The pushback against drugs coming to the United States through the Caribbean, and President Donald Trump's toughened stance against Venezuela, have been needed for some time, retired U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Blaine Holt said on Newsmax Wednesday.
“This is the big war that the president and our nation has to undertake," Holt told Newsmax's "National Report." "That's why you see the change in the national security strategy."
Holt suggested the U.S. posture shift is designed to be sustained and broader than a confrontation with Venezuela or its leader, Nicolas Maduro.
"Those C-17s going in and out, they're going to be doing that for many years now," said Holt. "We are going to reposition our forces. We're going to take care of our backyard."
But the war on the cartels is the "focal point," not Venezuela, he stressed, adding that the cartels are central to a much wider web of illicit activity and tie drug trafficking to what he depicted as international money laundering and corruption.
"While the drugs are enough of a predicate to go to war with them, it's really that they're the vascular system to all of the illegality around the world,” he said.
Holt also said pressure is being applied beyond visible military movements, urging attention to financial targeting efforts.
“You better watch Scott and what he's doing with FinCEN programs and rolling up assets and forfeitures,” he said.
Former NASA astronaut and retired Air Force Col. Terry Virts, also appearing on the program, questioned the focus on Venezuela and warned about the risks of escalation, including a potential regime-change dynamic and concerns about congressional authorization.
Holt said he did not support a major ground invasion and said he did not believe that was the administration’s intent.
"I don't support a major invasion or another Iraq or Afghanistan, and I don't think that's what the president wants either," he said, adding that he believed claims of a regime-change mission were overstated.
"I also don't think that this is keyed in on this is going to be a regime change," said Holt. "This is about pressure on illicit activity globally."
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