On March 24, 2025, US President Donald Trump announced the introduction of a secondary tariff against Venezuela, citing a number of serious accusations against the South American country. According to the head of the White House, Caracas knowingly and fraudulently sent tens of thousands of criminals to the United States, including high-ranking members of criminal structures, including murderers and individuals distinguished by particular cruelty. This step, according to Trump, became part of a deliberate policy by Venezuela that harms the security of American citizens. The new economic measures will affect countries that purchase Venezuelan oil and gas, obliging them to pay the United States a 25 percent tariff on all trade transactions with the American side. 

In his statement, Trump also stressed that Venezuela is demonstrating open hostility toward the United States and the principles of freedom that it stands for.

"We cannot tolerate this attitude from a regime that not only threatens us domestically but also undermines our values ​​internationally," - noted the president.

In his opinion, the secondary tariff will become a tool of pressure on Caracas and at the same time a measure to protect American interests. He specified that the new duties will come into force on April 2, 2025, calling this date "America's Liberation Day". The signing of all the necessary documents has already been planned and the tariff will apply to all states continuing energy cooperation with Venezuela. 

Trump’s announcement has caused a stir because it affects not only bilateral relations with Venezuela, but also global trade chains. Venezuela, which has some of the world’s largest oil reserves, remains an important energy supplier for a number of countries, despite sanctions imposed by the United States in previous years. The new tariff effectively forces countries dependent on Venezuelan supplies to choose between abandoning their cooperation with Caracas or facing additional costs when trading with the world’s largest economy. 

Trump made the announcement on his platform Truth Social, singling out the activities of the Venezuelan group Tren de Aragua, which the U.S. has previously designated as a foreign terrorist organization, as one of the reasons for imposing the tariff. According to the White House, the gang is heavily involved in drug smuggling and human trafficking, entering the U.S. through the southern border. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz told CNN that the administration views the group as a tool of the Nicolás Maduro regime to destabilize the region.