WASHINGTON, Dec 17 (KUNA) -- US President Donald Trump announced the imposition of a comprehensive blockade on all oil tankers departing from or heading to Venezuela, which is already under strict sanctions.
He also threatened to deploy the largest naval fleet along Venezuela's borders, marking a new escalation in the US administration's campaign against the government of President Nicolas Maduro.
In a post on Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump said that "Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America," adding that this fleet "will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before - Until such time as they return to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us." Trump stated that he issued an order on Tuesday to enforce a "total and complete blockade" on all sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela.
He also ordered the deportation of undocumented immigrants and criminals who arrived from Venezuela, blaming what he described as the "weak and inept Biden Administration." He asserted that the "illegitimate Maduro Regime is using Oil from these stolen Oil Fields to finance themselves, Drug Terrorism, Human Trafficking, Murder, and Kidnapping," noting that his administration has designated the Venezuelan regime as a "foreign terrorist organization." Trump said that "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." The announcement follows more than 22 US strikes since last September on Venezuelan boats in the Caribbean, as part of what Washington describes as a "war on drugs." These operations reportedly resulted in the deaths of at least 90 individuals accused by US authorities of smuggling drugs into American territory aboard those vessels.
The escalation also comes after Trump recently warned that the US could "very soon" begin striking targets inside Venezuela as part of his administration's campaign against drug trafficking, which it classifies as a terrorist threat to the US.
In the context of rising tensions with Caracas, Trump said in an interview with the news website Politico last week that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's hold on power will not last long. (end) amm.dss