Iran, Hezbollah and Venezuela: What's Really Going On After Shock Maduro Ouster

As the situation in Venezuela continues to capture international attention, one expert believes the Trump administration's decision to capture and detain former president Nicolás Maduro could yield positive results. "My first reaction was, 'What an incredible job of the American military to pull this off with no U.S. casualties,'" Col. (Ret.) Gregory Thompson, professor of criminal justice at Cedarville University, told CBN News of the Trump administration's bold move to detain Maduro. Beyond that, Thompson said his mind also went to matters surrounding faith and the church. "But, more importantly to me as a Christian, I'm thinking of just the incredible joy because I have friends that work with pastors in Venezuela, and it's been difficult, as you probably know," he said. "When Hugo Chavez took over Venezuela, he kicked out all mission organizations, so that was significant, and the pastors there are being salt and light." While many Venezuelans and political observers are excited to see Maduro go, Thompson said there are still many questions about what comes next. "My general sense is I'm excited for maybe a hopeful future for Venezuela — one that's free, particularly free for the free exercise and the spread of the Gospel message of Jesus Christ," he said. Thompson said the situation leading up to Maduro's ouster was perilous and difficult after Maduro and his predecessor Hugo Chávez wreaked what critics call havoc on free speech, expression, and truth. "They pretty much wrecked the economy," he said. "Inflation is beyond rampant. They have a politically corrupt government, which I think we've heard in the news." Thompson said socialism has been a disaster globally, with ineffective policies failing to create human flourishing. All of this leads to President Donald Trump's decision to send the U.S. Army's elite Delta Force to capture Maduro. While some speculate that oil was a driving force, Thompson believes it's a factor but not the "main driving force" behind the decision. "I think with President Trump's concerns when he came into office, this is like the perfect storm," he said. "Illegal immigration was highly coming from Venezuela ... they're leaving because they want to live in a free country. They want to pursue a place where they can live in freedom and democracy, and so they're coming to America, but illegally, of course, and in droves. So that's one issue." The other issue, according to Thompson, centers on nations like Iran and terror groups like Hezbollah, with both having purported influence and presence in Venezuela. Mix in Russian and Chinese influence and one can easily see why this collectively becomes a problem for the U.S. Watch what else he had to say about this complex matter.