Double-Edged Sword: U.S. Strikes on ISIS and Venezuelan Tankers Expose Hidden Threats
Former Trump National Security Council chief of staff and executive secretary Fred Fleitz stated Sunday that President Donald Trump is right to respond forcefully to ISIS attacks, as the terror group thrives in areas with weak governments and fractured security.
“We know ISIS thrives in ungoverned areas, in regions of anarchy,” Fleitz said. “The Syrian government is very weak.”
Fleitz added that Syria’s security situation remains complicated, noting that the government has allowed extremists and foreign fighters to infiltrate its security services. He warned that such actions must be addressed to prevent ISIS from reconstituting itself.
The U.S. military launched large-scale strikes against dozens of Islamic State targets in Syria on Friday in retaliation for an attack that killed American personnel last weekend. Trump had vowed to retaliate after a suspected ISIS attack claimed the lives of U.S. troops.
Turning to U.S. efforts targeting Venezuelan oil shipments, Fleitz described the action as narrowly focused on sanctioned vessels. He stated it is designed to pressure the Maduro regime without disrupting broader maritime traffic.
“This is a blockade of sanctioned tankers, not a blockade of all sanctions,” Fleitz said. He noted that some vessels are “flying under false flags,” turning off transponders and shipping oil to Asia. Fleitz also warned that the trade could benefit hostile actors but characterized the U.S. effort as “a very careful and measured” approach to pressuring Maduro.
Cuba was identified by Fleitz as one of the countries benefiting from this illicit oil trade.
Retired U.S. Air Force Brigadier General Blaine Holt, a former U.S. deputy military representative to NATO, concurred with the Syria strikes. Holt described Trump’s actions as “an operation that the president had to undertake” to establish deterrence against terrorist groups.
“Even with the risk of retaliation,” Holt said, “leaders must clearly define their red lines and deterrents.” He emphasized that the message extends beyond ISIS to prevent al-Qaeda from establishing a second terrorist state in Syria.
Holt also warned about broader security threats emerging through linked networks. “There are terrorist cells that are linked up with Hezbollah, Aragua, Venezuela, the cartels,” he said. “Activations could occur as they become desperate.”
On the Venezuelan tanker interdictions, Holt added that large vessels often carry illicit cargo beyond oil. He urged U.S. authorities to address these risks: “We have to make sure that we’re protecting the United States because when you make desperate people even more desperate, they do incredible things.”
