President Donald Trump is adopting a positive strategy toward removing Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro from power. By gradually escalating pressure on Maduro’s regime without directly using U.S. military force against it, Trump increases the probability of an internal coup d’etat.

Recent days have seen continued U.S. strikes against narco-trafficking boats, the U.S. seizure of a sanctioned oil tanker carrying Venezuelan oil, ongoing flights by U.S. Navy jets just off the Venezuelan coast (which will have exhausted Venezuelan air force and air defense units by forcing them to remain at extremely high readiness), and now a blockade of Venezuelan oil exports.