Shamita Basu

But first, to yesterday's serious escalation of U.S.

military pressure on Venezuela.

The White House later released a video of troops dropping from a helicopter onto the tanker, reportedly called the Skipper, and taking control.

This large-scale operation marks a new chapter in President Trump's operations in the Caribbean.

Bloomberg State Department reporter Eric Martin was first to the story and explained for us the significance.

The administration has been building its military presence there for weeks now as it expands what it says is an operation against drug cartels.

But this intervention appears to be much broader, targeting the country's economic lifeblood.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said the tanker was involved in an illicit network and that it was transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.

Bloomberg and elsewhere quoted sources suggesting the shipment itself was heading for Cuba, which depends on Venezuela to sustain power.

And if you're wondering where that oil goes now, Trump said this.

Venezuela has accused the administration of international piracy.

This all comes as the Trump administration is still under intense congressional scrutiny on its strikes on alleged drug boats.

The House passed a bill yesterday that would pressure Defense Secretary Pete Hexeth to disclose all of his orders authorizing close to two dozen military attacks in the region.

Democratic Senator Mark Warner was on the stage at a semaphore conference shortly after the news of the tanker operation came in.

He questioned why the U.S.

couldn't have just intercepted the alleged drug boats if they were able to seize a giant tanker and said Trump had not yet made the case for any armed conflict.

Meanwhile, Representative Mike Rogers, the Republican chair of the House Armed Services Committee, said their inquiry into the strikes that killed two shipwrecked survivors was done and that he had the information he needed.

As for the Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, he offered a different diplomatic tack, singing.

At a rally on Wednesday in what he described as a message for Americans wanting peace, Maduro opted for a moment of acapella.

Taking some liberty with the melody there, but at the end he said, just peace, not war, in case you missed that.