The bodies of an American man and his wife, who recently departed the U.S. while an immigration case was pending, have been recovered from the rubble of a collapsed apartment building in Venezuela. The discovery came nearly a month after twin earthquakes struck the South American nation.
Andrew Widme, 42, a native of North Dakota who grew up in Minnesota, moved to Venezuela on May 4 to reunite with his wife, Yelitza Widme, 31. Yelitza Widme had voluntarily left the U.S. on April 19 to return to her native country. Her immigration case remained unresolved at the time of her departure.
A search and rescue team recovered Andrew Widme’s body on July 19. His mother, Linda Morrison, confirmed his identity through a tattoo at a field hospital.
Yelitza Widme's body was found by family members on Tuesday, according to Gabriela González, a correspondent for Caracol Radio.
The couple married in February 2025, after knowing each other for only a few months. Andrew Widme had two teenage sons from a previous marriage. He quit a job in Florida to move to Venezuela.
According to her mother, Rosa Colmenares, Yelitza Widme arrived in the U.S. nearly three years ago with her two children from a previous relationship and applied for asylum. She was granted a work permit but was later detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement this year after an arrest in an unrelated criminal case, though she was never convicted, Morrison stated.
Morrison said Yelitza Widme was informed that voluntarily leaving the U.S. could potentially improve her chances of legally returning in the future compared to receiving a formal deportation order. This led to her decision to "self-deport."
The newlyweds had initially rented a home in Caracas before moving to the beachside Coral Mar residential complex in La Guaira, with aspirations of starting a small food business. They were scheduled to hand over their apartment on the day the earthquakes struck on June 24 but ended up trapped when their building collapsed.
At least 5,398 people have been killed by the twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24.
Andrew Widme’s remains have been cremated, and his mother is awaiting their return. Morrison described the news as difficult but comforting, knowing her son would be brought home.