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The seizure of an enormous oil supertanker off the coast of Venezuela on Wednesday is just the beginning of a new phase in the Trump administration’s ramped-up pressure campaign against Nicolas Maduro, according to people familiar with the operation.
The act of economic statecraft — which saw US forces descend on ropes from a Black Hawk helicopter onto the deck of a sanctioned very-large crude carrier called Skipper — is designed to deny Maduro a lifeline of oil revenue and force him to relinquish power, the people said.
Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this edition, Joe speaks with:

Trump Says Iran Strikes to Be Short; Commerce Secretary Lutnick on AI, Tariffs and Canda
44:24

US, Iran Escalate Attacks as Fighting Around Strait Heats Up
46:44

Weekly Washington Policy Pulse: Government Shutdown? Venezuela Deal (August 31, 2026)
11:36