Trump said US armada ‘will only get bigger’ until Venezuela returns ‘all of the oil, land, and other assets that they previously stole from us’ – key US politics stories from 16 December 2025
Donald Trump on Tuesday announced a naval blockade of “sanctioned oil vessels” leaving and heading to Venezuela, sharply escalating his pressure campaign against Caracas.
The US has for months been building a major military deployment in the Caribbean – with the stated goal of combatting drug trafficking, but Venezuela views the operation as a campaign to oust Nicolas Maduro.
Though the US already has sanctions on Venezuela’s oil sector, seizing its exports could cripple its already struggling economy. Last Wednesday, the US seized an oil tanker that was carrying Venezuelan crude.
In a post on social media announcing the blockade, Trump alleged Venezuela was using oil to fund drug trafficking and other crimes.
