Trump administration negotiates military agreement with Venezuela that could allow long-term U.S. troop presence under Rubio-led talks

The Trump administration is negotiating a military agreement with Venezuela that could establish the legal foundation for a long-term U.S. troop presence in the country, The New York Times reported on Tuesday, November 3, citing American officials. The discussions mark a significant shift in relations between Washington and Caracas, less than a year after U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a military operation.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is overseeing negotiations through the State Department on a status of forces agreement, commonly known as a SOFA. Such agreements establish the legal conditions under which American military personnel can operate in foreign countries, potentially covering training missions, joint exercises, security cooperation and other mutually agreed activities.

The proposed arrangement could eventually allow U.S. forces to remain in Venezuela for an extended period, but American officials said decisions about troop numbers, deployment locations and the duration of any presence would require further negotiations. No agreement establishing permanent American military bases has been announced.

The State Department told The New York Times that Washington has negotiated similar agreements with more than 100 countries. Some host substantial American military contingents, while others accommodate only small advisory teams or limited deployments. The agreements provide a legal framework for cooperation without necessarily requiring permanent bases.

The talks represent an extraordinary reversal in a relationship defined for years by confrontation. In January, American forces launched an operation in Venezuela that resulted in Maduro’s capture and transfer to New York, where he faces criminal charges. His former vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, subsequently assumed the country’s leadership and has developed a working relationship with the Trump administration.

Despite the history of hostility, Washington and Caracas have expanded contacts on security, economic and political issues. Rubio has been closely involved in the administration’s dealings with Rodríguez’s government, while the two countries have also discussed reforms intended to prepare Venezuela for future elections.

The potential military agreement would deepen that engagement by creating a formal basis for American personnel to operate on Venezuelan territory. Its practical scope, however, would depend on subsequent arrangements and the willingness of both governments to approve specific missions or deployments.

For now, the negotiations concern the legal framework for possible cooperation rather than a finalized plan to station large numbers of American troops in Venezuela.