The leader of the U.S. Southern Command made an unexpected journey to Venezuela to confer with the nation’s interim president just weeks following the capture of former President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces.
According to a report by Reuters, this unannounced visit on Wednesday marked the first appearance of a U.S. military delegation in Venezuela since the operation on January 3 that led to Maduro’s apprehension.
A statement from the U.S. Southern Command detailed that Marine Gen. Francis L. Donovan, alongside Ambassador Laura F. Dogu, the Chargé d’Affaires to the Venezuela Affairs Unit, and Joseph M. Humire, the U.S. Acting Assistant Secretary of War for Homeland Defense and the Americas, met with interim Venezuelan leadership in Caracas.
The statement emphasized the meeting’s focus on reinforcing the U.S. commitment to fostering a free, secure, and prosperous Venezuela for both its citizens and the broader Western Hemisphere.
Marine Gen. Francis L. Donovan was seen interacting with U.S. Marines tasked with security duties at the embassy facilities in Caracas, Venezuela, on Wednesday, February 18, 2026. (U.S. Southern Command/Venezuela Affairs Unit)
U.S. Central Command noted that the dialogue centered around the security situation in the region, the execution of President Donald Trump’s three-phase strategy—particularly in terms of stabilizing Venezuela—and the critical role of maintaining collective security throughout the Western Hemisphere.
The U.S. Embassy in Venezuela added in a post on X that it was a “historic day” in a push to “advance the objective of a Venezuela aligned with the United States.”
Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Ambassador Laura F. Dogu, the chargé d’affaires to the Venezuela Affairs Unit, and Joseph M. Humire, acting assistant secretary of war for homeland defense and the Americas, pose for a photo in Venezuela, on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (U.S. Southern Command/Venezuela Affairs Unit )
Venezuela’s government said the U.S. delegation met with interim President Delcy Rodriguez, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, with the two sides agreeing to coordinate on drug-trafficking, terrorism and migration, Reuters reported. The Associated Press also confirmed that Donovan, who is the head of American military operations in Latin America, met with Rodriguez.
Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, waves after bidding farewell to U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright following their meeting in Caracas, Venezuela, on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (Ariana Cubillos/AP)
“The meeting reaffirms that diplomacy should be the mechanism for resolving differences and addressing issues of bilateral and regional interests,” it also cited Venezuela’s Communications Minister Miguel Angel Perez as saying on X.
