SOUTHCOM updates support for Venezuela earthquake relief, June 28

U.S. military units under U.S. Southern Command are expanding their presence in Venezuela to support earthquake relief efforts requested by the Venezuelan government and led by the U.S. State Department.

A roughly 100-person Contingency Response Element with airfield management expertise is arriving at Simón Bolívar International Airport via five U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster aircraft, with the final flight due today. The team is working with Venezuelan aviation authorities to safely increase the pace of inbound and outbound flights. Their deployment builds on work by a U.S. military Airfield Assessment Team that completed repairs to return the airport to operation and continues coordinating with local officials and the interagency response to restore additional critical functions.

U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft are transporting personnel and equipment to the response, while U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Ospreys continue moving key personnel and resources. About 130 Marines are expected at the Port of La Guaira within 24 hours to help reopen the earthquake-closed facility, in coordination with local authorities and the State Department, so aid and equipment can reach the hardest-hit areas by sea.

U.S. Marine Corps UH-1Y Venom helicopters embarked on the amphibious transport dock USS Fort Lauderdale are conducting aerial assessments of quake-affected areas and transporting State Department personnel leading the disaster relief mission. U.S. Sailors and Marines from the ship delivered assistance supplies to the Port of La Guaira by landing craft on the morning of June 28.

U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook helicopters and crews from Joint Task Force–Bravo are beginning to arrive to provide airlift support. The U.S. Space Force, through its Southern Command component, is supplying satellite imagery of damaged communities and infrastructure to help planners determine where the most urgent, life-saving assistance is needed and prioritize requests for response capabilities.

Officials said the operation is fully self-sustaining, requiring no local resources as teams work to deliver relief. Updated information on support for the U.S. government’s earthquake relief mission in Venezuela will be posted on Southern Command’s official social media accounts. Additional U.S. military support is being planned in coordination with the State Department, the Venezuelan government, and international partners and allies, with further announcements to follow once confirmed.