Protesters gather in front of the Trump building in Manhattan.Neil Constantine/NurPhoto/AP

President Donald Trump appears resolute to do anything in his power to acquire oil from Venezuela—even if it means sidestepping congressional approval. In a post on Truth Social on Tuesday night, President Donald Trump announced that he was ordering “A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela.” It’s an escalation in the administration’s military operations in the region. 

Trump’s blockade, which is considered an act of war under some international treaties, did not undergo a congressional approval process.

The ongoing US operations against Venezuela—along with any potential checks and balances on those operations—is a quickly developing situation. On Wednesday, the Senate signed off on the annual defense policy bill that included provisions which “could force the Pentagon to turn over footage of strikes” on boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, according to reporting from Politico.

It’s unclear if and how President Trump will address the blockade, the defense bill, or anything else about decisions regarding Venezuela during his speech to Americans at 9 p.m. ET tonight.

Trump’s escalation comes after US forces last week seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela. At the time, the........

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