President Donald Trump announced on Monday that any nation that purchases oil from Venezuela would be hit with a 25% tariff by the United States.
Trump wrote on Truth Social that the “Secondary Tariff” on Venezuela is in response to the country “purposefully and deceitfully” sending violent criminals to the United States. The Trump administration has begun deporting alleged violent Venezuelan illegal immigrants to El Salvador, where they are being held in a notorious prison.
“Among the gangs they sent to the United States, is Tren de Aragua, which has been given the designation of ‘Foreign Terrorist Organization.’ We are in the process of returning them to Venezuela — It is a big task!” Trump said. “In addition, Venezuela has been very hostile to the United States and the Freedoms which we espouse. Therefore, any Country that purchases Oil and/or Gas from Venezuela will be forced to pay a Tariff of 25% to the United States on any Trade they do with our Country.”
The tariff is set to go into effect on April 2, which Trump has dubbed “Liberation Day in America,” when he is expected to announce large-scale reciprocal tariffs on American trade partners. Venezuela’s oil exports rose by 10.5% in 2024, which included shipments to the United States by major U.S. oil company Chevron, Reuters reported in January. Earlier this month, Trump issued a 30-day wind-down of the license the United States government granted to Chevron in 2022 to export Venezuelan oil. Chevron will have until April 3 to slow down its operation in the South American country.
The top destinations for Venezuelan oil exports include the United States, China, India, and Spain.
The Trump administration has condemned Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro for claiming election victory last July despite evidence pointing to Maduro losing the election in a landslide. Both Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have also accused Maduro of purposefully sending violent gang members to the United States illegally through the southern border.
“He is allowing Iran to operate out of Venezuela. He is allowing the Chinese to operate out of Venezuela. He’s threatening his neighbors in the region. He has flooded us with gang members — flooded with these Tren de Aragua gang members that are in this country doing terrible things,” Rubio said last month. “Why would we want someone like that to be there?”
