Dhaka, Dec. 17 -- US President Donald Trump announced Tuesday a blockade of "sanctioned oil vessels" heading to and leaving Venezuela, sharply escalating his pressure campaign against Caracas while issuing new demands for the country's crude.

The United States has for months been building a major military deployment in the Caribbean - with the stated goal of combatting drug trafficking in Latin America, but taking particular aim at Venezuela. Caracas views the operation as a pressure campaign to oust leftist strongman Nicolas Maduro, whom Washington and many nations view as an illegitimate president.

After weeks of military jet flybys off the Venezuelan coast and deadly strikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats that have killed over 90 ...