Trump has announced the closure of the federal government on Christmas Eve and December 26, marking a significant administrative decision that will affect government operations during the holiday period.

Government Operations Impact

The announced closure will affect various federal departments and services during these specific holiday dates. Federal employees and government services will be impacted by this administrative decision.

Holiday Schedule Details

The closure encompasses two key dates during the holiday season:

This administrative action represents a formal announcement regarding federal government operations during the holiday period. The decision will affect the regular functioning of government departments and services on these designated dates.

Administrative Implications

The closure announcement indicates a coordinated approach to government operations during the holiday season. Federal operations and services will be suspended on the specified dates, affecting various government functions and employee schedules during this period.

The White House has ordered US military forces to focus almost exclusively on enforcing a "quarantine" of Venezuelan oil for at least the next two months, marking a significant escalation in economic pressure tactics against the South American nation. Recent developments show the blockade's immediate impact as a sanctioned oil tanker fled US forces and retreated into the Atlantic Ocean.

Latest Tanker Chase Operation

The US Coast Guard encountered the sanctioned vessel Bella 1 amid bad weather near Barbados on Sunday, instructing the tanker to move to calmer waters for safe boarding. Instead, the ship sailed toward the Atlantic Ocean, with US officials expecting it won't return. The tanker was not carrying oil at the time of its retreat.

A US official confirmed the Coast Guard has not abandoned pursuit of the tanker, noting there remains a judicial seizure order against the vessel. The crew's decision to flee demonstrates how the US blockade is effectively disrupting Venezuela's oil exports, which normally go primarily to China.

Military Quarantine Strategy

A US official revealed that Washington is currently prioritizing economic rather than military means to pressure Caracas. "While military options still exist, the focus is to first use economic pressure by enforcing sanctions to reach the outcome the White House is looking for," the official stated, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The strategic shift represents a move from Trump's earlier announced "blockade" to what officials now term a "quarantine" - language that echoes the Cuban missile crisis approach. The emphasis on quarantining Venezuelan oil rather than escalating with broader military strikes signals the US is seeking to pressure President Nicolas Maduro by squeezing government finances before considering more forceful measures.

Expanded Coast Guard Operations

The latest weekend operations represent the most concerted effort to date to disrupt crucial oil revenues funding Maduro's government. US forces boarded the non-sanctioned ship Centuries, owned by a Hong Kong-based entity, while separately pursuing Bella 1. Another very large crude carrier, the Skipper, was intercepted on December 10th.

Massive Caribbean Military Deployment

The Pentagon has assembled a substantial military presence in the Caribbean to support the quarantine operations, representing the largest US military deployment to the region in decades. The deployment includes more than 15,000 troops, an aircraft carrier, 11 other warships, and over a dozen F-35 aircraft.

Trump, during a Christmas Eve call with military service members aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford, described the Caribbean as "an interesting place" to be deployed, reiterating the US was "going after the land" after weeks of strikes on alleged drug boats at sea.

Economic Impact and Storage Crisis

Unable to export most of its oil, Venezuela is rapidly filling up storage tanks and idle tankers, raising the likelihood that it will soon have to start shutting oil wells. The blockade is beginning to limit hard currency in an already battered economy, though Maduro has so far withstood the pressure.

Trump warned Maduro not to challenge the US and vowed to keep oil seized from supertankers. While declining to explicitly state if he seeks to oust the Venezuelan leader, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told Fox News that Maduro "needs to be gone." Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Maduro's cooperation with narco-traffickers and terrorists "intolerable."

International Response

Venezuela's UN Ambassador Samuel Moncada responded, stating: "The threat is not Venezuela. The threat is the US government." UN experts have condemned the blockade, characterizing such use of force as "illegal armed aggression."

The Trump administration has designated Maduro's government a foreign terrorist organization over alleged links to drug cartels and informed the United Nations of its intention to impose and enforce sanctions "to the maximum extent" to deprive Maduro of resources.