U.S. rushes aid and rescue teams after Venezuela earthquakes

Twin earthquakes off Venezuela’s northern coast killed and injured hundreds and left major damage in several cities. The United States began rushing rescue teams and emergency aid to Venezuela. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the response would be "big; it'll be fast; and it'll be effective."

The earthquakes struck on June 24, 2026, west of Caracas. The first was about magnitude 7.2, followed roughly 39 seconds later by a larger magnitude 7.5 main shock. The U.S. Geological Survey issued red PAGER alerts for both quakes, a warning that high loss of life and extensive damage were probable. Rubio said he had spoken that morning with Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela’s acting president, and that the immediate focus was search and rescue because people were buried under rubble.

The State Department is deploying a regional Disaster Assistance Response Team and two specialized urban search-and-rescue teams. Rubio said teams from Fairfax County, Virginia, and Los Angeles were already being sent, and the department is using overhead imagery to assess damage because the airport had been badly hit, especially in coastal areas. He said the next 48 to 72 hours would determine longer-term needs, including housing, communications, internet and telecom restoration, and how to manage a likely surge of private donations.

The State Department is mobilizing $150 million through partners, including $50 million in new bilateral awards to World Vision, Samaritan’s Purse, Catholic Relief Services, International Medical Corps, the International Organization for Migration and the World Food Programme. Another $100 million is being directed to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Venezuela pooled fund. The department also activated an interagency task force, coordinated with interim Venezuelan authorities, UN agencies, nongovernmental organizations and other governments, and publicized consular help for Americans in Venezuela. As rescue crews pulled people from collapsed buildings, the death toll climbed sharply, with at least 235 dead and 4,300 injured. Hundreds remained trapped or unaccounted for, while the United Nations and other foreign governments began moving aid into the country. Rubio said Qatar had already offered assistance, El Salvador had stepped up and Chile had reached out.