Senior US Military Official Engages with Venezuela’s New Leader After Successful Operation to Detain Maduro

The chief of the U.S. Southern Command recently visited Venezuela to engage with the interim president, marking a significant diplomatic moment shortly after U.S. forces apprehended the former leader, Nicolás Maduro.

This unexpected visit on Wednesday was the first by a U.S. military team to Venezuela since the operation on January 3rd, which led to Maduro’s capture, as reported by Reuters.

According to a statement from the U.S. Southern Command, Marine General Francis L. Donovan, along with Ambassador Laura F. Dogu from the Venezuela Affairs Unit, and Joseph M. Humire, the U.S. Acting Assistant Secretary of War for Homeland Defense and the Americas, convened with Venezuelan interim officials in Caracas.

During the discussions, the U.S. representatives reaffirmed their dedication to supporting a Venezuela that is free, secure, and thriving, benefiting not just the Venezuelan population but also the broader Western Hemisphere.

General Donovan was also seen interacting with Marines stationed at the U.S. Embassy in Caracas on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, illustrating a continued U.S. presence and engagement in the region. (U.S. Southern Command/Venezuela Affairs Unit)

“Discussions focused on the security environment, steps to ensure the implementation of President Donald Trump’s three-phase plan – particularly the stabilization of Venezuela – and the importance of shared security across the Western Hemisphere,” U.S. Central Command also said.  

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.