Following his tirade over sanctioned oil tankers coming in and out of Venezuela, President Donald Trump said Thursday that he is not ruling out war with Venezuela.
“I’m not ruling it out, no,” Trump told NBC News in a phone interview. POTUS said, “I’m not talking about that,” when asked if he ruled out the possibility that a “blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers could lead to war.
Trump’s comments about the possibility of war with Venezuela come amid his administration’s crackdown on all oil tankers entering and leaving the South American nation. The administration has repeatedly claimed that the attacks were on alleged drug ships and that Venezuela uses oil revenue to fund “drug terrorism.”
Trump’s “blockade” of Venezuelan oil tankers
Donald Trump on Tuesday ordered what he called a “blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela, increasing pressure on the country’s President Nicolás Maduro. Earlier, the US also seized an oil tanker seized near Venezuela.
“Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest military ever assembled in the history of South America,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “It’s only going to get bigger and the shock for them will be like nothing they’ve ever seen before.”
According to an NBC News report, Trump’s campaign has already led to 28 boat strikes that have killed more than 100 people, including a “double tap” strike that faces congressional scrutiny.
Another seizure of oil tankers?
As Trump pressed further on his administration’s actions on the oil tankers, he confirmed that there was a possibility of more oil tanker seizures.
When asked for a timeline, Trump told NBC News, “it depends. If they’re stupid enough to sail along, they’ll sail back to one of our ports.”
How did Venezuela react?
The Venezuelan government issued a statement on Tuesday accusing Trump of “violating international law, free trade and the principle of free navigation,” calling his actions a “reckless and serious threat.”
He added: “On his social media, he assumes that the oil, land and mineral wealth of Venezuela are his property.
Referring to Trump’s post on Truth Social, the statement also said: “As a result, he is demanding that Venezuela immediately surrender all of its wealth. The President of the United States intends to impose an alleged naval blockade on Venezuela in a completely irrational manner in order to steal the wealth that belongs to our nation.”
Why is Trump pressuring Venezuela?
– Trump has repeatedly blamed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro for the arrival of hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan migrants to the US. According to a BBC report, around eight million Venezuelans are estimated to have fled the economic crisis and repression in Venezuela since 2013.
– Without any evidence, Trump accused Maduro of “emptying his prisons and madhouses” and “forcing” prisoners to migrate to the US. Limiting the flow of drugs – especially fentanyl and cocaine – into the United States is also central to his rhetoric.
– POTUS has designated two Venezuelan criminal groups – the Tren de Aragua and the Cartel de los Soles – as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) – claiming the latter is led by Maduro himself.
— Maduro vehemently denies being a cartel leader and has accused the U.S. of using its “war on drugs” as a pretext to try to oust him and get their hands on Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.
