US president Donald Trump dramatically escalated the conflict with Venezuela Tuesday night by declaring a blockade of most Venezuelan seaborne oil shipments.
Trump, in a social media post, also demanded — without providing any credible explanation — that Venezuela return "all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us."
Venezuelan oil flows to Cuba already have stopped and cargoes to other destinations were grinding to a halt, following the 10 December seizure of a Cuba-bound Venezuelan oil tanker by the US Coast Guard.
"I am ordering A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela," Trump said.
The tanker seized by the US was previously sanctioned for alleged involvement in transporting Iranian oil. More than 30 tankers could be within the reach of US naval forces positioned near Venezuela if Washington decides to continue seizing ships on its sanctions list.
It is not clear what Trump meant by claiming that Caracas "stole" US-owned oil, land or assets, especially his reference to "land".
Venezuela during the rule of former president Hugo Chavez nationalized assets of US and other western companies. The government of President Nicolas Maduro also faces claims of expropriation of mining and other western assets, and it has defaulted on sovereign debt obligations. All in all, almost $60bn worth of claims have been advanced against Caracas and state-owned PdV in US courts and international tribunals. A US federal court ordered the sale of PdV-owned US refiner Citgo to partially satisfy those claims.
Trump's post concluded a day that featured his senior national security advisers briefing US lawmakers on the US military operations near Venezuela, without mentioning a possible escalation that likely requires congressional approval.
The US has stationed a large naval force in the waters near Venezuela since early September as part of an effort ostensibly aimed at stopping waterborne drug shipments.
The US Navy has reported having destroyed 25 boats allegedly carrying drugs near the coasts of Venezuela and Colombia since early September, killing 98 crew members. The most recent strikes, destroying three boats, took place on Monday.
US lawmakers briefed by defense secretary Pete Hegseth and secretary of state Marco Rubio earlier on Tuesday said they were left wondering about the ultimate objectives of the US military operation.
