Trump orders oil blockade, designates Venezuela government as terrorist organization

President Trump said he has ordered a “total and complete blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela and designated the Maduro government as a foreign terrorist organization, according to a statement posted by the president.

The announcement was made Tuesday in a post, in which Trump said Venezuela is “completely surrounded” and accused the government of Nicolás Maduro of using oil revenues to finance criminal activity.

Trump said the blockade applies to all sanctioned oil tankers going into and out of Venezuela and ordered that Venezuelan assets he said were taken from the United States be returned.

In the statement, Trump said the “illegitimate Maduro Regime” has been designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and accused it of financing “drug terrorism, human trafficking, murder, and kidnapping.”

“America will not allow Criminals, Terrorists, or other Countries, to rob, threaten, or harm our Nation and, likewise, 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,” Trump said.

The announcement follows a recent U.S. operation in which authorities seized a vessel originating from Venezuela that was bound for Cuba, according to U.S. officials. That action was described as part of broader enforcement efforts targeting sanctioned maritime traffic linked to Venezuela.