Overview
- Hours after the June 24 earthquakes that Venezuelan officials say killed about 1,450 people, international rescue teams have been working at collapsed buildings in La Guaira and Caracas.
- U.S. Southern Command confirmed a Contingency Response Element of roughly 100 airmen arrived on five C-17s to help expand inbound and outbound traffic after an Airfield Assessment Team made Simón Bolívar International Airport operational.
- The amphibious ship USS Fort Lauderdale delivered supplies by landing craft to La Guaira and about 130 U.S. Marines are slated to arrive to reopen the closed port so larger shipments can reach damaged communities.
- U.S. airlift and rotary-wing assets reported in country include C-130s, MV-22 Ospreys, UH-1Y helicopters and incoming CH-47 Chinooks to move personnel, equipment and conduct aerial damage assessments and search-and-rescue support.
- SOUTHCOM says its teams are self-sustaining, the U.S. Space Force is supplying satellite imagery to prioritize response, and further U.S. military support is being planned with the State Department and Venezuelan authorities to speed life-saving aid.