The United States has deployed more than 900 military personnel to Venezuela to support international earthquake relief efforts following last week’s devastating twin earthquakes that have left at least 1,430 people dead and over 68,000 reported missing, according to emergency authorities.
The deployment, led by U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), focuses on humanitarian operations rather than combat. General Francis Donovan, commander of SOUTHCOM, said American forces are assisting with search-and-rescue missions, restoring airport operations, reopening transport routes, and coordinating the delivery of international aid. The mission also includes intelligence support and the use of MQ-9 Reaper drones to assess damage and identify blocked roads for relief convoys.
In addition to the personnel already inside Venezuela, nearly 800 U.S. service members have been positioned in Puerto Rico and Curaçao to provide logistics, airlift and emergency support as rescue operations continue. Military aircraft and naval assets are helping move supplies into the hardest-hit regions while international rescue teams race to locate survivors trapped beneath collapsed buildings.
The humanitarian mission marks a dramatic shift in U.S.-Venezuela relations, which had been strained for years. Despite previous political tensions, Washington and Venezuelan authorities are now coordinating closely on disaster response, with officials stressing that the deployment is temporary and focused solely on saving lives.
Rescue operations remain underway as thousands of families continue searching for missing relatives. Emergency officials warn that the death toll could still rise as crews reach heavily damaged communities, making the disaster one of the deadliest earthquakes to hit Latin America in recent years.
