The successful capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on 3 January 2026 confirmed a change in the use of naval power in the Western Hemisphere. Over the past year, the Southern Command area of responsibility hosted a concentration of U.S. naval forces not seen since the 1989 overthrow of Panamanian president Manuel Noriega. SouthCom is traditionally the focus of Coast Guard drug interdiction efforts and Fourth Fleet goodwill visits.