An oil tanker sails on Lake Maracaibo, in Cabimas, Venezuela October 14, 2022. REUTERS/Issac Urrutia
WASHINGTON, Dec 16 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday ordered a blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela, a move set to sharply escalatetensions between Washington and Caracas.
It is unclear how the Trump administration will impose the blockade against the sanctioned vessels, and whether he will turn to the Coast Guard to interdict vessels like he did last week. The administrationhas moved thousands of troops and nearly a dozen warships - including an aircraft carrier - to the region in recent months.
"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 wrote on Truth Social. "Therefore, today, I am ordering A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela."
U.S. crude futures climbed over 1% to $55.96 a barrel in Asian trading after Trump ordered a blockade on sanctioned oil tankers leaving or entering Venezuela. Oil prices settled at $55.27 a barrel on Tuesday, the lowest close since February 2021.
EMBARGO EFFECTIVELY IN PLACE
There has been an effective embargo in place after the U.S. seized a sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela last week, with loaded vessels carrying millions of barrels of oil staying in Venezuelan waters rather than risk seizure.
The Pentagon referred questions to the White House.
The Venezuelan communications ministry, which handles all press requests for the government, did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Maduro, speaking at an event on Tuesday evening before Trump's post, said, "Imperialism and the fascist right want to colonize Venezuela to take over its wealth of oil, gas, gold, among other minerals. We have sworn absolutely to defend our homeland and in Venezuela peace will triumph."
Trump's campaign has included a ramped-up military presence in the region and more than two dozen military strikes on vessels in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea near Venezuela, which have killed at least 90 people.
Trump has also said that U.S. land strikes on the South American country will soon start.
Maduro has alleged that the U.S. military build-up is aimed at overthrowing him and gaining control of the OPEC nation's oil resources, which are the world's largest crude reserves.
(Reporting by Idrees Ali, Jasper Ward in Washington, Additional reporting by Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Scott Malone and Stephen Coates)
