Trump Administration Pushes Venezuela for Deal to Keep U.S. Troops There Long-Term

The State Department, under Secretary Marco Rubio, is negotiating a status of forces agreement with Venezuela that officials say "would lay the foundation for a potential long-term U.S. military presence in the country," The New York Times reported Nov. 3, citing anonymous U.S. officials. State briefed congressional aides on the "imminent negotiations" in late October. The department, which holds similar agreements with more than 100 countries, says such deals provide "a clear, predictable legal framework for U.S. forces" for training and ship visits; troop numbers or bases "would be worked out in future agreements." A senior State official in Caracas said base talks remain "way, way down the road."

A long-term U.S. military foothold there would mark a significant escalation from the administration's current posture, which followed the January operation that captured Maduro and installed Delcy Rodriguez's government, deepening U.S. leverage over a country where Washington already holds oil concessions and, by some accounts, directs government finances.

Talks remain under negotiation, with no agreement signed and no base locations identified.