Venezuela's government is operating a criminal enterprise that relies on oil revenue to support its foreign partners and proxy groups, and President Donald Trump's orders to seize tankers will have global implications, Fred Fleitz, a former National Security Council chief of staff, told Newsmax on Wednesday.

"It's really interesting to see the global implications of what President Trump is doing here," Fleitz told Newsmax's "Wake Up America." "This is a criminal enterprise, a narco president of Venezuela who is selling oil that's benefiting Iran, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Cuba, and selling oil to China through cryptocurrency."

The primary objective of the U.S. effort is domestic security, linking instability in Central and South America to pressures at the southern border, he added.

"The main goal of this is to secure America's borders, to stop the flow of illegal migrants and drugs and gangs," Fleitz said, pointing to the surge in crossings during the Biden administration and saying the source of that pressure is regional instability.

While Venezuela and its allies have framed U.S. actions as an attempt to expand American influence in Latin America, Fleitz said foreign powers are already deeply embedded in Venezuela's economy.

He pointed to China, Russia, and Iran as key players, saying China has relied on cheap Venezuelan oil and has invested heavily to support friendly leadership in Caracas.

"The Venezuelans have sold their oil to the Chinese for years to come," Fleitz said. "Now China is losing that oil, and basically we're cleaning up a mess that multiple presidents caused in this country."

As U.S. officials signal tougher sanctions enforcement and increased interdictions at sea, Fleitz stressed the effort is limited in scope. He said the United States is not attempting to shut down all maritime traffic.

"This is not a complete blockade," Fleitz said. "This is a blockade of sanctioned illegal ships. Illegal ships are getting through. There aren't many of them, but they're allowed to go in and out of Caracas."

He said the administration is gradually increasing pressure on the Nicolás Maduro regime and does not expect a full-scale invasion. However, Fleitz said the next phase could include more targeted actions.

"Trump is slowly upping the ante against the Maduro regime," he said. "He's not going to invade Venezuela, but now it looks like we could see special operations, maybe to destroy drug labs in Venezuela."

Fleitz also addressed what could happen to oil seized by the United States, saying he supports placing it into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. He criticized former President Joe Biden for drawing down reserves and said keeping the seized oil could increase supply and push gas prices lower.

Turning to the war in Ukraine, Fleitz said Russian President Vladimir Putin appears increasingly isolated as international pressure grows for a ceasefire, including calls around Christmas.

He said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made significant concessions in pursuit of an agreement, including support for a demilitarized zone and neutral territory monitored by international forces.

"This is a pretty good deal for both nations," Fleitz said, adding that he does not expect Putin to accept the proposal at this stage.

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