Trump orders "total and complete blockade" of sanctioned oil tankers in Venezuela

12 hours ago 5

President Trump connected Tuesday called for a "total and implicit blockade" connected each sanctioned lipid tankers that participate oregon depart Venezuela, arsenic the medication heaps unit connected Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro astatine oversea — and leaves the doorway unfastened for onshore strikes.

"Venezuela is wholly surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled successful the History of South America," the president wrote connected Truth Social. "It volition lone get bigger, and the daze to them volition beryllium similar thing they person ever seen earlier — Until specified clip arsenic they instrumentality to the United States of America each of the Oil, Land, and different Assets that they antecedently stole from us."

CBS News has reached retired to the Pentagon for comment.  

Last week, the U.S. subject seized a sanctioned 20-year-old lipid tanker that had conscionable near larboard successful Venezuela, sources told CBS News. Armed unit approached successful helicopters and boarded the vessel, which was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury 3 years ago for its alleged relation successful an lipid smuggling web that helped money the Iranian subject and its proxies successful the region.

Mr. Trump's Tuesday nighttime announcement suggests that further seizures are possible. 

This is simply a processing story; it volition beryllium updated.

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