Overview
- Trump said U.S. naval forces will enforce a “total and complete” blockade on all sanctioned tankers entering or leaving Venezuela after weeks of military buildup offshore.
- The administration designated Venezuela’s government a foreign terrorist organization, asserting oil revenues fund criminal and narcotics networks linked to the regime.
- U.S. forces last week seized the sanctioned tanker Skipper near Venezuela, and Treasury imposed new penalties on Maduro relatives, shipping companies, and associated vessels.
- Since Sept. 2 the U.S. has conducted roughly 25–26 strikes on alleged drug boats, with about 95 reported deaths and eight more on Monday, while lawmakers press for unedited footage of a controversial early strike.
- Lawmakers from both parties are weighing limits on presidential authority after classified briefings, Venezuela denounced the actions as “international piracy,” U.N. officials urged restraint, and analysts warn the blockade could severely cut Caracas’s oil revenue.