CARACAS — Twin earthquakes struck Venezuela on June 25, 2026, resulting in at least 164 fatalities and the destruction of multiple buildings near Caracas. In response, the U.S. committed $150 million in aid and began deploying search and rescue teams.

On June 26, 2026, Secretary of State Marco Rubio affirmed the U.S. response, stating, "We have a whole-of-government response. It'll be big; it'll be fast; and it'll be effective." The funds will go to aid organizations including Samaritan's Purse, Catholic Relief Services, the World Food Programme, and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The U.S. is deploying a Disaster Assistant Response Team to Venezuela, along with two search and rescue teams from Virginia and California. The Pentagon is assisting with the transportation of U.S. government staff and critical supplies into the country.

Airport infrastructure in Venezuela has sustained damage. In La Guaira, the epicenter of the second earthquake, two healthcare facilities collapsed. Cesar Jimenez, Project Hope Response Manager in Venezuela, described the aftermath: "We saw people laying in the ground with no beds, being assessed by health staff. We saw like 200 people in one tiny healthcare facility seeking help." Jimenez also stated, "We are doing our best as Venezuelans to support our people. This is a unique moment in our history, because we were not prepared for this. Nobody saw this coming, and we need a lot of support."

Jeremy Konyndyk, President of Refugees International, commented on the deployment. He said, "There was definitely a period last year when they had lost the capability to deploy a search and rescue team in the DOGE destruction of USAID. It was very visible and very embarrassing." The State Department has since rehired some USAID humanitarian response staff and reinstated contracts with disaster assistance groups. Konyndyk added, "The administration clearly wants to avoid a black eye of not deploying a robust immediate response, but whether they will sustain the kind of follow through that can save lives in the months that follow, I think that's an open question."

Konyndyk continued, "I would want to see deployment of emergency medical teams to stabilize the health system after an earthquake like this. I would want to see investments in restoring water infrastructure and other basic infrastructure that's been damaged. So, I think that's something that will be very important to watch over the next few months." He also stated, "The most lifesaving thing that can be done in an earthquake scenario is the work that is done beforehand not the work that is done after live rescues." Konyndyk said, "I do hope that the administration will invest in that work in Venezuela on the back end of this earthquake, as the U.S. did through USAID and many other countries over the years." The June 2026 earthquakes were Venezuela's most powerful since 1900.