U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Kevin J. Jarrard, center left, speaks with Venezuelan officials after arriving in Caracas, Venezuela, June 26, 2026. Jarrard is the senior U.S. Southern Command official on the ground overseeing the U.S. military's support for earthquake relief efforts after the June 24 eathquakes. (U.S. Southern Command)
U.S. forces have launched an operation to assist disaster relief efforts in Venezuela, which was hit this week by devastating earthquakes, U.S. Southern Command said in a statement Thursday.
The Pentagon directed SOUTHCOM to coordinate with other U.S. agencies that are mobilizing after northern Venezuela was hit with back-to-back earthquakes that registered magnitudes over 7.
As of Friday, the death toll stood at 235 people, with rescuers racing to locate survivors under the rubble.
“Our joint forces are moving quickly to bring the unmatched airlift, logistics, and lifesaving capabilities of the U.S. military to help,” the SOUTHCOM statement said.
The command set up an operational planning team that brings together experts who are advising staff and leadership responsible for disaster relief planning and mission-related decisions, according to the statement.
SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis Donovan has directed a wide range of military assets to support the mission.
Specialized U.S. search and rescue teams load into a C-17 Globemaster bound for Venezuela on June 26, 2026. (U.S. Southern Command)
The amphibious transport ship USS Fort Lauderdale and the littoral combat ship USS Billings, along with C-17 and C-130 Hercules transport planes and surveillance aircraft have been dispatched to provide aid, SOUTHCOM said.
At roughly 6 p.m. Wednesday, a magnitude-7.2 earthquake struck northern Venezuela. Less than a minute later, a quake with a magnitude of 7.5 hit Yaracuy state.
The arrival of U.S. military personnel in Venezuela to support the relief effort underscores how dramatically relations have shifted between Washington and Caracas, which for years were bitter adversaries.
In January, U.S. special operations forces launched a daring raid that resulted in the capture of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.
The mission included the elite Delta Force, which swept into the country by helicopter.
In February, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Eric Slover, an Army special operations pilot, received the Medal of Honor for flying his MH-47 helicopter through heavy fire to carry out the operation.
Since then, an interim government led by Delcy Rodriguez has taken power in Venezuela and pursued a more cooperative posture toward Washington. SOUTHCOM said Venezuela’s government requested the U.S. earthquake assistance.
In a statement, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. response reflects Washington’s renewed focus on the region.
“The United States is committed to our hemisphere,” Hegseth said. “When the lives of our friends are on the line, America moves.”
