1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to oppose the Trump administration's military escalation against Venezuela, including the recently announced total and complete blockade of Venezuelan oil tankers. This dangerous policy threatens to drag our country into an unnecessary war driven by economic interests rather than legitimate security concerns. On Tuesday, President Trump announced via Truth Social that he is ordering a blockade of sanctioned oil tankers traveling to and from Venezuela, explicitly demanding that Venezuela return oil, land, and other assets he claims were previously stolen from the United States. This statement makes clear that the military campaign's objectives extend beyond the administration's initial justification of countering drug trafficking to include seizing control of Venezuela's economic resources. Venezuela possesses the world's largest oil reserves, and Trump has been vocal about his desire for the US to regain access to the country's oil industry. The administration has already launched strikes at suspected drug vessels in the Caribbean, and Trump has repeatedly stated that land strikes will come soon. White House chief of staff Susie Wiles confirmed in interviews published by Vanity Fair on Tuesday that the effort is actually aimed at pressuring Maduro to step aside, not countering narcotics as initially claimed. Trump described the military presence as the largest Armada ever assembled in the history of South America and warned it will only grow larger. This military buildup and economic blockade represent an act of aggression that could escalate into full-scale war. The United States has no right to seize another country's natural resources or dictate its leadership through military force. Such actions violate international law and undermine our credibility on the world stage. I urge you to publicly oppose this military escalation, vote against any authorization for the use of military force in Venezuela, and work to defund operations aimed at regime change. Diplomacy, not war, should guide our foreign policy.