Both thought they could BS the USA. Not.

• What Do Maduro and Sadam Hussein Have In Common?

Maduro has a financial garotte around his throat right now, and he knows it. Oil provides about 90% of his country's revenue. If we shut that off, it will only take about a month before he can no longer pay his military expenses, and shortly after that, food and necessities will become scarce for the population. That should lead to Venezuela taking its own trash out for us.

We shall see.

He's still there.

Trump Orders ‘Complete Blockade’ Off Venezuela Coast to Stop Sanctioned Oil Tankers

The United States has launched a naval blockade off the coast of Venezuela on Dec. 16 at the order of President Donald Trump to prevent any sanctioned oil tankers from getting through.

“Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America,” U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social. “It will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before—Until such time as they return to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us.”

U.S. forces seized an oil tanker last week and are continuing a campaign of lethal strikes on drug boats speeding across the Caribbean Sea.

Trump declared Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro’s regime a foreign terrorist organization. “The illegitimate Maduro Regime is using Oil from these stolen Oil Fields to finance themselves, Drug Terrorism, Human Trafficking, Murder, and Kidnapping,” Trump said. “For the theft of our Assets, and many other reasons, including Terrorism, Drug Smuggling, and Human Trafficking, the Venezuelan Regime has been designated a FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION. Therefore, today, I am ordering A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela.”

Maduro spoke at an event on the night of Dec. 16, before Trump’s post went out, denouncing the American advances. “Imperialism and the fascist right want to colonize Venezuela to take over its wealth of oil, gas, gold, among other minerals,” he said. “We have sworn absolutely to defend our homeland, and in Venezuela, peace will triumph.”

The Maduro regime previously described the United States’ seizure of the tanker filled with Venezuelan crude oil as “international piracy.”

Agreed.

Still, we shall see.

China is the largest customer of Venezuelan oil. I do not expect China to sit idly by as Trump closes off this supplier.

Trump is badly overplaying his hand, both here and elsewhere.

We shall see.