US races to reopen Venezuela airports for urgently needed earthquake aid

Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald on Jun 26, 2026

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The United States has launched a massive response to Venezuela’s earthquake disaster, but before aid can flow in at full scale, officials say a critical obstacle must be overcome: repairing the country’s heavily damaged airports to allow large military cargo planes to land.

The urgency is immense. The devastating double earthquake that struck Venezuela has killed at least 580 people, injured around 3,000, and left hundreds trapped beneath collapsed buildings, according to official figures.

According to the State Department, U.S. personnel have deployed a specialized airfield management and assessment team to inspect, clear and certify damaged runways so they can safely receive heavy military transport aircraft carrying aid and rescue teams.

“Securing a long-term landing area for large aircraft is a critical component of the long-term success of any large-scale disaster response,” a State Department spokesperson said.

While runway repairs continue, the United States initially relied on MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft to transport rescue personnel and emergency supplies into affected areas. The first American response teams arrived in Venezuela Thursday night aboard Osprey aircraft, while the first C-17 Globemaster cargo planes landed early Friday carrying additional personnel, medical supplies, communications equipment and humanitarian cargo.

The large volume of U.S. supplies and number of response personnel — totaling close to 200 — has required heavy-lift aircraft, including the C-17 Globemaster, the spokesperson said.

The earthquakes — measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude and striking just 39 seconds apart — caused widespread destruction across Caracas, La Guaira, Miranda and Carabobo, overwhelming local emergency systems and triggering an urgent international response.

Authorities say at least 157 people remain officially missing, while more than 200 are believed trapped beneath rubble.

The U.S. Geological Survey has warned that the final death toll could climb into the thousands.

Within hours of the disaster, President Donald Trump authorized an immediate federal response, approving emergency funding, search-and-rescue deployments and coordination with Venezuela’s interim government to address urgent humanitarian needs.

According to the State Department, the U.S. response has rapidly grown into one of Washington’s largest disaster-relief operations in Latin America in recent years, combining military airlift, rescue operations, naval support and emergency humanitarian assistance.

The State Department established a dedicated Venezuela Earthquakes Response Task Force to coordinate the American effort. The task force brings together specialists in disaster response, humanitarian assistance, consular affairs and military logistics, and is working around the clock to assess conditions, coordinate with aid partners and accelerate the delivery of life-saving assistance.

At the center of the U.S. mission is the deployment of a regional Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART), which provides technical expertise, operational leadership and on-the-ground coordination.

As part of that deployment, Washington activated two elite urban search-and-rescue teams from the fire departments of Fairfax County, Virginia, and Los Angeles County, California. The teams include firefighters, physicians, structural engineers and canine search specialists trained to locate survivors trapped beneath collapsed structures.

Officials said these units are among the most experienced international rescue teams in the U.S. system and specialize in urban collapse scenarios like those now unfolding in Venezuela.

To further support operations, the United States also repositioned the Fort Lauderdale, a large amphibious landing ship, off Venezuela’s Caribbean coast to serve as a mobile command post.

The vessel is supporting helicopter and tilt-rotor operations, offshore logistics and additional resource deployment while airport infrastructure remains compromised. Military officials said the ship provides critical command-and-control capabilities, fuel support and operational flexibility for sustained air operations.

In addition to military and logistical support, Washington has committed $150 million in emergency assistance. That includes $100 million for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to support large-scale relief operations inside Venezuela, along with $50 million in bilateral assistance to humanitarian organizations operating on the ground.

Those organizations include World Vision, Samaritan’s Purse, Catholic Relief Services, International Medical Corps, the International Organization for Migration, and the World Food Program.

The State Department said the funding will help provide emergency medical care, food, water, shelter and logistical support for affected communities.

Washington has also temporarily authorized financial transactions with Venezuela normally restricted under U.S. sanctions, provided they are directly related to earthquake relief operations. Officials said the waiver is intended to accelerate aid delivery and reduce bureaucratic delays during the emergency.