President Donald Trump has announced a bold new economic move, declaring that any country purchasing oil or gas from Venezuela will be hit with a 25% tariff by the United States. The tariff, which Trump is calling a “Secondary Tariff on Venezuela,” is set to go into effect on April 2, a day the President has dubbed “Liberation Day in America.”
The decision comes in response to what Trump described as the “purposeful and deceitful” export of violent criminals from Venezuela into the United States, including members of the Tren de Aragua gang, now officially designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
Trump: “They Flooded Us with Gang Members”
In a statement posted to Truth Social, President Trump said:
“Among the gangs they sent to the United States is Tren de Aragua… We are in the process of returning them to Venezuela — it is a big task!”
He continued, “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.”
This aggressive trade move is aimed at punishing Venezuela and any global players who help prop up the Maduro regime through oil purchases. The countries most affected by the policy will include China, India, Spain, and previously, the United States itself.
Chevron License Revoked as U.S. Tightens the Screws
Earlier this month, the Trump administration revoked a 2022 license granted to Chevron, which allowed the company to import Venezuelan oil. Chevron now has until April 3 to fully wind down its operations in the South American country.
The move is seen as part of a broader campaign to financially isolate the dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro, who claimed victory in a disputed election last July. The Trump administration has rejected that outcome as illegitimate.
Rubio: “Why Would We Want Someone Like That in Power?”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed President Trump’s warnings about Maduro, blasting the Venezuelan leader for enabling hostile foreign powers to operate in the region.
“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,” Rubio said. “He has flooded us with gang members — these Tren de Aragua gang members that are in this country doing terrible things.”
Rubio has been a leading voice in the administration’s Latin America policy and has made it clear that the White House sees Maduro not only as a domestic tyrant but also as a geopolitical threat.
“Liberation Day in America” Marks Tariff Offensive
April 2, now labeled “Liberation Day” by the White House, will not only mark the implementation of the Venezuela-related tariff but may also include a wave of reciprocal trade penalties against countries seen as undermining U.S. interests.
The administration is signaling it’s done tolerating trade relationships that fund hostile regimes or threaten national security.
The Bottom Line
With this move, President Trump is turning economic power into a weapon of national defense, sending a clear message to nations around the world:
If you choose to do business with dictatorships that export chaos and crime, you won’t have free access to American markets.
And under this president, America comes first—no exceptions.
The post Trump Hits Countries Buying Venezuelan Oil with 25% Tariff appeared first on Real News Now.
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