Trump authorizes $150 million in aid after Venezuela earthquakes

After twin quakes struck Venezuela on June 24, Washington authorized $150 million in aid. The second quake, a magnitude 7.5 that struck 39 seconds after a magnitude 7.2 tremor, was the strongest to hit the country in a century.

The epicenter was about 10 miles southwest of Morón, on the Caribbean coast west of Caracas, and there were at least 30 aftershocks. The U.S. Geological Survey projected the eventual death toll could reach 10,000 to 100,000.

On June 25, the State Department said President Donald Trump had authorized immediate financial assistance, search-and-rescue deployments and coordination with interim Venezuelan authorities. The package included $50 million in new bilateral awards for World Vision, Samaritan’s Purse, Catholic Relief Services, International Medical Corps, the International Organization for Migration and the World Food Programme, along with a $100 million contribution to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Venezuela pooled fund.

By June 26, the U.S. had deployed a Disaster Assistance Response Team of more than 250 people and three Urban Search-and-Rescue teams from Fairfax County, Virginia, Los Angeles County, California and Miami-Dade County, Florida. The teams brought more than 200,000 pounds of specialized equipment.

U.S. officials have been working with an interim government led by Delcy Rodríguez after the January 2026 seizure of Nicolás Maduro, and Trump said the United States was “ready, willing, and able to help” and would be there for Venezuela’s “new and great friends.” Human rights and policy groups called for lifting sanctions on Venezuela, arguing that economic pressure has deepened the humanitarian crisis and could complicate relief and recovery.

By June 29, the U.S. Embassy in Caracas put the total U.S. financial commitment at more than $300 million, compared with the Trump administration’s March 2025 response to the Myanmar earthquake, when the U.S. provided $9 million and sent three rescuers.