Trump Designates Venezuelan Regime as Terror Group, Orders Oil Blockade

President Donald Trump has dramatically intensified actions against Venezuela by designating its regime a foreign terrorist organization and ordering a complete blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving the country, aiming to sever the economic lifeline of President Nicolas Maduro's government.

In a late-night social media announcement, Trump claimed Venezuela utilises oil revenues to finance drug trafficking and criminal activities, while asserting historical U.S. claims to Venezuelan oil, land, and assets. He described the surrounding naval forces as the largest armada ever assembled in South American history, vowing to expand the military presence until compliance is achieved.

The escalation follows recent U.S. seizures of oil tankers and a series of military strikes on vessels in international waters, which have resulted in at least 95 fatalities across 25 operations. Administration officials have defended these measures as essential to interdict drug flows, though comments from chief of staff Susie Wiles suggest the broader objective includes compelling Maduro to relinquish power.

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With Venezuela possessing the world's largest proven oil reserves and relying heavily on exports—primarily to China at discounted rates due to longstanding U.S. sanctions—the blockade threatens to exacerbate the nation's economic crisis. The U.S. Navy has deployed substantial assets in the region, including an aircraft carrier, amphibious ships, and maritime patrol aircraft, enabling comprehensive monitoring of maritime traffic.

The designation of the Venezuelan regime as a foreign terrorist organization deviates from conventional practice, which typically applies to non-state actors, and raises questions about legal precedents, as sovereign governments are more commonly labelled state sponsors of terrorism—a category Venezuela has not previously entered.

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