The pictures are striking - US forces sliding down ropes on to the deck of an oil tanker in the Caribbean.

Their dawn operation painted a vivid portrait of the Trump administration's approach to the Maduro government.

Officials framed it as the execution of a warrant on a vessel they linked to sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran .

But the imagery of armed troops seizing control of the bridge was anything but routine.

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Moment US seizes oil tanker off Venezuela

Instead, it underscored the White House's preference for visible demonstrations of muscle over diplomacy.

From Iran to North Korea, Trump has relied heavily on sanctions and show-of-strength tactics.

Venezuela, long mired in economic coll

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