Senior U.S. Military Officials Make Surprise Visit to Venezuela

The top U.S. commander overseeing forces in Latin America, Gen. Francis Donovan, and senior Pentagon official Joseph Humire have made a surprise visit to Venezuela for security talks, U.S. officials confirmed.

The visit to Caracas took place Wednesday local time and marks the first American military delegation to travel to Venezuela following the reported abduction of President Nicolás Maduro.

According to the Venezuelan government, the U.S. delegation met with Interim President Delcy Rodríguez, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López, and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello.

Both sides reportedly agreed to cooperate on combating drug trafficking, terrorism, and migration. Notably, Padrino and Cabello have faced accusations in the United States related to drug trafficking.

U.S. officials said Donovan, head of United States Southern Command, and Humire traveled to Venezuela for security discussions. The visit followed a trip last week by U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright to Caracas, signaling what analysts describe as a broader U.S. effort combining military and energy policy initiatives.

Washington has stated it intends to manage Venezuela’s oil trade indefinitely and maintain a strong naval presence in the Caribbean. U.S. forces are reportedly intercepting suspected drug-trafficking vessels and working with the Coast Guard to seize oil tankers linked to Venezuela.

Venezuela, which holds the world’s largest proven crude oil reserves, has emphasized diplomacy as its preferred path forward in relations with Washington. Some observers believe the United States is seeking to encourage Caracas to distance itself from U.S. adversaries and open its economy to American businesses.

Venezuelan Communications Minister Miguel Ángel Pérez described the talks on social media platform X as part of a process to address bilateral and regional issues.

The U.S. Southern Command said that newly appointed U.S. envoy to Venezuela, Laura Dogu, joined Donovan and Humire during the discussions.

In a statement on X, Southern Command said the talks underscored President Donald Trump’s emphasis on Venezuela’s stability and shared security across the Western Hemisphere. The U.S. Embassy separately described the visit as a historic step toward advancing Venezuela’s goals in coordination with the United States.

High-level visits to Caracas had been virtually nonexistent for years due to severely strained bilateral relations under former President Hugo Chávez and later under Maduro.

For Donovan, the trip marked his first visit to Latin America as head of Southern Command. He previously served as deputy commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, overseeing American special operations missions worldwide.