President Donald Trump of the USA ordered, on December 16, 2025, a total blockade against sanctioned oil tankers. The measure targets all vessels attempting to enter or leave Venezuela. The action will be executed using the USA military deployment stationed in waters near South America.
This order is based on accusations that the government of Nicolás Maduro uses oil resources to finance illicit activities. Trump stated that the goal is to recover assets that, according to him, were stolen from the USA.
Why did Trump blocks oil tankers leaving and entering Venezuela?
The decision represents a significant escalation in a pressure campaign that includes sanctions and military operations. One week prior, the USA had seized the oil tanker «Skipper» off the Venezuelan coast.
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The USA government has maintained an embargo on Venezuelan crude oil exports for years, considering Maduro’s government illegitimate. Trump accused the Maduro regime of using stolen oil to finance drug trafficking and terrorism.
In his statements, he emphasized that the naval deployment in the region is the largest in South American history. The White House Chief of Staff indicated that the strategy aims to force the Venezuelan government to surrender.
Actions taken and scope of the blockade
The order implies an active naval blockade against specific vessels under sanctions. This complements a series of measures that include attacks on boats suspected of drug trafficking.
The USA Federal Aviation Administration also issued a warning about the worsening security situation in the region’s airspace.The blockade directly attacks Venezuela’s primary source of income.
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Oil, subject to sanctions since 2019, is traded mainly in alternative markets like China. The seizure of the «Skipper» tanker, loaded with Venezuelan crude, exemplifies the type of actions that will be executed.
How did Nicolás Maduro’s government respond?
The government of Nicolás Maduro described the announcement as a «grotesque threat» and a violation of international law. The Venezuelan Foreign Ministry denounced that Trump’s true objective is to appropriate the country’s natural wealth. It announced that its ambassador to the UN will proceed to formally denounce this measure.
Meanwhile, Maduro called on oil workers to hold a worldwide protest in defense of free trade. He stated that Venezuela has been confronting and defeating a multidimensional aggression campaign for 25 weeks. The Venezuelan government reaffirmed its sovereignty over its resources and its right to navigation.
Recent international political tension
The relationship between both countries experienced a constant escalation in November and December. The turning point was the seizure of the oil tanker «Skipper» by the USA last week, an action that Caracas denounced as «piracy.» Previously, the USA had imposed new sanctions on six more vessels and on Maduro’s relatives.
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Despite the tension, both leaders held a telephone conversation in November 2025, the details of which were not made public. Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado praised Trump’s pressure policy and advocated for intensifying it to achieve a change in government.
The blockade order represents a pressure strategy that transcends the framework of the fight against drugs. This move places control of energy resources as an explicit objective of USA foreign policy towards the region.
