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Trump Orders Blockade of Sanctioned Venezuelan Oil Tankers. US President Donald Trump has ordered what he calls a "total and complete blockade" of all sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela, sharply escalating pressure on President Nicolás Maduro's government and its main source of revenue. In a post on Truth Social, Trump accused Caracas of terrorism, drug trafficking and asset theft, declaring Venezuela a foreign terrorist organisation. He did not explain exactly how the blockade would be enforced, though the US has already deployed thousands of troops and multiple warships, including an aircraft carrier, to the region. Venezuela's government condemned the move as a "grotesque threat." Oil markets reacted quickly, with crude prices rising more than 1% amid fears Venezuelan exports could be disrupted further. Legal experts warn the order raises serious domestic and international law questions, while Democrats say a blockade could amount to an act of war without congressional approval.
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