U.S. Search And Rescue Teams Deploy To Venezuela After Deadly Earthquakes Strike

U.S. search and rescue teams have been deployed to Venezuela following a series of deadly earthquakes, with footage circulating of a mother and infant being extracted from debris, according to CBS News. The operation, involving hundreds of workers, marks a significant international response to the disaster, which struck the South American nation on June 28, 2026.

CBS News reported that the rescue effort focused on the western state of Táchira, where the most severe shaking was recorded. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) confirmed the deployment of disaster response teams, though no official casualty figures have been released by Venezuelan authorities as of June 29. The earthquakes, measured at magnitudes 6.1 and 5.8, triggered landslides and damaged infrastructure in border regions near Colombia.

Video clips shared by CBS News show U.S. rescuers using hydraulic tools to free a woman and her child from a collapsed residential building in San Cristóbal. The footage, described as “heart-wrenching” by the network, was reportedly captured by local journalists and verified by U.S. military personnel on the ground. A spokesperson for the U.S. Southern Command stated the teams are “working in coordination with Venezuelan emergency services to locate survivors and deliver aid.”

Venezuela’s government has not issued a public update on the scale of the disaster, but regional officials cited by Reuters noted “widespread structural damage” in Táchira. The country’s ongoing economic crisis, which has strained public services, may complicate relief efforts. A statement from the Venezuelan Interior Ministry, quoted by ABC News, acknowledged the earthquakes’ impact but did not address international assistance directly.

The U.S. involvement follows a pattern of disaster response in the region. In 2021, U.S