00:00A
00:26major escalation tonight in U.S.-Venezuela tensions. President Donald Trump has announced what
00:33he calls a total and complete blockade of sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers, sharply
00:40increasing pressure on President Nicolás Maduro's government. The declaration raises
00:46questions about legality, enforcement, and the risk of confrontation at sea. In a lengthy
00:52post on social media, Trump claimed Venezuela is now completely surrounded by what he called
00:59the largest armada ever assembled in South America. He warned that pressure would only
01:06intensify until, in his words, Venezuela returns oil, land, and other assets he says were stolen
01:14from the United States.
01:15Trump's declaration calls for blocking all sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving
01:22Venezuela. However, analysts note a traditional naval blockade would require sealing the entire
01:29coastline, something even an expanded U.S. presence may struggle to achieve. The U.S. currently
01:36has 11 warships in the Caribbean, the most in decades. According to Reuters, roughly 30 sanctioned
01:44tankers are involved in moving Venezuelan oil. Tracking data suggests more than a dozen are
01:51currently in Venezuelan waters. Last week, U.S. authorities seized a sanctioned tanker off
01:58Venezuela's coast, alleging links to illicit oil shipments involving Iran and Cuba. Caracas has
02:05strongly rejected Trump's announcement. The Venezuelan government called it a reckless and serious
02:11threat, accusing Washington of violating international law, free trade principles, and freedom of
02:18navigation. Officials described the move as an attempt to seize Venezuela's national wealth.
02:25The blockade announcement comes amid broader U.S. military activity in the region. Since September,
02:32American forces have carried out dozens of strikes on vessels accused of drug trafficking.
02:38The Trump administration says these operations are aimed at cutting off narcotics flows into the
02:44United States. Trump has repeatedly described Maduro's government as a hostile regime. Last month,
02:51he took the unprecedented step of designating it a foreign terrorist organization, accusing it of
02:58funding drug trafficking, human trafficking, and violence through oil revenues. Whether Trump's blockade
03:05can be fully enforced remains uncertain. What is clear is that the move sharply raises the stakes in the
03:12Caribbean, increasing the risk of miscalculation at sea. As Washington and Caracas trade threats,
03:19the world is watching to see how far this confrontation will go.
03:23Subscribe to OneIndia and never miss an update. Download the OneIndia app now.
Comments