December 17, 2025
United States President Donald Trump ordered a blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela. This comes a week after the US seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela and imposed new sanctions on six more ships carrying Venezuelan oil. Additionally, the US has increased its military presence in the region in the past few weeks. It is currently unclear how the blockade would be enforced, but the announcement could raise oil prices due to a potential decrease in Venezuelan exports. The escalation of tensions between the US and Venezuela could also disrupt supply chain operations based in the region.