U.S. military deploying additional resources to Venezuela as earthquakes death toll mounts
✓Skip to content
The U.S. military is sending additional resources to Venezuela, as the death toll continues to mount and tens of thousands of people are still believed to be missing following a pair of devastating earthquakes.
U.S. South Command (Southcom) announced on Saturday that a specialized rapid response unit was on its way to Venezuela to assist the local government and aviation authorities with resuming air traffic and airport operations in affected areas.
“The Department of War is going to have play a logistical – big logistical role here, because they have the ability to land in challenging places,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday, noting that the airport in the capital of Caracas was damaged.
“One of the runways is cracked,” he added. “And so – but the Department of War has the capability to land in situations like that, so we’ll need that.”
A C-17 aircraft is also transporting two search and rescue teams based out of Miami-Dade County, Fla. to join ongoing efforts to locate and recover survivors, according to the command. Additional teams from Fairfax County, Va. and Los Angeles are already on the ground.
The U.S. has mobilized what Rubio described as a “whole-of-government response” after two massive earthquakes — registering at a 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude on the Richter scale— rocked the South American country overnight Wednesday, sending buildings tumbling and killing thousands of people.
The death toll rose to 1,430 on Saturday and families reported at least 68,900 still missing, according to The Associated Press.
The outlet reported that Venezuelans and international rescue teams were using shovels, heavy equipment, ropes and their bare hands to sift through the rubble in search of loved ones and neighbors in La Guaira, one of the states hardest hit.
A video shared by the State Department on Saturday showed an American search and rescue team freeing a crying infant from a mound of toppled concrete.
“Against impossible odds, hope endures,” the caption read. “Every life saved is a victory.”
Southcom, which oversees U.S. forces in Central and South America, also said that U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook helicopters were being staged in nearby Curaçao to provide airlift support for the missions.
“U.S. Space Force, through its SOUTHCOM component, continues to provide satellite imagery of devastated areas to disaster relief planners to aid them in assessing where immediate live-saving and aid efforts are needed most and identifying what capability requests to prioritize,” the command added in a news release.
The U.S. has formed closer ties with Venezuela in recent months under the leadership of interim President Delcy Rodríguez, who took over following the U.S. military operation that captured President Nicolás Maduro.
“The actions that President Trump took allowed for the development of so many conversations and relationships that did not exist previously, including the establishment of a U.S. embassy in Venezuela that allows us to provide emergency services to American citizens in the region,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott told NPR on Friday.
The State Department has opened an emergency 24/7 hotline for American citizens in Venezuela who may need assistance at +1-202-501-4444.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Read the full story at NPR ↗ · The Guardian ↗ · The Hill ↗
Two earthquakes struck Venezuela on Wednesday with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5. The death toll reached 1,430 by Saturday, with approximately 68,900 people reported missing. The U.S. military announced deployment of additional resources, including search and rescue teams from Miami-Dade County, Fairfax County, and Los Angeles, a C-17 transport aircraft, and CH-47 helicopters staged in Curaçao for airlift support. The Caracas airport sustained damage to one runway, prompting U.S. military logistics assistance. U.S. Space Force satellite imagery is being provided to disaster relief coordinators to identify priority areas for assistance. Recovery operations involve rescue teams using equipment and manual methods to search rubble in affected areas, particularly La Guaira.
Read the full story at NPR ↗ · The Guardian ↗ · The Hill ↗
Skip to content
The U.S. military is sending additional resources to Venezuela, as the death toll continues to mount and tens of thousands of people are still believed to be missing following a pair of devastating earthquakes.
U.S. South Command (Southcom) announced on Saturday that a specialized rapid response unit was on its way to Venezuela to assist the local government and aviation authorities with resuming air traffic and airport operations in affected areas.
“The Department of War is going to have play a logistical – big logistical role here, because they have the ability to land in challenging places,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday, noting that the airport in the capital of Caracas was damaged.
“One of the runways is cracked,” he added. “And so – but the Department of War has the capability to land in situations like that, so we’ll need that.”
A C-17 aircraft is also transporting two search and rescue teams based out of Miami-Dade County, Fla. to join ongoing efforts to locate and recover survivors, according to the command. Additional teams from Fairfax County, Va. and Los Angeles are already on the ground.
The U.S. has mobilized what Rubio described as a “whole-of-government response” after two massive earthquakes — registering at a 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude on the Richter scale— rocked the South American country overnight Wednesday, sending buildings tumbling and killing thousands of people.
The death toll rose to 1,430 on Saturday and families reported at least 68,900 still missing, according to The Associated Press.
The outlet reported that Venezuelans and international rescue teams were using shovels, heavy equipment, ropes and their bare hands to sift through the rubble in search of loved ones and neighbors in La Guaira, one of the states hardest hit.
A video shared by the State Department on Saturday showed an American search and rescue team freeing a crying infant from a mound of toppled concrete.
“Against impossible odds, hope endures,” the caption read. “Every life saved is a victory.”
Southcom, which oversees U.S. forces in Central and South America, also said that U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook helicopters were being staged in nearby Curaçao to provide airlift support for the missions.
“U.S. Space Force, through its SOUTHCOM component, continues to provide satellite imagery of devastated areas to disaster relief planners to aid them in assessing where immediate live-saving and aid efforts are needed most and identifying what capability requests to prioritize,” the command added in a news release.
The U.S. has formed closer ties with Venezuela in recent months under the leadership of interim President Delcy Rodríguez, who took over following the U.S. military operation that captured President Nicolás Maduro.
“The actions that President Trump took allowed for the development of so many conversations and relationships that did not exist previously, including the establishment of a U.S. embassy in Venezuela that allows us to provide emergency services to American citizens in the region,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott told NPR on Friday.
The State Department has opened an emergency 24/7 hotline for American citizens in Venezuela who may need assistance at +1-202-501-4444.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Read the full story at NPR ↗ · The Guardian ↗ · The Hill ↗
Two earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude struck Venezuela on Wednesday night The death toll reached 1,430 by Saturday Approximately 68,900 people were reported missing The Caracas airport sustained damage with one runway cracked U.S. South Command announced deployment of a specialized rapid response unit A C-17 aircraft transported search and rescue teams from Miami-Dade County Search and rescue teams from Fairfax County and Los Angeles are already on the ground CH-47 Chinook helicopters are staged in Curaçao for airlift support U.S. Space Force provided satellite imagery to relief planners Against impossible odds, hope endures Every life saved is a victory
Read the full story at NPR ↗ · The Guardian ↗ · The Hill ↗
- Two earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude struck Venezuela on Wednesday; death toll reached 1,430 by Saturday with approximately 68,900 people reported missing
- The U.S. military is deploying search and rescue teams, a C-17 aircraft, and CH-47 helicopters to assist with recovery operations and airport restoration
- Damaged runway infrastructure in Caracas prompted U.S. military logistics support; satellite imagery is being provided to coordinate relief efforts
- Search and rescue teams from Miami-Dade, Fairfax County, and Los Angeles are on the ground conducting recovery operations