Top US Commander Makes Surprise Venezuela Visit After Maduro’s Capture

Talks focused on regional security and implementation of Washington’s three-phase Venezuela strategy.
Top US Commander Makes Surprise Venezuela Visit After Maduro’s Capture
U.S. Marine Corps. Lt. Gen. Francis Donovan looks on during a Senate Armed Services Committee Confirmation Hearing on Capitol Hill, on Jan. 15, 2026. Tom Brenner/Getty Images
Tom Ozimek
Tom Ozimek
Reporter
|Updated:
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The head of U.S. military operations in Latin America met with acting Venezuelan leader Delcy Rodríguez and members of her cabinet on Feb. 18 during a visit to Caracas, marking a high-level visit aimed at advancing President Donald Trump’s three-phase plan for the country’s stabilization.

It was the first trip by a U.S. military delegation since U.S. forces captured former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in a raid last month and transported him to New York to stand trial on drug-trafficking charges.

Tom Ozimek
Tom Ozimek
Reporter
Tom Ozimek is a senior reporter for The Epoch Times. He has a broad background in journalism, deposit insurance, marketing and communications, and adult education.
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