A federal agent had a daring plan: persuade Nicolas Maduro's chief pilot to surreptitiously divert the Venezuelan president’s plane to a place where U.S. authorities could nab the strongman.

A U.S. federal agent attempted to bribe Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s chief pilot to divert the leader’s plane for capture in a covert operation spanning 16 months, according to a new report from the Associated Press.

Trump administration escalates pressure on Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro through Caribbean naval deployment and cartel strikes in what analysts call modern gunboat diplomacy.

Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro claims the U.S. is waging a war against him as the world's largest warship nears the country

Even with U.S. warships offshore, the strongman has prevailed in efforts to unseat him—purging, spying and paying off officers so the armed forces remain loyal.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro offered the U.S. his country's oil riches. For Secretary of State Marco Rubio, that wasn't enough.

Venezuelan government officials floated a plan in which President Nicolás Maduro would eventually leave office, a bid aimed at easing mounting U.S. pressure on the government in Caracas.