Escalation of US covert and overt pressure tactics on Venezuela: The naval blockade under Trump's directive marks a significant intensification from sanctions and strike raids to a de facto blockade, showing a shift towards more direct confrontation.

Intersection of anti-drug and geopolitical objectives: US framing of Venezuela's oil revenues as funding drug trafficking and terrorism links narcotics interdiction explicitly to broader regime change goals.

Military presence as strategic leverage: Positioning the largest aircraft carrier and thousands of troops nearby demonstrates the use of hard military power to enforce economic and political pressure in the region.