• Trump orders a "total and complete" blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela.
• The Venezuelan regime has been labeled a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. government.
• This escalation follows a recent seizure of an oil tanker by the U.S. Navy off Venezuela's coast.
• Concerns grow over potential military strikes on Venezuela as U.S. forces bolster their presence in the region.
• Oil prices are rising in response to expectations of a reduction in Venezuelan exports.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced a "total and complete blockade" of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela, escalating pressure on Nicolás Maduro's government as tensions rise in the region. Trump stated that this order comes amid "theft of our Assets," designating the Venezuelan regime as a foreign terrorist organization for supporting drug trafficking, human trafficking, and terrorism, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters.

The blockade announcement follows the U.S. military's recent seizure of a sanctioned oil tanker off Venezuela's coast, demonstrating a more assertive U.S. military stance in the Caribbean aimed at tightening the economic noose around Venezuela, as detailed by The Hill, CBS News, and South China Morning Post.

Prior to the blockade's announcement, the Trump administration had already increased its military presence in the area, incorporating more than a dozen warships, including an aircraft carrier. Trump's sweeping assertion included a threat of land strikes against Venezuela, reflecting heightened hostilities, according to BBC and Reuters.

This military campaign has drawn bipartisan scrutiny due to its associated casualties—estimated at 95 people across 25 strikes against alleged drug-trafficking boats in international waters—and raises significant legal questions regarding U.S. intervention, reported by SFGate and Channel News Asia.

Amid these developments, oil prices have surged by over 1% as market participants brace for an anticipated reduction in Venezuelan crude exports. Reports indicate that this issue may further destabilize Venezuela's economy, heavily reliant on its oil revenues as noted by Anadolu Agency and Le Monde.