A historic Venezuela earthquake relief mission
On June 24, 2026, two powerful earthquakes struck northern Venezuela 39 seconds apart. The first measured 7.2 magnitude. The second, just seconds later, measured 7.5.
Both struck near San Felipe and Morón, approximately 100 miles west of Caracas.
According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the 7.5 quake is the strongest to hit Venezuela in over 100 years.
Buildings collapsed across Caracas and the coastal state of La Guaira.
The death toll has risen so far to approximately 235, with over 1,000 injured and 157 still missing. More than 200 people remain trapped under the rubble of 250 collapsed or damaged structures.
Simón Bolívar International Airport in Caracas was closed due to structural damage.
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez declared a state of emergency, visited La Guaira personally to oversee rescue operations, and confirmed that intensive search and rescue efforts are focused on “expediting operational decision-making to safeguard the lives of the population.”
America moves fast: Trump, Rubio, and 150 million dollars
The US response was immediate.
On the night of June 24, @realDonaldTrump posted on Truth Social: “The two major earthquakes that just hit the great people of Venezuela are both massive in scale and have left a devastating number of deaths. The U.S.A. stands ready, willing, and able to help!”
He referred to Venezuelans as “new and great friends,” a phrase that would have been unthinkable under Maduro.
Trump authorized 150 million dollars in humanitarian aid.
Fifty million dollars went to organizations already operating inside Venezuela, including Samaritan’s Purse, Catholic Relief Services, and the World Food Program. One hundred million dollars went to the joint UN OCHA humanitarian fund.
Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) personally called acting President Rodríguez to coordinate the response and express solidarity.
US Southern Command (@SOUTHCOM) deployed the amphibious transport ship USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28), the littoral combat ship USS Billings (LCS 15), C-17 Globemaster and C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, helicopters, and reconnaissance platforms.
US Marine Major General Kevin Jarrard was sent directly to Caracas to oversee the Pentagon’s Venezuela earthquake relief effort on the ground.
The Fairfax and Los Angeles urban search and rescue teams, among the most experienced in the world, were also deployed.
A diplomatic miracle: Delcy publicly thanks Trump
The most symbolically powerful moment of this entire crisis has nothing to do with the earthquake itself.
When acting President Rodríguez publicly thanked @realDonaldTrump and @marcorubio by name for their support, analysts described it as “unprecedented” and “unimaginable under Nicolás Maduro’s administration.”
In 2019, Maduro had publicly rejected American humanitarian aid as “crumbs of rotten and contaminated food,” refusing to accept any American assistance even as Venezuelans starved.
Today, the same Venezuelan government is not only accepting American help but publicly thanking the American president by name.
The contrast captures in a single moment how dramatically Venezuela’s political reality has changed since Maduro’s capture by US special operations forces earlier this year.
Venezuela’s two-year ban on X was also partially lifted during the crisis, allowing citizens to access the platform for the first time in years.
A government that once banned American social media and called American aid poisoned food is now welcoming American warships and rescue teams.
That is not just Venezuela earthquake relief. That is a geopolitical transformation.
What this means for Trump’s Americas First strategy
This operation is the first major test of the post-Maduro US-Venezuela relationship.
It is also the first major humanitarian mission conducted entirely by the State Department’s new Bureau of Disaster and Humanitarian Response after Trump dismantled USAID and transferred its functions to State.
Led by Undersecretary Jeremy Lewin, that bureau is now being tested in one of the most complex operating environments in the hemisphere.
Spain deployed 54 military personnel from its Military Emergency Unit. The UN declared itself “fully mobilized.” Chef José Andrés announced a 1 million dollar personal donation for relief efforts.
The international community is watching closely.
For @realDonaldTrump, success here is not just humanitarian. It is strategic proof that America First in Latin America means genuine engagement, not abandonment.
The same military that captured Maduro is now rescuing the people he left behind.
That is a powerful message, and the world is watching. 🇺🇸 🇻🇪 #AmericaFirst #VenezuelaEarthquake #SOUTHCOM
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