
The blockade comes a week after US forces seized the very large crude carrier Skipper off Venezuela’s coast – a sanctioned tanker accused of transporting illicit oil. That ship and its cargo of crude has since been taken to the US.
With Venezuela’s economy overwhelmingly dependent on oil revenue, the blockade is poised to further disrupt crude flows and likely reshape tanker trading patterns in the region. However, it raises complex questions about international law and freedom of navigation, as critics warn the move verges on an act of war absent clear congressional mandate.
