The U.S. military is looking at "all options" when it comes to the unrest in Venezuela, including what assets are already in the region, Rep. Michael Waltz said Thursday.
"I spent yesterday with Adm. [Craig] Faller, the commander of Southern Command based out of Miami and they're looking at all options," the Florida Republican told Fox News' "America's Newsroom." "We've had special forces next door in Columbia for many years training the Columbian army...in talking to him, the Colombians are ready, Brazilians are ready, the Dutch and French have assets in the region from French Guyana and the Dutch protectorate of Curacao."
At the end of the day, though, there will need to be a coalition effort and not one done through the United Nation, as the action would likely be vetoed there by Russia and China, he added.
Most importantly, it would be a "logistics effort" if military action is taken, said Waltz.
"If we're putting boots on the ground, they need to be regional troops, and it needs to be a humanitarian effort that they're protecting."
Meanwhile, Waltz said he does not think the window of opportunity to get Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro out of the country has passed, but he is stubborn and his dictatorship is crumbling.
"What's propping it up is the Cubans," he added. "From 5,000 to 20,000 Cuban intelligence and security forces are on the ground."
The Venezuelan situation is important to the United States because there is a "massive refugee crisis that has been underreported," said Waltz. "Three million refugees are flowing into other countries and destabilizing the region, and they'll start destabilizing Central America as well and it will affect the United States.
In addition, Maduro has opened Venezuela to China and Russia, said Waltz, but he thinks if Maduro leaves, Cuba will follow, as the Cuban regime has shifted its dependence from Russia to Venezuela and former President Hugo Chavez years ago.