U.S. President Donald Trump ordered on Tuesday a "blockade" of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela, in Washington's latest move to increase pressure on Nicolas Maduro's government,

Along with the blockade, Trump said he has formally designated Venezuela's Maduro and his government allies a foreign terrorist organization.

President Donald Trump said he was ordering a “TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS” going into and leaving Venezuela, ratcheting up pressure on Caracas amid a US military buildup in the region and the threat of land strikes.

The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford has been positioned in the region following the seizure of an oil tanker and the president’s own recent remarks.