Venezuela Naval Blockade Kills 105 in 29 Strikes as Trump Refuses to Rule Out War

The Trump administration’s naval blockade of Venezuela has killed at least 105 people in 29 strikes on 30 vessels as of December 22. The US Coast Guard seized the Centuries tanker carrying 1.8 million barrels of Venezuelan crude to China. Approximately 15,000 US troops and more than a dozen warships are deployed to the region.

When asked by NBC News, Trump would not rule out war with Venezuela. Stephen Miller suggested Venezuela’s oil “belongs to Washington,” describing the nationalization of Venezuela’s petroleum industry as “theft”—raising questions about whether resource extraction rather than drug enforcement is driving the aggressive policy.

Bipartisan congressional pushback is emerging. Senators Jeff Merkley and Tim Kaine introduced the “Prohibiting Unauthorized Military Action in Venezuela Act of 2025.” Senator Rand Paul warned the strikes may be a “prelude to an invasion.” Lawmakers have not authorized military force against Venezuela.

China condemned the blockade as a “serious violation of international law,” while Russia expressed “full support” for Venezuela. The escalation risks a broader conflict with Chinese and Russian interests in the region.

The campaign represents the most aggressive US military posture toward a Latin American country in decades, testing the limits of presidential war powers. The combination of naval blockade, military strikes, and refusal to rule out full-scale war without congressional authorization echoes historical patterns of US intervention in Latin America.