“Venezuela is now completely surrounded by the largest fleet ever assembled in the history of Latin America. This fleet is expected to grow even larger, and Venezuela will face a shock it has never experienced unless it returns to the United States the oil, land, and other assets it owes,” President Trump wrote on social media on December 16.
President Trump also ordered a “total and absolute blockade of sanctioned oil tankers, banning these vessels from entering or leaving Venezuela.” He added that U.S. authorities are rapidly deporting “illegal immigrants and criminals that Venezuela sent into the United States under former President Joe Biden.”
Venezuela has not commented on President Trump’s statements. On December 11, President Trump said the United States had seized a sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, asserting that there were fully justified reasons for doing so. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that the vessel was part of an “illegal oil transportation network” used to ship embargoed oil from Venezuela and Iran.
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The United States has imposed sanctions on Venezuela’s oil and gas sector, which plays a vital role in the country’s economy. The seizure of Venezuelan exports is widely seen as likely to further worsen the nation’s economic difficulties.
In recent months, the Trump administration has steadily increased pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, deploying significant military assets to the region under the pretext of counter-narcotics operations. U.S. forces have carried out strikes against vessels accused of transporting drugs at sea, resulting in at least 90 deaths. Current U.S. forces near Venezuela reportedly include the Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group, at least eight surface warships, a special operations support vessel, an attack submarine, F-35 stealth fighters, AC-130 gunships, transport aircraft, drones, electronic warfare aircraft, search-and-rescue planes, and more than 15,000 troops.
U.S. KC-135 and KC-46 aerial refueling aircraft have repeatedly conducted missions from regional air bases. Meanwhile, F/A-18 fighter jets and B-52 bombers have previously approached Venezuelan airspace. President Nicolás Maduro has claimed that the military buildup shows the United States intends to pursue regime change in Venezuela and seize control of the country’s oil reserves.