Venezuelans deported by the US hours before the deadly earthquake struck are missing

Venezuelans Deported by the U.S. Hours Before Earthquake Are Still Missing

Venezuelans deported by the US hours – On Wednesday, a series of devastating earthquakes struck Venezuela, collapsing a hotel where over 100 Venezuelans had been recently deported from the United States. The disaster has left families in despair, searching for answers about the whereabouts of their loved ones. As rescue teams scramble to recover survivors, the tragedy has intensified concerns about the timing of the deportations and the lives lost in the rubble.

A Flight of Hope Turned Into Chaos

According to Venezuelan authorities and ICE Flight Monitor, a deportation flight from Miami to Simón Bolívar International Airport landed at 10:22 a.m. local time on Wednesday. The aircraft carried 146 people, including 19 women and 7 children, who were being sent back to their homeland after residing in the U.S. for various periods. The deportees were then transported to Hotel Santuario in La Guaira, a coastal city north of Caracas, where they were expected to rest before reuniting with family.

Hours later, two powerful earthquakes, each with a once-in-a-century magnitude, devastated the region. The tremors caused catastrophic damage, particularly in La Guaira, where the hotel’s structure gave way. At least 1,943 people were confirmed dead, and the number of missing remains high. The collapse trapped many deportees, leaving rescuers to work tirelessly in the aftermath. While some have been rescued, others are still buried under the debris, their fates uncertain.

Relatives Urge for Answers and Closure

Luis Armando Dasilva, whose sister Amanda Donizete was among those deported, has been waiting anxiously for five days without any updates. “They are not giving us answers about where she is. If she is in a hospital or at the morgue, we need to know,” he said in a statement to CNN. Dasilva explained that Donizete had been working in Georgia, fleeing Venezuela’s worsening crisis, and was eager to return home. “She was very happy to be coming back to see her family,” he added.

“Please, those of you who are here, help us, help us,” pleaded José Gregorio Rincón Ávila, a grandfather of one of the deportees. “We have been waiting many days. We already know those bodies have been there for several days since Wednesday, but at least let us take our loved ones home.”

Ávila’s words reflect the growing frustration among families. Many are questioning whether the local authorities are withholding information or delaying the release of bodies for identification. “We just want to be able to bury them,” Dasilva said, emphasizing the emotional toll of the situation.

Another family member, a woman who requested anonymity, shared her husband’s story. He had spent three years in the U.S., working to secure a better future for their family. Detained by ICE for 15 days before being returned to Venezuela, he was last seen calling his wife on Wednesday evening. “He told me, ‘I love you so much, Mom. See you tomorrow at home,’” she recounted. Now, she says, hope is fading as she waits for confirmation of his condition.

Deportation Trends and Humanitarian Concerns

The U.S. has been actively deporting Venezuelans to their home country since October, when the Supreme Court permitted the Trump administration to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 300,000 migrants. This decision, part of a broader policy shift, has led to hundreds of weekly deportations. In May alone, ICE Flight Monitor recorded 1,746 Venezuelans being sent back, a number that has raised alarm among humanitarian groups.

Some deportees were initially greeted with joy, as seen in the case of Yulis Salcedo, who decorated her home with the colors of Venezuela’s flag—blue, yellow, and red—to welcome her son Anderson, who had arrived on the Wednesday morning flight from Miami. Salcedo, speaking to Reuters, described how Anderson had called her just before the earthquake, promising to see her the next day. “He said, ‘I love you so much, Mom. See you tomorrow at home,’” she shared. Now, Anderson is hospitalized, with both legs amputated, and his family is demanding justice.

“I want justice because it’s not fair that my son is lying in that bed, with respiratory support, with his legs amputated at the age of 21,” Salcedo said.

Salcedo’s anguish mirrors the sentiments of many Venezuelans who fled their country’s economic collapse and political instability. For them, the U.S. represented a chance for stability, and being sent back was a bittersweet return. Yet, the timing of the earthquakes has turned their journey into a nightmare.

U.S. Response and Ongoing Efforts

CNN has contacted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Department of Homeland Security, and the State Department for comments on the situation. So far, the U.S. has deployed search and rescue teams to Venezuela and allocated over $300 million toward relief efforts. However, families are still demanding more transparency and faster access to their missing relatives.

The earthquakes have also disrupted the efforts of these teams, as they focus on the immediate crisis. Despite the challenges, officials remain committed to assisting with recovery operations. Yet, for the families, the delay in receiving information about their loved ones is a source of deep distress. “We need to know if they are alive or not,” said one relative, highlighting the emotional and logistical hurdles they face.

As days pass, the urgency of the situation grows. With no clear timeline for recovery, the displaced families are left grappling with uncertainty. The incident has sparked debates about the consequences of rapid deportation policies and the need for better coordination between U.S. and Venezuelan authorities. For now, the focus remains on finding survivors and identifying those who are lost, as the world watches the unfolding tragedy with growing concern.

Meanwhile, the Venezuelan government has released a video showing deportees arriving at the airport, capturing the moment of their return. The footage, however, offers little solace to those who have lost family members in the disaster. The contrast between the initial hope of reuniting with loved ones and the subsequent devastation underscores the profound impact of the earthquake on the lives of those who had recently been sent home.

With the search continuing and more bodies being recovered, the families remain resolute. They are not only fighting for the lives of those still missing but also for the dignity of their loved ones, regardless of their condition. As the dust settles, the question of whether the U.S. will take further responsibility for the consequences of its deportation policies looms large over the grieving community.