Trump orders total blockade of Venezuelan oil tankers amid crisis

President Donald Trump on Tuesday ordered a complete blockade of oil tankers getting into or leaving Venezuela, declaring the Nicolás Maduro regime a international terrorist group and accusing it of utilizing stolen U.S. property to finance terrorism, human trafficking and different felony actions.

“Venezuela is totally surrounded by the most important Armada ever assembled within the historical past of South America,” Trump mentioned on Reality Social. “It is going to solely worsen, and the shock to them will probably be like nothing they’ve ever seen earlier than – till they return to america of America all of the oil, land and different property they beforehand stole from us.

“The illegitimate Maduro regime is utilizing oil from these stolen oil fields to finance itself, drug terrorism, human trafficking, homicide and kidnapping,” he continued. “Because of the theft of our property and plenty of different causes, together with terrorism, drug smuggling and human trafficking, the Venezuelan regime has been designated a FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION.

US-VENEZUELA SHOWDOWN THREATENS TO SUPPORT GAS PRICES – WHAT COULD CAUSE A RISE

White Home Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was requested concerning the US seizure of an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela. (Planter Labs/PBC/Handout through Reuters)

“That’s the reason right now I’m ordering a TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SNCTIONED OIL TANKERS getting into and leaving Venezuela,” Trump added. “The unlawful aliens and criminals that the Maduro regime despatched to america through the weak and inept Biden administration are being quickly returned to Venezuela. America won’t permit criminals, terrorists or different international locations to rob, threaten or hurt our nation, nor will it permit a hostile regime to grab our oil, land or different property, all of which should be returned to america IMMEDIATELY.”

Trump introduced on Wednesday that the US had seized an oil tanker referred to as the ‘Skipper’ off the coast of Venezuela, sharply escalating tensions between the US and the nation. In response to Lawyer Basic Pam Bondi, the tanker was seized as a result of it was allegedly used to move sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.

The US will seize tens of hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan oil after intercepting a tanker, the White Home says

The US has a big navy presence off the coast of Venezuela, amid ongoing tensions between President Donald Trump and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. (Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg through Getty Photographs; Juan Barreto/AFP through Getty Photographs)

The ‘Skipper’ is a ship that’s secretly transporting oil in defiance of sanctions, whereas additionally being a part of an armada of a couple of thousand tankers that quietly ply the worldwide sea lanes to move oil from sanctioned international locations resembling Russia, Iran and Venezuela, the federal government mentioned.

The so-called “ghost ships” fly international flags to obscure their origins, repeatedly change names, shift possession to shell firms, disable transponders to evade monitoring and conduct sea transfers to masks their cargo.

The “Skipper” was loaded with an estimated 1.8 million barrels of oil earlier in December earlier than transferring an estimated 200,000 barrels simply earlier than the seizure. Reuters reported this.

‘GHOST SHIPS’ CARRYING ILLEGAL OIL HAVE ENTERED TRUMP’S SHIPS

An oil tanker is seen anchored in Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela, after loading crude oil on the port of the Bajo Grande refinery. (Jose Bula Urrutia/UCG/Common Photographs Group/Getty Photographs)

See also  Trump budget bill getting House vote next week, Mike Johnson says

The oil on the tanker is probably going value between $60 and over $100 million, primarily based on present common oil costs. Fox Information Digital reached out to the White Home for extra touch upon the oil’s estimated price ticket however didn’t instantly obtain a response.

The US navy has carried out assaults on suspected drug smuggling boats close to Venezuela since September as a part of Trump’s mission to finish the move of medication. medicines into the nation.

Since September, there have been not less than 22 assaults on suspected drug traffickers close to Venezuela, killing 87 individuals.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The boat assaults are seen as a part of a US stress marketing campaign on Venezuela, possible aimed not solely at curbing the move of medication but in addition at ousting Maduro as chief of the oil-rich nation.

Amanda Macias of Fox Information Digital contributed to this report.