Scores of Venezuelans deported from the United States were killed or went missing in catastrophic earthquakes just hours after their arrival in their home country. A flight carrying 146 Venezuelans departed Miami and landed in Caracas on Wednesday at 10:22 a.m.
Tragically, the deportees were injured, missing, or confirmed dead hours later when a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Venezuela. The flight had transported the individuals to Hotel Santuario in La Guaira for processing when the natural disaster occurred. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated that the Venezuelans were no longer in U.S. government custody when the earthquake hit.
"This flight safely reached Venezuela and all illegal aliens on board were returned home," a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security told the Daily Mail. "When an individual is no longer in ICE custody, ICE is no longer responsible for them."
At least 1,750 people have been confirmed killed across Venezuela by the earthquake, with tens of thousands remaining unaccounted for. The death toll is expected to rise. Four Americans are known to have died in the disaster.
Deportation flights from the U.S. to Venezuela have increased in recent months, particularly following the Trump administration's decision to end Temporary Protected Status for 300,000 migrants. In May, ICE Flight Monitor tracked 1,746 Venezuelans deported from the U.S. over 12 flights.
The flight that landed on Wednesday included 120 men, 19 women, five boys, and two girls, according to Venezuela's Return to the Homeland Grand Mission. A Venezuelan politician, Mervin Maldonado, shared a video of the group disembarking, where he greeted the passengers and gave toys to the children.
Families of those deported have expressed anguish and confusion as they try to locate their loved ones. Alonso Guanipa Toyo told NPR that his brother, Victor, was on the flight and that his family has received no government assistance in searching for him. Another father, Oswadeliz Nuñez, said his son, Daniel, was among those at the hotel when the earthquake struck. Georgelyss Montes confirmed that her friend, Angelo Mejía Meléndez, was on the flight and later killed in the earthquake, identified by a tattoo.
Reports on the number of survivors from the flight vary, with some families confirming 12 survivors and others being informed by the Grand Mission of 32. One identified survivor, Anderson Daniel Salcedo, was found 40 hours after the earthquake with life-altering injuries, including amputated legs, according to his grandmother. Families noted that the deportees' phones and identification were confiscated, complicating rescue efforts.
Survivors recounted harrowing experiences. Lisbeth Portillo described being in a second-floor room with 16 other women when the earthquake hit. She was buried by rubble but managed to escape with other deportees, walking kilometers before reaching a National Guard building to contact family. "I was born again; God gave me a second chance. I am traumatized," she said.
Video footage from La Guaira showed survivors confronting members of the army, urging them to help clear rubble instead of standing by with weapons. "What did you bring weapons for? You should've brought a shovel, a pickaxe," one resident was heard saying.