This is Washington's latest move to increase pressure on Nicolas Maduro's government, targeting its main source of income.

President Donald Trump says he is ordering a blockade of all “sanctioned oil tankers” into Venezuela, ramping up pressure on the country’s authoritarian leader Nicolás Maduro.

Trump orders total blockade of Venezuelan oil tankers as the South American nation controls world's largest oil reserves with over 300 billion barrels.

Venezuela said in response to the announced blockade that it rejected Trump’s “grotesque threat.” Venezuela deployed its navy to escort tankers leaving the country’s main oil port from Tuesday evening to Wednesday morning, following Trump’s announcement, according to the New York Times.

The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford has been positioned in the region following the seizure of an oil tanker and the president’s own recent remarks.

Russia's foreign ‌ministry said on Thursday ​that it hoped ‍that U.S. President ​Donald Trump's ​administration ⁠did not make a fatal mistake over Venezuela and said that Moscow ‌was concerned about U.

In President Donald Trump’s telling, a land strike on Venezuela could come “soon.” He’s been saying that since mid-September. In that time, he’s publicly hinted or outright promised US military action on land at least 17 times,