Trump Orders Total Blockade of Sanctioned Oil Tankers, Designates Venezuelan Regime FTO

United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, escalated pressure on the government of Nicolás Maduro by issuing an order for a total and complete blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuelan waters. Concurrently, Trump announced the designation of the Venezuelan regime as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).

The presidential directive, announced via the Truth Social platform, alleges that the Maduro regime finances terrorism, drug trafficking, human trafficking, murder, and kidnapping through oil revenues. Trump claimed that Venezuela is now "completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America," vowing the military buildup would continue until the government returns "all oil, land, and other Assets that they previously stole" to the United States. This claim references the nationalization of U.S. oil company assets in 2007 under former President Hugo Chávez.

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez immediately condemned the actions as a "grotesque threat" and a violation of international law and free trade principles, stating the matter would be brought before the United Nations. The blockade and FTO designation follow a series of escalating measures by Washington, including a broad embargo implemented since 2019 and the seizure of a Venezuelan crude oil tanker off the coast the previous week, an act Caracas termed "state piracy."

Geopolitically, the dual action aims to cripple the Maduro regime's international operational and financing capabilities. This move is accompanied by "Operation Southern Spear," a military and surveillance campaign unveiled on November 13, 2025, by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, which involves the deployment of over a dozen warships and approximately 15,000 U.S. personnel to the Caribbean region. While U.S. officials cite the operation's goal as disrupting drug trafficking networks, Caracas views it as an attempt to force a change in government.

Economically, the measures impact a nation already facing a severe crisis, characterized by soaring inflation and GDP contraction, despite possessing the world's largest proven oil reserves. Prior to these latest developments, Venezuelan crude oil exports had already declined, recorded at approximately 600,000 barrels per day in November, with most shipments directed toward China. The effectiveness of the blockade remains contingent on enforcement methods, as it is currently unclear whether the administration will utilize the Coast Guard for interdiction, as it did in the recent tanker seizure.

Despite the heightened tensions, President Trump has indicated an openness to dialogue with Maduro, provided it could potentially save lives. Meanwhile, Venezuela has mobilized 4.5 million militia members in response to the perceived threat of colonization and resource seizure by what Maduro terms "imperialism and the fascist right."