Venezuela poses a threat to regional stability, security: U.S. official

Venezuela poses a clear threat to regional stability and could drag down key U.S. allies like Brazil, Argentina and Colombia, a senior Treasury Department official said on Wednesday.

"Venezuela poses a clear threat to regional stability and security," Marshall Billingslea, assistant secretary for terrorist financing at the Treasury Department, told an audience in Washington.

"This is a hemispheric issue and the implosion of the regime there is a direct challenge for us," he added.

(With inputs from agencies.)