BREAKING: President Donald Trump ordered a “total and complete blockade” of sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers on Monday — and Democratic Sen. John Fetterman publicly defended the move, saying the seized oil will help fund Iran and terrorist activity.
Trump announced the measure on Monday, December 15, 2025, via a post on his social platform, Truth Social, declaring the Venezuelan government a designated foreign terrorist organization and ordering naval pressure off Venezuela’s coast. Sen. Fetterman defended the action in an interview on NewsNation with Chris Cuomo, Latin Times reported.
The naval operation is aimed squarely at choking off oil revenues that the Maduro regime allegedly funnels into narcotrafficking, human trafficking, terrorism, murder and kidnapping. This is not a minor sanctions tweak — it’s direct interdiction of ships tied to sanctioned oil flows.
Sen. Fetterman put the case bluntly: “That’s sanctioned oil right now and those are the kinds of funds that support regimes like Iran. It’s not a plan for a land war and invade Venezuela but seizing those kinds of oil tankers, it’s undeniable that’s oil that will support Iran and funds are used on terrorism. For me it makes a lot of sense.” President Trump, as relayed in his announcement, justified the step by saying, “Iran is involved on that, and Russia is involved on that, and China as well too,” Latin Times reported.
Not everyone agrees. Rep. Joaquin Castro blasted the blockade as “unquestionably an act of war” and warned it is a “war that the Congress never authorized and the American people do not want.” A House resolution to end hostilities is scheduled for a vote on Thursday, December 18, 2025.
But here’s the kicker: a high-profile Democrat publicly endorsing a hardline national-security move against Maduro breaks the usual partisan script. Conservative outlets are already emphasizing that dynamic — an “All-star” panel dissected the blockade on Fox, and a clip of Fetterman’s remarks has been archived online.
For conservatives, the move checks multiple boxes: it targets funds critics say flow from Venezuelan oil into Iran and other hostile actors, it projects U.S. naval power in the Caribbean, and it promises to protect U.S. energy markets from adversarial influence. Critics counter that the action risks escalation and raises constitutional questions about use of force without fresh congressional authorization.
No full White House sanctions order or official government document laying out the operational details has been released as of Dec. 17, leaving unanswered exactly which tankers will be targeted and how long naval interdiction will continue. What happens in the House on Dec. 18 will determine whether this posture gains legislative backing or becomes a flashpoint for a broader fight over war powers and foreign policy.
Expect this to move fast: naval enforcement in the Caribbean appears ongoing, the House vote Thursday could force a public reckoning, and the political fallout — from Fetterman’s break with his party to Democrats’ fury on the Hill — is only beginning. The Scoop will follow how members vote and whether the White House publishes the legal basis for the blockade.
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Steeve Strange is the CEO and Editor-in-Chief of The Scoop. A passionate defender of conservative values and constitutional freedoms, he founded The Scoop to deliver truthful, America First journalism. Contact: [email protected]
