White House orders military to focus on 'quarantine' of Venezuela oil

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Reuters

December 24, 2025 9:11 PM EST Updated 11 hours ago


WASHINGTON, Dec 24 (Reuters) - The White House has ordered U.S. military forces to focus almost exclusively on enforcing a "quarantine" of Venezuelan oil for at least the next two months, a U.S. official told Reuters, indicating Washington is currently more interested in using economic rather than military means to pressure Caracas.

"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 said on Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity.

While President Donald Trump has been publicly coy about his precise aims regarding Venezuela, he has privately pressured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to flee the nation, Reuters has reported. Trump said on Monday it would be smart for Maduro to leave power.

"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 official said.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/white-house-orders-us-forces-focus-quarantine-venezuela-2025-12-24/

[ChicagoTeamster]

1. What concessions were requested? Other than US PDVSA refineries and CITGO, US Oil companies don't want the oil

PDVSA contracts with CITGO have been made out in advance and Venezuela never halted delivery or suggested they would. What exactly is Donald Trump expecting from Venezuela that the US isn't already getting? Is this because of the environmental lawsuits against US Oil companies?

[BumRushDaShow]

2. Seems more like a personal vendetta and manufactured "distraction"

and has been poorly following the Shrub tactics for justifying military action. There must be some other warhawk in there whispering in his ear other than Lindsey Graham (who is more fixated on the ME) than anywhere in this hemisphere (I don't know if it's Hegseth and his looney cosplaying).

[ChicagoTeamster]

3. What personal vendetta? Because so many migrants came from there?

[BumRushDaShow]

4. It's not the migrants but Maduro

If a "leader" doesn't "bend the knee", then he is gonna harass them.

45 was apparently a supporter of the deposed Bolsonaro (who even managed to attempt to do a copycat "January 6-style" takeover (and failed)) and his supported candidate for Honduras supposedly just won election.

IOW, he is pushing for the RW-loonification of the world.

[duckworth969]

5. Russkies and Chinese

Might be more than a tad unhappy with Chumps Venezuelan escapades and have made it known through back channels.