US resumes deportation flights to Venezuela after twin earthquakes; death toll crosses 6000
Caracas, August 4
The United States has resumed its deportation flights to Venezuela for the first time since twin earthquakes devastated the South American country in late June, sending back more than 100 individuals on Monday.
According to CNN, in the hours immediately preceding the disaster, a prior flight delivered 146 deportees to Venezuela. Tragic outcomes followed, as many of those passengers perished when the hotel housing them collapsed during the seismic activity.
While the Trump administration had previously been removing hundreds of Venezuelan nationals each week, deportations were temporarily suspended after consecutive earthquakes exceeding magnitude 7.
CNN reported, citing CNNE, that a flight carrying 147 Venezuelan migrants departed Miami on Monday and arrived in Barcelona, located in Anzoategui state, landing at General Jose Antonio Anzoategui International Airport. The pre-quake deportation flight had instead landed at the main Simon Bolivar International Airport, which suffered extensive damage in the disaster.
CNN has requested official comment from the Department of Homeland Security.
Meanwhile, Mervin Maldonado, who leads Venezuela's repatriation initiative, greeted the returning citizens online, expressing that they are "returning home, to reunite with their families, to continue their education, to be productive, and to contribute to national development."
The surge in deportations follows an October ruling by the US Supreme Court that permitted the Trump administration to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for roughly 300,000 Venezuelans previously residing under humanitarian protections, CNN reported.
Following that judicial decision, US removals picked up significantly, reaching 1,746 Venezuelan deportations in May alone, according to ICE Flight Monitor data. Removals expanded further following the US military operation in January that resulted in the capture of President Nicolas Maduro, leading to closer cooperation with acting President Delcy Rodriguez.
Venezuelan repatriation officials stated that Monday's arrival marked the 165th deportation flight conducted since early 2025 under a bilateral migration framework established between Washington and Caracas, CNN reported.
This comes as President of the National Assembly of Venezuela Jorge Rodriguez revealed that the death toll from the twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela last month has risen to 6,125.
In a post on X, Rodriguez noted that over 6,462 were also rescued while over 60,000 are still undergoing treatment at the hospitals.
The twin earthquakes and subsequent aftershocks have caused widespread destruction across affected areas, with authorities continuing rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts. The official report recorded 1,350 aftershocks following the main seismic events.
Last month, twin earthquakes - measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude - struck Venezuela in the north, causing widespread destruction and chaos.
— ANI
Reader Comments
I get that immigration laws exist, but sending people back to a place that just had catastrophic earthquakes shows zero compassion. This isn't about policy anymore - it's about basic humanity. The US could at least wait until the situation stabilizes.
As someone whose family went through similar displacement during partition, I feel deeply for these Venezuelans. Deporting people to a disaster zone after they've built lives elsewhere isn't justice - it's cruelty. But I also understand countries need border control. There has to be a middle ground that respects human dignity first.
India has faced similar dilemmas with illegal immigration from Bangladesh and Myanmar. While we support humanitarian causes, every country has the right to enforce its immigration laws. But deporting to a disaster zone during earthquakes? That timing is questionable at best. A little pause and empathy would have been better.
This is tough. The earthquakes devastated Venezuela, but US law is US law. The Supreme Court ruling on TPS was clear. It's unfortunate timing, but Washington can't just pause everything indefinitely. However, I hope the US provides some kind of relief aid to Venezuela while enforcing these deportations.
The lost lives and displacement remind me of the 2004 tsunami impact on our coastal communities. When a natural disaster strikes, politics should take a backseat. It's not the deportees' fault that earthquakes happened. Resuming flights right now feels insensitive, regardless of the legal basis.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.