The Secret Drive to Soften Maduro Policy

POLITICO reveals a covert effort by Harry Sargeant III, Aaron Schock, investors and allied operatives to push the Trump administration toward easing sanctions on Venezuela and engaging Maduro to benefit U.S. oil interests, backed by influencer campaigns and behind-the-scenes lobbying; despite prisoner releases and Chevron licensing talks, intra‑administration rivalries, FBI scrutiny, and shifting policy under Marco Rubio undermined the bid, steering the administration toward a harder line on Venezuela and a complicated debt‑restructuring path rather than a successful policy pivot.