The Director of the CIA, John Ratcliffe, met on Thursday in Caracas with Delcy Rodríguez, the interim president of Venezuela, reinforcing the Trump administration’s message that it views the interim government as the best short-term path to stability in the country.

According to CNN, during the meeting Ratcliffe discussed potential areas of economic cooperation with Rodríguez, while also stressing that Venezuela can no longer function as a safe haven for adversaries of the United States, with particular reference to drug trafficking networks. As a U.S. official noted, the contact aimed to build trust and reflects Ratcliffe’s willingness for the CIA to operate with less caution.

The meeting took place at a time when Trump appears to be strengthening Washington’s control over Venezuela, particularly in the oil production sector. Trump has stated that the United States will “essentially run” the country following the arrest of Nicolás Maduro earlier this month.