The head of the US Southern Command traveled to Venezuela to meet with the country’s acting president just weeks after US forces captured former leader Nicolás Maduro.
Wednesday’s trip, described as a surprise visit, was the first to Venezuela by a U.S. military delegation since the Jan. 3 raid to bring back Maduro, according to to Reuters.
“U.S. Southern Command Commander Marine General Francis L. Donovan, Chargé d’Affaires of the Venezuela Affairs Unit Ambassador Laura F. Dogu and U.S. Acting Assistant Secretary of War for Homeland Defense and the Americas Joseph M. Humire met with Venezuelan interim authorities in Caracas,” the U.S. Southern Command said in a statement.
“At the meeting, leaders reiterated the United States’ commitment to a free, secure, and prosperous Venezuela for the Venezuelan people, the United States, and the Western Hemisphere,” it added.
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Marine Gen. Francis L. Donovan, commander of the U.S. Southern Command, speaks with Marines assigned to stand guard at the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela, on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (US Southern Command/Venezuela Affairs Unit)
“Discussions focused on the security environment, steps to ensure implementation of President Donald Trump’s three-phase plan – especially the stabilization of Venezuela – and the importance of shared security in the Western Hemisphere,” the U.S. Central Command said.
The US Embassy in Venezuela added in a post on X that it was a “historic day” in an effort to “advance the goal of a Venezuela aligned with the United States.”
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Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Ambassador Laura F. Dogu, Chargé d’Affaires of 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, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (US Southern Command/Venezuela Affairs Unit)
The Venezuelan government said the US 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, head of U.S. military operations in Latin America, met with Rodriguez.
Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodriguez waves after saying goodbye to U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright following their meeting in Caracas, Venezuela, on Wednesday, February 11, 2026. (Ariana Cubillos/AP)
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“The meeting reaffirms that diplomacy must be the mechanism to resolve disagreements and address issues of bilateral and regional interests,” it also quoted Venezuelan Communications Minister Miguel Angel Perez as saying on X.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
