In a dramatic escalation of his administration's pressure campaign, former US President Donald Trump has formally designated the leadership of Venezuela as a foreign terrorist organisation. He has simultaneously commanded a comprehensive naval blockade targeting all sanctioned oil tankers travelling to and from the South American nation.
A Historic Naval Mobilisation
Announcing the move, Trump stated that Venezuela is now "completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America." This action represents a significant intensification of his long-standing campaign against the government of Nicolás Maduro, whom Trump repeatedly labelled as "illegitimate." The former president's previous drone strike operations against suspected drug trafficking vessels in the region have reportedly resulted in 95 fatalities to date.
Accusations of Theft and Narco-Terrorism
The justification for the severe measures centres on a series of grave allegations. Trump demanded that Maduro surrender "the oil, land and other assets stolen by Venezuela" from the United States. He directly accused the Venezuelan leader of leveraging pilfered oil revenues to bankroll a host of criminal enterprises, including narco-terrorism, human trafficking, murder, kidnapping, and personal enrichment.
"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 declared.
The Blockade Order and Immigration Claims
Following directly from this designation, the former president issued a clear directive: "Therefore, today, I am ordering A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela." This move aims to cripple a primary source of income for the Maduro government.
Trump also linked the action to US immigration policy, claiming that "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."
This announcement marks a pivotal hardening of US policy towards Caracas, with potential major implications for global energy markets and regional geopolitics. The situation continues to develop.
