WASHINGTON DC (May 1, 2019) — Prepared Remarks by Senator Charles "Chuck" Grassley of Iowa at an event by The Center for a Secure Free Society: "The VRIC: Tracing the roots of Venezuela, Russia, Iran, and China — Security and Intelligence Cooperation"
Thank you all for having me and thank you to the Center for a Secure Free Society for hosting this very timely event. The relationship between Venezuela and our foreign adversaries such as China, Iran, and Russia presents perhaps the greatest security threat from within our hemisphere.
In February, Sen [Ted] Cruz and I sent a letter to the Trump Administration expressing concern that Venezuela has become the staging location for terrorist groups such as Hezbollah and their affiliates, as well as agents of Cuba, Iran, China, and Russia. And, the US government must stay vigilant.
Our view is that effective border-security is not restricted only to addressing illegal immigration, human trafficking, and the flow of illegal drugs. Border-security in the 21st century must also prevent the cross-border movement of terrorists and bad actors who pose a security threat to our homeland.
Congress needs to modernize immigration policy in a way that prioritizes the threat of special-interest aliens and terrorists, especially given the situation in Venezuela. This means expediting the removal of SIAs or terrorists, increasing information-sharing between the Intelligence Community and immigration enforcement, and streamlining the process of removing these national-security threats.
We must prevent Hezbollah from moving people, weapons, and drugs across our border — either through ports of entry, or between them. With up to 4 million Venezuelans fleeing their homeland, we have to address the potential for state and non-state actors to infiltrate those groups. Federal agencies should commit to additional and appropriate scrutiny in the visa-screening process, and to the refugee and asylum-admission process.
Border security is just one aspect of national security. We must be vigilant against all bad actors who seek to undermine American security. However, given the continued presence and power of China, Iran, and Russia in South America, we need to be particularly watchful of these foreign adversaries.
China’s non-traditional influence against the United States and other western democracies is a growing concern. From Confucius Institutes in American universities to trade-secret espionage, the Chinese Communist Party seeks to take advantage of our open society to advance its interests. Using tools like debt-trap diplomacy, state-directed technology giants, and an increasingly-assertive foreign-policy, China seeks to undermine our country’s power on the global stage. The federal government – including the US Senate — is becoming more engaged and aware of this concern, and the timing is critical as China’s influence continues to grow in Venezuela and other pockets of South America. China is Venezuela’s largest creditor and, in turn, Venezuela is the largest regional buyer of Chinese military equipment. These connections are certainly relevant as we address our national-security interests.
Russia’s role in undermining the United States has been most evident through its interference in the 2016 presidential election, but it’s nothing new. The book “The New Cold War” by Edward Lucas warned of Russia’s intentions back in 2008. And, as the title implies, the tactics we’ve seen from Putin have echoes of an earlier time. What would you expect from a Russia led by a KGB thug? Today, Russia supplies military aid and financial support to Venezuela’s armed forces. Be it through disinformation campaigns or supplying aid to vulnerable and dangerous nations, I will continue to seek answers as to how and why the Russian government and other bad actors intend to attack our democracy.
Lastly, Iran’s presence in Venezuela draws immediate concerns about Hezbollah’s growth and influence in the western hemisphere. In the letter that Sen Cruz and I sent to the Trump Administration, we made clear how Hezbollah’s growing influence near the United States could lead to increased efforts to launder money and traffic drugs within our borders. These criminal activities are just part of the global and increasingly-sophisticated threat from Hezbollah. So, we must work to strengthen our laws and weigh options on how to best combat such threats.
Since the administration of James Monroe, we have recognized that events in this hemisphere have a particular bearing on our nation’s security and prosperity. The involvement of countries that have proven hostile to US security and national interests in our backyard should set off alarm bells. We should do whatever we can to curb malign foreign influence in Latin America, working with our allies in the region. This event is an important step in understanding the problem. Thank you all for being here.
