U.S. Marines with the Maritime Raid Force, Littoral Combat Force-24, join U.S. and international response teams to conduct search and rescue operations in Venezuela. (U.S. Southern Command)
A humanitarian assistance center and refueling point have been established at the airport serving Caracas, Venezuela, after two earthquakes struck the country last week, U.S. Southern Command said Tuesday.
A U.S. Marine Combat Logistics Company has arrived in the country, bringing medium-sized military transport trucks, highly mobile off-road vehicles and ambulance support capabilities, SOUTHCOM said in a statement.
The humanitarian assistance center will direct U.S. military support in coordination with the State Department, the government of Venezuela, allies and agencies on the ground. The refueling station at Simón Bolívar International Airport will help speed up the process for nearly a dozen rotary-wing aircraft for personnel airlifts, medical evacuations and heavy-lift sling-load missions.
Jorge Rodríguez, the president of the National Assembly of Venezuela, said that the official toll stood at 1,943 people killed and 10,571 injured as of Tuesday.
Aid groups warned Tuesday that Venezuela’s fragile health care system is being pushed to its limits, according to The Associated Press, and a humanitarian crisis is already unfolding among the living.
United Nations agencies have expressed concern about the health effects of thousands of displaced people sleeping for days in the open or in crowded, unsanitary shelters, the AP reported.
Venezuelan officials say that more than 15,800 people have been affected by the earthquakes — reflecting the official number of displaced people, U.N. refugee agency spokesperson Carlotta Wolf said Tuesday.
San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS Fort Lauderdale coasts into port at La Guaira, Venezuela, on June 28, 2026. (Daniel Childs/U.S. Marine Corps)
USS Fort Lauderdale is berthed portside at the Port of La Guaira, where the ship offers medical capabilities and ensures aid reaches the hardest-hit areas.
USS Billings is also supporting relief efforts by providing additional rotary-wing capabilities, helping transport critical aid and supplies to otherwise inaccessible regions.
U.S. Air Force C-17s and C-130s have been flying in and out of the area along with U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Ospreys, which have been transporting personnel.
The disaster comes at a time of political upheaval in the country, which has been in a state of economic disarray for decades. 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 pursued a more cooperative posture toward Washington.
SOUTHCOM said Venezuela’s government had requested U.S. earthquake assistance.
U.S. Marines with Combat Logistics Battalion 8 and Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 365 (Reinforced) offload water and food from an MV-22B Osprey at Simon Bolivar International Airport, Venezuela, June 29, 2026. (Kevin Rivas/U.S. Marine Corps)
