Trump orders blockade of sanctioned oil tankers leaving, entering Venezuela


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.

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