Trump designates Venezuela gov’t terrorist, orders blockade of sanctioned oil tankers

WASHINGTON – 17 December 2025: US President Donald Trump has sharply escalated pressure on Venezuela, designating its government a foreign terrorist organization and ordering a “total and complete blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving the South American country.

Trump said the decisions are based on allegations including “the theft of our Assets and many other reasons, including Terrorism, Drug Smuggling, and Human Trafficking.”

For these reasons, Trump said on his Truth Social on Wednesday, “the Venezuelan Regime has been designated a FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION.”

“Therefore, today, I am ordering A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela.”

Venezuela’s government swiftly rejected the decision, calling Trump’s move “a grotesque threat.”

The designation and blockade order mark the latest step in an expanding US pressure campaign that has included a heightened military presence in waters near Venezuela.

The US forces have carried out more than two dozen strikes on vessels in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea close to Venezuelan territory, actions that resulted in at least 90 deaths.

Trump has also warned that US land-based military strikes on Venezuela could begin soon, further raising tensions in the region.

Late in November, Trump said the airspace above and around Venezuela should be considered “closed in its entirety.”

Maduro has accused the United States of seeking to overthrow his government and seize control of Venezuela’s oil wealth.

The OPEC member holds the world’s largest proven crude oil reserves, making its energy sector central to both its economy and its standoff with Washington.

The latest measures underscore a dramatic escalation in US-Venezuela relations, with potentially far-reaching implications for regional security and global energy markets.