The White House ordered U.S. military forces to almost exclusively focus on enforcing a “quarantine” of Venezuelan oil for the next two months “at least,” according to a report published by Reuters on Wednesday.
Reuters, citing an U.S. official that spoke with the outlet on condition of anonymity, asserted that the move indicates the U.S. is more interested in using economic pressure rather than military pressure against socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro.
The goal, according to the source, is to force Maduro to make “significant concessions” to the United States.
“While military options still exist, the focus is to first use economic pressure by enforcing sanctions to reach the outcome the White House is looking [for],” the official reportedly said.
According to Reuters, the official “did not elaborate” on precisely what it meant for the military to focus “almost exclusively” on interdicting Venezuelan oil.
Last week, President Donald Trump ordered a “total and complete” blockade of all sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela. Since then, the United States has interdicted two oil tankers near the coast of Venezuela, the Centuries, and the Skipper.
At press time, the U.S. is reportedly in active pursuit of a third one, the Bella 1, a Panamanian-flag vessel sanctioned by the United States for its links with Hezbollah and the Iranian Islamic regime’s Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF).
“The efforts so far have put tremendous pressure on Maduro, and the belief is that by late January, Venezuela will be facing an economic calamity unless it agrees to make significant concessions to the U.S.,” the unnamed U.S. official told Reuters.
Earlier this week, President Trump said that “it would be smart” if socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro gives up power.
“Well, I think it probably would. I can’t tell him [Maduro], that’s up to him what he wants to do. I think it would be smart for him to do that. But again, we’re going to find out,” Trump told reporters.
Nicolás Maduro and members of his authoritarian socialist regime condemned both interdictions, with the dictator claiming that the situation is “like Pirates of the Caribbean.”
The Maduro regime urged the U.N. Security Council to address both the blockade and seizure of the sanctioned oil tankers and the ongoing U.S. military strikes against narco-terrorists trafficking in Caribbean and Eastern Pacific international waters — which, Maduro claims, are “extrajudicial executions.”
At the Security Council meeting, held on Tuesday, U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz stressed that the United States will impose and enforce sanctions “to the maximum extent” to deprive funding for the Cartel of the Suns, U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization that Maduro stands accused of leading. Waltz emphasized that this includes profits from the sale of oil used to finance cartel operations.
“The reality of the situation is that sanctioned oil tankers operate as the primary economic lifeline for Maduro and his illegitimate regime. These sanctioned tankers also fund the narco-terrorist group Cartel de Los Soles. Maduro is responsible for trafficking – using these resources, and using these profits – into both the United States and Europe,” Ambassador Waltz said.
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