The Trump Administration dramatically escalated its standoff with Venezuela on Wednesday by seizing a large tanker loaded with crude oil bound for Cuba.

Why it matters: President Trump's pressure campaign on Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro has now struck at the heart of Venezuela's oil-based economy. • The unofficial aim of the Venezuela campaign — which up to now has mainly entailed deadly strikes on suspected drug-running boats — is regime change in Caracas, as Axios first reported in January. • U.S. officials say Venezuela's oil exports enrich Maduro and his family. • Trump claimed the tanker was the largest ever to be seized, and said "other things" would be coming soon.

Zoom in: The U.S. has sanctioned Venezuela's oil shipments for years, but never before seized an oil-laden

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