The Daily - Trump Goes After Venezuela’s Oil

In it escalating campaign against Venezuela, the Trump administration has gone from shooting drug boats to trying to seize oil tankers in the Caribbean. Anatoly Kurmanaev, a foreign correspondent for The New York Times who has spent years covering Venezuela, explains why President Trump is shifting his strategy, and what that might tell us about his true endgame.

Duration: 30m
Broadcast on: 24 Dec 2025
Audio Format: other

In it escalating campaign against Venezuela, the Trump administration has gone from shooting drug boats to trying to seize oil tankers in the Caribbean.

Anatoly Kurmanaev, a foreign correspondent for The New York Times who has spent years covering Venezuela, explains why President Trump is shifting his strategy, and what that might tell us about his true endgame.

Guest: Anatoly Kurmanaev, a reporter for The New York Times covering Russia and its transformation following the invasion of Ukraine.

Background reading: Venezuela’s oil exports have plummeted after the United States took action against three tankers carrying crude.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

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This podcast is supported by TikTok. Sometimes the most interesting discoveries are the ones you weren't looking for. That happens every day on TikTok. A science experiment can spark a whole new interest. A recipe you stumble upon can become a meal you make for the people you love. And a restaurant you've never heard of might become your new favorite spot. That's the thing about TikTok. Follow your curiosity and see where it leads. Your next discovery is waiting on TikTok. From the New York Times, I'm Natalie Kitroweth. This is The Daily. (upbeat music) In its escalating campaign against Venezuela, the Trump administration has gone from shooting down drug boats to now trying to seize multiple oil tankers in the Caribbean Sea. Today, my colleague Anatoly Kermanayev explains why President Trump is shifting his tactics on Venezuela, and what that might tell us about his true ending. (upbeat music) It's Wednesday, December 24th. (upbeat music) Anatoly, Merry Christmas. Thanks for joining us today. - Thank you for having me. - So the last time we talked to you was when the US military was ramping up these strikes on boats in Latin America that they claimed were running drugs to the US. We are coming back to you now because over the past few weeks, we've been hearing about this new kind of escalation in the Caribbean, which is the US seizing ships that have been carrying Venezuelan oil. So help us understand how you're interpreting this new element to this operation, which has been dramatic in its own right. - We have seen major shifts in the narrative over the last few weeks, Anatoly. For focus has shifted from a primarily military campaign to a primarily economic campaign. The US government has moved away from boat strikes in the Caribbean, and the alleged campaign to stop the flow of drugs coming from Venezuela to the United States, and they have moved towards Venezuelan oil.

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