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US Humanitarian Response Begins In Quake-Ravaged Venezuela, Are Hospital Ships Next?

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Summary

  • US Phase One Of Humanitarian Response Begins
  • Buildings collapsed in several districts of Caracas
  • Venezuela declared a state of emergency after the earthquakes 
  • Secretary of State Marco Rubio Deploys First Responders 
  • Trump Says “U.S.A. stands ready, willing, and able to help” 
  • USGS Says Quakes May Prompt “International Response” 
  • USGS Fears Death Toll Ranging Between 10k – 100k 

Phase One Of Humanitarian Response Begins 

Earlier, Secretary of State Marco Rubio provided reporters with an update on America’s efforts to help Venezuelans after two massive earthquakes rocked the Caracas metro area and likely left thousands dead.

“We’re already deploying search and rescue teams from Fairfax County, Virginia, and Los Angeles. There will be some others we’ll add. That’s their most immediate need right now, is search and rescue efforts- they have much of collapsed buildings. And so they’ll need a lot of help in terms of digging through that,” Rubio said.

He added, “We’ve already stood up our disaster response teams at the Department of State and our humanitarian efforts. It’s something we did very well in Jamaica, after that storm, and it’s something we’re really prepared to do now.”

Any U.S. government-led humanitarian response would likely include naval medical support, potentially involving hospital ships such as the USNS Comfort (T-AH-20) and USNS Mercy (T-AH-19). However, there is no official update on whether either vessel is currently ready for rapid deployment.

According to USNI News, US Navy deployments in the Caribbean Sea include:

A single ship from the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group is operating in the Caribbean Sea after a 10-month deployment. USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD-28) remains in the region after USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7) and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit returned in early June from deployment. The 24th MEU replaced the 22nd MEU as the “immediate crisis response force” and will be spread throughout the region instead of deploying with an Amphibious Ready Group, USNI News reported. Littoral Combat Ship USS Billings (LCS-15) is also operating in the Caribbean Sea. Billings is based at Naval Station Mayport, Fla.

Deployment Map:

Rubio’s earlier statement that U.S. search-and-rescue teams are already deploying suggests the Trump administration is entering the first phase of a broader humanitarian mission.

Given the sheer scale of the disaster, larger U.S. assets – potentially including naval medical support, airlift capacity, and logistics units – may soon be headed to the Latin American country.

Stunning Aerial Footage Of Quake Damage 

Chevron Says Venezuelan Oil Operations Continue 

Chevron said its oil operations in Venezuela remain operational as of Thursday morning and all employees are accounted for after twin quakes overnight. 

“As a longtime employer and partner in Venezuela, we stand in solidarity with the country and its people during this difficult time,” the oil/gas giant said in a statement Thursday, quoted by Bloomberg.

“We remain committed to supporting our employees and the communities surrounding our facilities and ensuring the continued safe operation of our assets.”

The outlet noted:

Venezuela’s key refining hub near the quake’s epicenter in Paraguaná and the Jose export terminal in Anzoátegui are operating normally, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. There has been no impact on oil processing or loadings, the person said.

Trump Says US “Ready To Help”

The twin quakes that rocked the Caracas metro area overnight may result in a death toll ranging between 10,000 and 100,000, according to U.S. Geological Survey estimates.

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USGS said, “Past red alerts have required a national or international response,” adding, “Estimated economic losses are 2-20% of Venezuela’s GDP.”

Even before the quakes, Venezuela was already economically devastated under the socialist Maduro regime. The sheer magnitude of the disaster will likely prompt an international response led by Washington.

“The U.S.A. stands ready, willing, and able to help! I have instructed all agencies of our government to get ready to move quickly,” President Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The president added, “We will be there for our new and great friends. Early reports are not good!!!”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on X, “America stands with the Venezuelan people during this difficult time, and at the direction of President Trump, the State Department is immediately deploying search-and-rescue teams, medical resources, and humanitarian assistance to Venezuela.”

Acting President Delcy Rodriguez declared a state of emergency shortly after the quakes. She said that Simón Bolívar International Airport in Caracas was closed on Thursday due to damage.

Rodriguez said the number of deaths so far totals 164 people and that around 1,000 people were injured.

Dramatic footage:

Latest headlines, courtesy of Bloomberg:

Devastating Earthquakes

• At least 164 people have died and 971 were injured after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela on Wednesday evening, according to Acting President Delcy Rodriguez on Thursday 

• The earthquakes measured 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude and struck less than a minute apart on Wednesday evening, with the epicenter in Yaracuy state west of Caracas 

• Around 30 aftershocks have been recorded following the two strongest quakes, with 20 aftershocks recorded as of Wednesday evening 

• The earthquakes toppled buildings, knocked down power lines, and devastated Caracas’s main airport

Emergency Response

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• Venezuela declared a state of emergency after the earthquakes 

• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States is immediately deploying search and rescue teams, medical resources, and humanitarian assistance to Venezuela

• Acting President Delcy Rodríguez spoke with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio by phone after the earthquakes 

Debt Restructuring Plans

• Venezuela is set to reveal a $240 billion debt pile, much higher than previously estimated market figures of $150 billion to $200 billion, as the country embarks on the biggest sovereign restructuring in history, according to unidentified people familiar with the country’s plans 

• The Rodríguez administration is seeking a restructuring agreement with creditors before the end of the year and has retained Centerview Partners bne 

Political Developments

• The Inter-American Development Bank recognized Venezuela’s Economy Vice President Calixto Ortega Sanchez as the new governor representing the country to the bank on Wednesday Bloomberg First Word 6/24

• Acting President Delcy Rodríguez said Venezuela was looking to strengthen cooperation with Colombia’s incoming administration 

• Delcy Rodríguez has been crisscrossing Venezuela for months in what she describes as a pilgrimage, attempting to shed the baggage of a deeply unpopular government and position herself as its standard-bearer since Nicolás Maduro’s ouster 

“Heavy Casualties” After Massive Twin Quakes Rock Venezuela, Topple Buildings; “International Response May Be Needed”

Twin earthquakes rocked Venezuela on Wednesday evening, collapsing entire apartment buildings across Caracas and leaving behind scenes of widespread devastation.

The USGS said the first quake registered a magnitude of 7.1, with an epicenter near Morón, about 104 miles west of Caracas, at a depth of 8 miles. One minute later, a similarly massive magnitude 7.5 quake struck nearby, roughly 10 miles southwest of Morón, at a depth of 6 miles. Remarkably, the dual quake was followed almost immediately across the world by a 6.9 magnitude temblor in northern Japan, which rattled buildings in Tokyo.

USGS issued a red-alert mass-casualty warning due to the combination of shallow depth, heavy population exposure, vulnerable buildings, and estimated losses large enough to require an international response.

“Red alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. High casualties and extensive damage are probable and the disaster is likely widespread. Past red alerts have required a national or international response,” USGS said, adding, “Estimated economic losses are 2-20% GDP of Venezuela.”

In the Palos Grandes neighborhood in eastern Caracas, residents tried frantically to rescue people trapped under the debris of collapsed buildings, Bloomberg reports. Terrified families remained in the streets as the capital was hit by aftershocks. Venezuelan migrants in Colombia and elsewhere sought to reach relatives, but cellphone coverage was down in swathes of the country.

The early footage emerging from the devastation is dramatic:

Local news showed significant damage to the capital’s airport, with parts of the roof collapsing and throwing up thick clouds of gray dust. 

Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said in a national address that some houses and buildings have collapsed. He warned residents to stay outside due to the risk from aftershocks. Cabello said that states including Trujillo, Yaracuy, Carabobo, Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira were also affected.

Authorities haven’t yet published estimates of the number of dead or injured. There were no official reports of damage to the nation’s oil infrastructure. Yet footage shows damage to one of Venezuela’s key petrochemical plants. 

How rare were tonight’s twin quakes? Well… 

The closest historical comparison to the twin quakes this evening likely dates back to the March 26, 1812, Caracas earthquake sequence, which was described as twin destructive shocks within 30 minutes. That quake led to an estimated death toll of 15,000 to 20,000, while a USGS historical summary says it may have claimed about 30,000 lives.

Quake activity elsewhere…

And Japan. 

There were no immediate reports of damage to Venezuela’s oil facilities, according to people familiar with the situation. The country’s refining hub in Paraguaná, 225 kilometers (140 miles) west of the epicenter, continued operations as usual. Work at the port of Jose complex and at the Puerto La Cruz refinery was unaffected.

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The disaster will further strain the nation’s crisis-hit economy. The country is reeling from one of the world’s fastest inflation rates and rolling power outages. As such, the quake could open a window for President Trump to offer emergency aid and logistical support, potentially creating the first step toward a broader US-backed reconstruction effort in Venezuela.

*Developing…



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