Americas
US Southern Command sends more support to Venezuela following earthquakes
Stars and Stripes
June 27, 2026
U.S. Southern Command announced Saturday, June 27, that it will send additional military assets to aid Venezuela following devastating earthquakes, that includes two Miami-Dade County (Fla.) search-and-rescue teams (U.S. Southern Command)
U.S. Southern Command announced Saturday that it will send additional military assets to aid Venezuela following Wednesday’s devastating earthquakes.
The death toll of the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude quakes rose to 1,430 as of Saturday morning, according to The Associated Press. Family members had reported at least 68,900 people missing.
On Thursday, the Pentagon directed SOUTHCOM to coordinate with other U.S. agencies that are mobilizing to provide support.
The latest deployments from SOUTHCOM include the following, according to a news release:
A Contingency Response Element (CRE), using five U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster aircraft, will assist the Venezuelan government and aviation authorities with airport surveys, assessments and airfield management to safely restore aviation operations in affected areas. The CRE will expand on the assistance already being provided by a U.S. military Airfield Assessment Team.
Another C-17 aircraft will transport two Miami-Dade County (Fla.) search-and-rescue teams.
U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Ospreys will continue to transport key personnel and resources.
A U.S. Marine Corps UH-1Y Super Huey helicopter, embarked with the U.S. amphibious transport dock USS Fort Lauderdale, will provide rotary lift support to earthquake relief efforts.
U.S. Army CH-47 Chinooks and crews from Joint Task Force-Bravo will pre-stage at Curaçao on Saturday to begin providing airlift support.
U.S. Space Force, through its SOUTHCOM component, continues to provide satellite imagery of devastated areas to disaster relief planners to assist in determining where immediate aid efforts should be prioritized.
SOUTHCOM said Venezuela’s government requested the U.S. earthquake assistance.
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.
Since then, an interim government led by Delcy Rodriguez has taken power in Venezuela and pursued a more cooperative posture toward Washington.
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.”