Marine Gen. Francis Donovan, head of U.S. Southern Command, visited Caracas and met acting President Delcy Rodríguez and senior ministers during an hours-long visit. Both sides said they would work on a bilateral cooperation agenda to combat drug trafficking, terrorism and migration. U.S. officials said discussions also covered regional security and steps to implement President Trump’s phased plan. The visit follows the U.S. capture and transfer of Nicolás Maduro to the United States and is part of a recent string of high-level U.S.-Venezuela contacts.
U.S. Southern Command Chief Meets Venezuela's Acting President in Caracas Weeks After Maduro's Capture
Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodriguez smiles after bidding farewell to U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright following their meeting at Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
CARACAS — Marine Gen. Francis Donovan, the head of U.S. Southern Command, made an hours-long visit to Caracas on Wednesday and met with Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodríguez and senior members of her cabinet.
Meeting And Participants
Both Rodríguez's office and U.S. Southern Command announced the trip separately on social media. Rodríguez's press office said Donovan met with Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello. Donovan was accompanied by Laura Dogu, the top U.S. diplomat in Venezuela, and Joseph Humire, the U.S. acting assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense and the Americas.
“During this meeting, both countries agreed to work on developing a bilateral cooperation agenda to combat illicit drug trafficking in our region, terrorism, and migration,” Rodríguez’s press office wrote on X. “The meeting reaffirms that diplomacy should be the mechanism for resolving differences and addressing issues of binational and regional interest, of interest to all parties.”
Topics Discussed
A readout from U.S. Southern Command said the talks centered on security in Venezuela and across the Western Hemisphere and on the steps needed to ensure implementation of U.S. President Donald Trump’s phased plan for the country. Both sides emphasized diplomacy as the preferred channel to resolve differences and address shared concerns.
Context
The visit comes weeks after U.S. forces captured then‑President Nicolás Maduro in a dramatic raid in Caracas and transported him to the United States to face drug‑trafficking charges. It is the latest in a string of high-level U.S. engagements: CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with Rodríguez two weeks after Maduro's ouster, and U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright met with her last week during an assessment of Venezuela’s oil industry.
Significance: The meetings signal a cautious reopening of direct security and diplomatic contacts between U.S. officials and Venezuela’s interim government, focused on countering illicit trafficking, migration and regional stability.
Help us improve.
