President Donald Trump authorized a large-scale response operation this Thursday following the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela on Wednesday night, committing 150 million dollars in humanitarian assistance and deploying military and rescue teams, as announced by the State Department in an official statement.
The funds are distributed in two ways: 50 million dollars in direct bilateral agreements with organizations already present in Venezuela —among them World Vision, Samaritan's Purse, Catholic Relief Services, the International Medical Corps, the International Organization for Migration, and the World Food Programme— and an additional 100 million dollars channeled to the pooled fund of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) for Venezuela.
The Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized the urgency of the moment: “We are already deploying search and rescue teams from Fairfax County, Virginia, and Los Angeles. There will be others that we will add.” Rubio set a critical window of 48 to 72 hours to locate survivors under the rubble.
The State Department activated a regional DART (Disaster Assistance Response Team) composed of disaster experts, diplomats, and consular staff.
The two urban search and rescue teams —hailing from the fire departments of Fairfax County (Virginia) and Los Angeles County (California)— consist of firefighters, doctors, structural engineers, and specialists with tracking dogs.
Both units had already operated in Jamaica during Hurricane Melissa in October 2025.
In parallel, the Department of Defense provides fixed-wing and rotorcraft to ensure logistical mobility, while Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) coordinates on the ground with the DART.
Rubio also confirmed that Washington is providing satellite images of coastal areas where Venezuelan authorities lack full visibility of the damage.
"We have a response from the entire government. It will be large, swift, and effective," Rubio stated.
The operation takes place in an unprecedented diplomatic context. Following the capture of Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces in January 2026, Delcy Rodríguez assumed the role of acting president of Venezuela.
The U.S. recognized its government and reopened its embassy in Caracas on March 30, 2026, which explains the speed and scale of the U.S. response.
Rodríguez publicly thanked for the help in terms that would have been unthinkable under Maduro's government: "I want to thank President Donald Trump and his administration, which has been in constant contact with the Venezuelan government, providing support and solidarity, and in the early hours, we will be receiving rescuers."
The magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes struck northern Venezuela on Wednesday night with only 39 seconds between them.
The updated official toll stands at 188 dead, 1,520 injured, 157 missing, and 200 people trapped under rubble, with La Guaira state being the most devastated area.
The Maiquetía International Airport suffered severe structural damage, with at least one runway cracked, complicating the entry of supplies and forcing a reliance on U.S. military assets to ensure the logistics of the operation.
The State Department specified that it will continue exploring additional avenues for assistance and that its immediate priority is to ensure the logistical chain for the movement of rescue personnel and essential goods to the affected areas.
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