The U.S. should "control the dollars that Venezuela gets from selling oil," Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., told Newsmax on Wednesday as the U.S. Coast Guard was moving to board a Venezuelan oil tanker that had been reflagged as a Russian vessel.
Cassidy said on "National Report" that the United States' efforts against Venezuela are about preventing revenue from flowing to "crooks associated" with former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and instead directing oil money toward democratic and institutional reforms.
If Maduro-aligned figures can profit from tanker sales, Cassidy noted, "they can continue to have a parallel government in Venezuela."
Cassidy acknowledged there is risk involved in boarding operations but framed the broader objective as limiting the ability of U.S. adversaries to use Venezuelan resources.
Venezuela will ultimately cooperate because the administration intends to control the movement of oil exports, he said.
"Now they're going to try and sneak that oil out," added Cassidy. "And the president's [Donald Trump's] been pretty adamant … we're going to control where that oil goes."
Cassidy said the issue has become a national security concern because "China, Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah are in Venezuela collaborating against us" with the activities funded through oil sales.
Cassidy also said he has been told Iran is manufacturing drones in Venezuela that have a range that could reach the U.S. Gulf Coast.
He also pointed to a bipartisan proposal he called the "America's Act," which he said could help tie Venezuela into a Western Hemisphere trading bloc.
On a separate topic, Cassidy said he opposes any push for the U.S. to acquire Greenland, arguing the current arrangement best supports U.S. security interests and NATO unity.
"It's better for the United States' national security that Greenland keep its current status," Cassidy said, citing NATO solidarity, an existing U.S. military base, and access to critical minerals.
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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