The Trump administration is negotiating a military agreement with Venezuela that could lay the groundwork for a long-term U.S. troop presence in the country, The New York Times reported Tuesday, citing U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Neither government has publicly confirmed the talks.

SOFA

The State Department, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, is negotiating a status of forces agreement (SOFA) with Venezuelan officials, according to the report. A SOFA sets the legal framework for U.S. forces operating in a host country.

A potential agreement would reportedly cover mutually agreed activities such as ship visits, training, military exercises and humanitarian assistance.

Troop numbers and locations have not been set. They would be defined in future agreements, the Times reported. The State Department says it has negotiated SOFAs with more than 100 countries.

Bases “Way, Way Down The Road”

A senior State Department official in Caracas told the Times that serious discussion of U.S. bases is “way, way down the road” and that no base talks are under way.

The U.S. military footprint in Venezuela is currently small. The reopened U.S. Embassy in Caracas has a full-time military attaché and a small Marine detachment, the Times reported.

After the June earthquakes, U.S. Southern Command sent about 2,000 soldiers to Venezuela and nearby areas, according to Gen. Francis Donovan. He said those who entered the country have since left.

The talks come a day after Rubio met Venezuelan Foreign Minister Oliver Blanco at the State Department, the first bilateral meeting since relations were restored.

According to the Times, the State Department said the two discussed reconciliation among political factions, possible future elections and the possible release of political prisoners. The department’s account did not mention military negotiations.

Relations have changed sharply since U.S. forces captured former President Nicolás Maduro in a January operation. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who was sworn in on January 5, leads the government now negotiating with Washington. She has previously criticized the U.S., including its armed forces.

The Times noted that U.S. and Venezuelan forces have not worked together in nearly a decade and that poor infrastructure could complicate cooperation.

Experts it cited said that chavismo retains an estimated 10% to 20% support, including within the armed forces and security agencies, and that some members could openly oppose a U.S. military presence. The Times also reported that many Venezuelans view such arrangements as a form of Western colonialism, and that visible U.S. troops could fuel that sentiment.

The White House and Pentagon had not commented on the agreement, according to the report. Opposition leader María Corina Machado, who returned to Venezuela in late October, has not commented on a possible U.S. military presence.