The U.S. State Department detailed the Trump administration’s swift deployment of life-saving resources to help Venezuela following the two deadly earthquakes that struck the South American nation this week.
Venezuela was hit by a magnitude 7.2 some 100 miles west from the capital city of Caracas on Wednesday evening — followed by an even stronger, 7.5 earthquake mere seconds later. At press time, Venezuela authorities have risen the death toll to 235, with over 4,300 reported injured. Widespread destruction and numerous buildings and other infrastructure completely collapsed. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), however, warned that there is a high probability that the death toll could end up in the thousands or above.
President Donald Trump, in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, announced that the United States was ready to help Venezuela. The State Department is the lead agency for the U.S. government response and activated a robust coordination with the Department of War’s logistics. The department emphasized that the immediate life-saving intervention in the first hours are critical.
“The dedicated Venezuela Earthquakes Response Task Force — established within hours of the disaster — integrates expertise from across the Department, including the Bureaus of Disaster and Humanitarian Response and Consular Affairs, the DoW, and other interagency partners,” the State department explained.
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“The Task Force is led by senior experts with direct experience managing prior disasters in our region such as Hurricane Melissa, ensuring immediate operational readiness and proven leadership,” the text continued.
The U.S. is deploying a regional Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) made up of world-class disaster experts. The deployment sees two specialized urban search and rescue teams from Fairfax County, Virginia, and Los Angeles County, California to help find survivors.
Both teams, the Department said, were activated in Jamaica during Hurricane Melissa in October 2025. A specialized Task Force will coordinate assistance with local partners to provide assistance to Americans in Venezuela who may be affected.
Members of the County of Los Angeles Fire Department’s international urban search and rescue team (USA-2) load their supplies into a bus before departing for Venezuela, in Pacoima, California on June 25, 2026. (Blake Fagan / AFP via Getty Images)
“These teams, which are deployed as part of the DART, are the Department’s primary international search and rescue assets, each comprising highly trained personnel including firefighters, physicians, structural engineers, and canine search specialists,” the State Department detailed.
The State Department also detailed that the United States is mobilizing $150 million in assistance through the Department’s assistance partners. $50 million will be drawn from new bilateral awards to partners on the ground in Venezuela, including World Vision, Samaritan’s Purse, Catholic Relief Services, International Medical Corps, the International Organization for Migration, and the World Food Programme — plus a $100 million contribution to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Venezuela pooled fund.
Furthermore, the State Department is working in close coordination with the Department of War and its unparalleled logistical and operational capabilities to support the rapid movement of the personnel and humanitarian assonance.
“With a large natural disaster like this, the first priority is securing logistics to facilitate the broader movement of relief goods and personnel into affected zones,” the State Department said. “DOW will leverage its fixed and rotor wing aircraft to provide specialized mobility services and to assist USG personnel, our search and rescue team, and partners to assess damage, find the injured, and deliver critical life-saving assistance.”
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