Trump Designates Venezuelan Regime as Foreign Terrorist Organization

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced the designation of the Venezuelan regime as a foreign terrorist organization and imposed a naval blockade on “sanctioned oil tankers” heading to and leaving Venezuela, sharply escalating his pressure campaign against Caracas while issuing new demands for access to the country’s crude.

Trump stated on his Truth Social post, “For the theft of our Assets, and many other reasons, including Terrorism, Drug Smuggling, and Human Trafficking, the Venezuelan Regime has been designated a FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION.”

He added, “Therefore, today, I am ordering A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela.”

Referring to the many Navy and Marine forces assembled in the Caribbean — including the world’s largest aircraft carrier — Trump warned “Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America.”

He added that the massive US naval fleet deployed in the Caribbean “will only get bigger” until “they return to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us.” He continued, “The illegitimate Maduro Regime is using Oil from these stolen Oil Fields to finance themselves, Drug Terrorism, Human Trafficking, Murder, and Kidnapping.”

Caracas expressed outrage Tuesday at US President Trump’s announcement of a blockade against sanctioned oil tankers arriving or leaving Venezuela, a move which threatens to cripple the country’s economy.

“The President of the United States intends to impose, in an utterly irrational manner, a supposed naval blockade on Venezuela with the aim of stealing the riches that belong to our homeland,” the government of President Nicolas Maduro said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the US aviation regulator issued a renewed warning to civilian aircraft operating in Venezuelan airspace, citing the dangers of military activity.

The Federal Aviation Administration urged aircraft to “exercise caution” due to the “worsening security situation and heightened military activity in or around Venezuela” — the same wording used in a previous warning issued last month.

The new warning came days after a pilot for JetBlue said his aircraft came close to colliding with a US Air Force refueling plane near Venezuela — an incident the airline said it had reported to American authorities.