A U.S. Marine Corps general, tapped to lead American military operations in Latin America, told lawmakers Thursday he is ready to oversee an expanded presence that began before Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro's capture, but admitted he does not know how long this heightened focus will endure.
If confirmed by the Senate, Lieutenant General Francis Donovan will take over U.S. Southern Command. He would replace Navy Admiral Alvin Holsey, who retired last year amid scrutiny of the Trump administration’s deadly strikes on alleged drug boats in the region – a significant extension of U.S. power.
U.S. troops earlier this month deposed and apprehended Maduro, culminating a pressure campaign that began with the largest military buildup in the region for generations, expanding to dozens of attacks on alleged drug boats and the seizure of sanctioned oil tankers connected to Venezuela.
