The United States has deployed over 900 military personnel to Venezuela to assist with relief efforts following two powerful earthquakes that struck the country on June 24. According to General Francis Donovan, commander of US Southern Command, an additional 800 troops are positioned in Caribbean locations such as Puerto Rico and Curacao to support humanitarian operations in the region.
The earthquakes, measuring magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, caused significant structural damage, trapping many people under rubble and overwhelming local emergency services. Efforts to locate survivors continue, with Venezuela’s legislature head Jorge Rodriguez reporting that only a three-year-old child has been rescued as of the sixth day after the disaster.
US forces have played a multifaceted role in the response, including conducting search-and-rescue missions, assisting in reopening Caracas’s airport to facilitate the arrival and distribution of international aid, and coordinating logistics to prevent supply bottlenecks. Marines were among the first to arrive on the ground, helping local rescuers, and the military has aided in transporting civilian rescue teams. General Donovan noted that managing logistics is critical to ensuring aid reaches affected areas rapidly without becoming stalled at entry points.
In addition to on-the-ground activities, the US military has deployed four to five MQ-9 Reaper drones over Venezuela to provide real-time intelligence on damaged infrastructure and open routes, enhancing situational awareness alongside a fusion analysis cell based in Miami. Donovan highlighted that these capabilities, often used for tracking security threats, are being repurposed to support disaster response.
The US involvement marks a significant shift given recent tensions between the two countries. Earlier this year, on January 3, the US military conducted a raid attempting to capture Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, to face drug trafficking charges in New York, a move Maduro has denied. Furthermore, the US imposed sanctions on Venezuelan oil exports and carried out a strike last month resulting in the death of a Venezuelan prison gang leader. Despite these actions, the US has endorsed Delcy Rodriguez, Maduro’s former vice president, as a leader in Venezuela and has removed certain oil sanctions, although Rodriguez has yet to commit to free elections.
General Donovan acknowledged longstanding difficulties within Venezuela, remarking that decades of poor governance have severely damaged the country’s infrastructure, complicating relief efforts. He also noted challenges such as shortages of medicine and medical personnel that may increase public frustration. However, Donovan declined to specify how long US military assistance in Venezuela might continue as rescue and recovery operations progress.