WASHINGTON – The Marine Corps general tapped to lead U.S. military operations in Latin America told lawmakers Thursday that he stands ready to oversee an expanded presence that began ahead of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro's capture — but he doesn't know how long that enhanced focus will last.
If confirmed by the Senate, Lt. Gen. Francis Donovan will take over U.S. Southern Command, replacing Navy Adm. Alvin Holsey, who retired last year amid increasing scrutiny over the Trump administration’s deadly strikes on alleged drug boats in the region, a remarkable extension of American power in Latin America.
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U.S. troops earlier this month deposed and apprehended Maduro, the culmination of a pressure campaign that began with the largest military buildup in the region in generations and expanded to dozens of attacks on boats accused of smuggling drugs and the seizure of sanctioned oil tankers connected to Venezuela.
Democrats and Sen. Angus King, a Maine Independent, pressed Donovan for details on how he would oversee Southern Command and for the broad outline of the Trump administration's long-term plans for the region. Donovan, however, said he didn't know.
“So you don’t know what the plan is now? You don’t know why all those ships and aircraft and soldiers are there?” King asked.
“Senator, I do not,” Donovan said, explaining that he isn't involved in military plans for the region in his current role as vice commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command.
But Donovan acknowledged that the renewed interest in Latin America is likely to bring changes to the Southern Command, which is headquartered in Doral, Florida.
“Do you expect, because of this pivot to the Western Hemisphere, that SouthCom this year is going to have to be much different than SouthCom last year?" asked Sen. Mark Kelly, an Arizona Democrat.
“Yes I do," Donovan replied.
The confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Service Committee was the latest effort by some lawmakers to question the Trump administration over its military operations in Latin America and its justification for the boat strikes, which have prompted concerns about international law and the use of force.
Lawmakers also questioned Lt. Gen. Joshua Rudd, nominated to lead the National Security Agency, over his views on surveillance and concerns that the NSA could be used against innocent Americans.
Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, a former CIA analyst, said she worries that the Trump administration could order the NSA to spy on Americans because of their political views or speech, something she said is expressly forbidden by federal law.
“Will you reject that?” asked Slotkin, who is one of several Democratic lawmakers who say they face criminal investigation by the Trump administration after appearing in a video urging service members to resist illegal orders.
“Senator, if confirmed, I will execute my responsibilities in accordance with the Constitution and all applicable laws,” Rudd said.
The NSA has been without a permanent director since Trump fired Gen. Tim Haugh last year. The NSA director also runs the Pentagon's Cyber Command, giving it a critical role in the nation's defensive and offensive cyber capabilities.
Lawmakers from both parties said they expect the nominations to be approved. A vote has not been announced.