White House Orders Military to 'Quarantine' Venezuela Oil, Intensifying Economic Pressure

• White House directs U.S. military to focus on "quarantine" of Venezuelan oil for at least two months, prioritizing economic pressure over military action.
• The move aims to pressure Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to leave power, with officials expecting an "economic calamity" by late January without concessions.
• U.S. Coast Guard has already intercepted two Venezuelan oil tankers and is attempting a third seizure, targeting sanctioned vessels like the Bella-1.
• Despite a huge U.S. military presence in the Caribbean, the strategy emphasizes sanctions enforcement, using "quarantine" to avoid the term "blockade," considered an act of war.
• U.N. experts have condemned the "blockade" as "illegal armed aggression," while Venezuela's U.N. Ambassador Samuel Moncada views the U.S. government as the threat.

Why It Matters: U.S. escalates economic pressure on Venezuela via military-enforced oil "quarantine," avoiding direct military conflict.