DAVID KLEPPER and AAMER MADHANI.

President Donald Trump is demanding Venezuela pay for assets that Trump says were stolen from U.S. companies when the South American country nationalized its oil industry years ago. His comments Wednesday come after Trump called for a “blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers to and from Venezuela, the latest effort to pressure Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. U.S. forces last week seized an oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast amid a steady buildup of military personnel in the region. Trump has accused Maduro of facilitating the flow of illegal drugs into the U.S. and has said he’s considering the use of ground strikes as tensions between the two countries increase.