Four Venezuelan police officers have been detained and face dismissal following allegations that they looted cash from the rubble of a collapsed building after last week’s devastating earthquakes. The twin quakes, registering magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, struck on June 24 and have resulted in nearly 2,000 deaths, over 10,000 injuries, and tens of thousands of people reported missing.

The incidents occurred in La Guaira, one of the hardest-hit states. Videos circulating on social media showed members of the Scientific, Penal and Criminalistic Investigation Service Corps (CICPC) reportedly removing a safe containing U.S. dollars from the ruins. Authorities confirmed the arrest of four officers and initiated procedures for their immediate dismissal, citing their misconduct amid rescue and humanitarian operations.

Rescue efforts have continued across affected areas with the cooperation of local volunteers and international teams, including Mexico’s Los Topos, but hopes of finding additional survivors are diminishing. A three-year-old boy was pulled from the debris alive on June 30, but the overall recovery is complicated by the scale of destruction, which has damaged or destroyed tens of thousands of buildings.

Despite volunteer efforts, criticism of the government’s response has grown. Many locals, armed only with basic tools, have criticized what they describe as slow and insufficient official aid, as well as alleged obstruction, looting, and interference by some military and police personnel. Hundreds of volunteers continue to flock to La Guaira daily to assist in the search for survivors and to deliver relief.

Government officials have sought to counter public dissatisfaction by attributing some negative reports to misinformation spread on social media, urging citizens to rely on official channels for updates. However, volunteers and residents claim there is a notable lack of visibility from state agencies. Alexander Delgado, a volunteer from Aragua, said that although some firefighters and international rescue teams are present, much of the heavy equipment and organized support the area needs remain absent.

At an emergency shelter in La Guaira, residents described desperate conditions, with limited food rations causing tension among those displaced by the disaster. The situation has been exacerbated by government restrictions on access to the disaster zone, which were imposed after initial public praise for civilian rescuers.

Reports from sources within La Guaira indicate that police and military personnel have seized aid supplies from trucks, further inflaming public anger. The current acting Venezuelan president, Delcy Rodríguez, faces ongoing political challenges following the U.S. apprehension of her predecessor Nicolás Maduro earlier this year. Rodríguez’s government has been both criticized for its handling of the disaster and supported by some international representatives, including the U.S. embassy’s chargé d’affaires, John Barrett, who expressed confidence in local authorities’ management of the crisis.

Preliminary satellite assessments estimate that over 58,000 buildings have been affected by the earthquakes, far exceeding official government figures. Jorge Rodríguez, president of Venezuela’s National Assembly, reported 855 damaged buildings, including 189 total collapses. The scale of destruction has placed enormous strain on emergency responses in one of Latin America’s most severe natural disasters to date.