DID Press: US President Donald Trump has declared the government of Nicolás Maduro a “foreign terrorist organization” and ordered a complete blockade of Venezuelan oil tankers, targeting all vessels entering or leaving the country.
Trump announced that Washington has deployed a large naval fleet to enforce the blockade, which will remain in place until alleged U.S. assets — including oil and other property — are returned. He accused the Maduro government of using oil revenues to finance terrorism, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and other criminal activities.
The directive affects all sanctioned oil tankers bound for Venezuela or departing its ports. Additionally, Trump claimed that individuals sent to the U.S. by the Maduro administration will be swiftly returned to Venezuela.
U.S. authorities seized the tanker “Skipper” near Venezuelan waters for carrying sanctioned Venezuelan oil, further escalating tensions between Washington and Caracas, On Wednesday.