In a major escalation of maritime pressure on Caracas, US president Donald Trump has ordered “a total and complete blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers going into, and out of, Venezuela,” intensifying efforts to squeeze president Nicolás Maduro’s lifeline crude exports. The dramatic declaration, posted on social media and backed by a growing US naval and troop presence in the Caribbean, marks a significant shift in Washington’s use of military power against oil shipping linked to Venezuela. By TankerTrackers.com‘s count, only 40% of the active dark fleet that serves Venezuela is under US sanctions. “Trump’s declaration to block ‘all sanctioned oil tankers’ implies that cargoes deemed legitimate—namely oil bound for the US under Chevron’s license—could continue to flow. This suggests that Venezuelan supply to sanctioned markets would be disrupted, while volumes destined for the US would remain intact, with China- and Cuba-bound cargoes bearing the brunt of the impact,” analysis from Kpler maintained today. The blockade comes a week after US forces seized the very large crude carrier Skipper off Venezuela’s coast – a sanctioned tanker accused of transporting illicit oil. That ship and its cargo of crude has since been taken to the US. With Venezuela’s economy overwhelmingly dependent on oil revenue, the blockade is poised to further disrupt crude flows and likely reshape tanker trading patterns in the region. However, it raises complex questions about international law and freedom of navigation, as critics warn the move verges on an act of war absent a clear congressional mandate. “If effectively enforced, the blockade could materially reduce Venezuela’s export volumes, which would be positive for compliant tonnage,” shipping analysts at Scandinavian bank SEB suggested today. SEB reckons that any lost Venezuelan barrels will be replaced by supply from either the Americas or the Middle East, moved exclusively on non-sanctioned vessels, supporting demand for the compliant fleet. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1_95_0_1_2'); }); TagsUnited States Venezuela