Trump Doubles Down on ‘Total Access’ to Venezuelan Oil; Naval Blockade to Enforce Transition

Trump Doubles Down on ‘Total Access’ to Venezuelan Oil; Naval Blockade to Enforce Transition

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump declared today that the United States requires "total access" to Venezuelan energy reserves, signaling that the U.S. naval blockade and aggressive interdiction posture—including the seizure of commercial vessels—will remain active instruments of policy despite the recent military extraction of Nicolás Maduro.

Speaking from Mar-a-Lago, the President explicitly linked the January 2–3 special operation to broader economic objectives. By framing the intervention as a necessary precursor for U.S. energy firms to "go in" and "start making money for the country," the administration indicated that the "complete blockade" on unauthorized seaborne oil shipments, instituted on December 16, 2025, remains the primary lever for controlling the transition.

For observers monitoring U.S. military activity in the Caribbean, the directive clarifies a critical ambiguity: the pause in kinetic hostilities following the extraction operation does not extend to maritime enforcement. The administration views control over oil exports as essential leverage in ongoing negotiations with former Vice President Delcy Rodríguez. Consequently, the operational mandate for U.S. forces to interdict and seize tankers—assets Trump has suggested could replenish the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve—appears to be expanding rather than contracting.

"We are going to fix the badly broken infrastructure," Trump stated, alluding to potential deployments by majors such as ExxonMobil and Chevron. However, with those companies maintaining a non-committal stance citing "relevant laws and regulations," the immediate burden of securing the energy sector falls to U.S. military and intelligence assets controlling the periphery of the country.

While the President’s rhetoric centers on corporate entry rather than a permanent troop presence, the security vacuum in Caracas complicates the timeline. The administration has yet to seek a specific Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) from Congress to secure these oil fields, relying instead on executive authority and the tentative cooperation of lingering elements of the Bolivarian government.

This "total access" doctrine implies a zero-tolerance policy for non-U.S. sanctioned exports during the transition. Until U.S. majors formally assume operational control of the assets—a process likely to take months—U.S. naval forces remain the de facto gatekeepers of Venezuela’s coast, heightening the probability of further high-profile vessel seizures in the coming weeks.