Retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn told Newsmax on Tuesday there would have been severe strategic consequences if the U.S. failed to capture Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro and bring him back to face federal drug charges, arguing that inaction would have allowed Russia and China to strengthen their foothold in Caracas.
Flynn told "Carl Higbie FRONTLINE" the U.S. military operation early Saturday underscored why President Donald Trump could not afford to let Maduro remain in power, calling the mission a display of elite American capabilities and a warning to U.S. adversaries operating in the Western Hemisphere.
"I think what people need to understand is the strategic consequences of us not doing this mission," Flynn said, praising U.S. forces for executing what he described as a highly sensitive and complex operation without any loss of life.
"These are exquisite capabilities. These are the best of the best."
Flynn, a national security adviser in Trump's first term, said the stakes extended far beyond drug enforcement and involved broader geopolitical competition across the Americas.
He cited the Panama Canal, Caribbean Sea lanes, South America's northern coast, and the Arctic as crucial maritime and strategic areas increasingly contested by global powers.
"When Trump starts to talk about what we're going to do in South America or in our hemisphere, everybody needs to understand that ... there's a much greater play here," Flynn said.
At the center of that broader strategy, Flynn said, was preventing hostile powers from embedding themselves in Venezuela.
"We are not going to allow China or Russia to have beachfront property in Caracas," Flynn said.
"We're just not going to. We cannot allow it."
Flynn said Venezuela's significance goes beyond narcotics trafficking, though he called drug smuggling devastating to the U.S.
He cited the toll of fentanyl deaths and warned that Venezuela remains a hub for illicit networks and other man-made threats that pass through the region.
"It's not just the fentanyl, but it's also the other drugs," Flynn said, adding that Venezuela's natural resources and rare earth elements make it especially attractive to foreign actors.
He pointed to Russia, China, and Iran as having interests in the country.
Flynn also addressed criticism from Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who has argued Trump should have sought congressional approval before authorizing such an operation.
Flynn said he understood the concern but emphasized the risks of disclosure.
"When we start to take a very sensitive operation like this ... you've just got to be so careful about who knows about a particular mission like that," Flynn said.
Flynn added that Trump had given Maduro repeated opportunities to leave power voluntarily.
"Trump gave Maduro more opportunities than he probably should have," Flynn said. "Get the hell out of Dodge, otherwise we're going to come after you."
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