Boots On The Ground? US Military Begins Humanitarian Operation In Quake-Ravaged Venezuela

At least 1,400 people were killed and 3,360 injured after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela on Wednesday evening, officials said.

Google ha revelado hoy los detalles sobre cómo funcionó su sistema de alertas de sismos durante los terremotos dobletes del día 24 de junio de 2026 en Venezuela.

La alerta le fue enviada a un total de 11.4 millones de dispositivos que tienen el sistema operativo Android en… pic.twitter.com/lF47EqxZWU

— HevercastroB (@HeverCastroB) June 28, 2026

The coastal state of La Guaira, near Caracas, suffered the worst damage, with entire condo towers reduced to rubble.

The death toll is expected to climb in the days ahead, as 64,500 people remain missing, according to an independent monitoring platform.

U.S. Southern Command has deployed a large package of naval and aviation assets, including Navy warships, transport aircraft, and helicopters, to support humanitarian assistance operations on the ground in Venezuela. The scale of the deployment suggests the Trump administration is moving quickly to establish command-and-control nodes for humanitarian operations.

The U.S. government account, USA en Español on X, says that U.S. Marines from Littoral Combat Force-24 and U.S. sailors from the USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28) delivered critically important humanitarian aid supplies to the port of La Guaira on Saturday night.

Entrega de ayuda vital en Venezuela

Anoche, infantes de marina estadounidenses de la Fuerza de Combate Litoral-24 y marineros estadounidenses del USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28) entregaron suministros de asistencia humanitaria de vital importancia a bordo de una lancha de… https://t.co/lUpv4UVX5k

— USA en Español (@USAenEspanol) June 28, 2026

SOUTHCOM reports that the MV-22B Osprey and UH-1Y Venom helicopters are now conducting search-and-rescue operations in La Guaira.

International partners working together to save lives in Venezuela:@USMC MV-22B Osprey and UH-1Y Venom crews are providing vital transport support to get U.S. and partner nation search and rescue teams on scene to save lives. Pictured here are Marine crews airlifting Argentine,… pic.twitter.com/Ihug4BlwnV

— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) June 28, 2026

There have been around-the-clock shipments of supplies from the U.S. via a vast network of C-17 Globemaster and C-130 Hercules aircraft.

The @usairforce has been working around the clock to accelerate the delivery of vital, life-saving help to Venezuela.

C-17 Globemasters and C-130 Hercules aircraft are airlifting critically needed aid, teams of first responders, disaster experts, and heavy equipment to power… pic.twitter.com/qZcUymNatd

— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) June 28, 2026

The Miami-based news outlet UHN Plus pointed out that the quake-ravaged region of La Guaira was home to socialist housing projects built by the Maduro regime using "low-quality materials," which may be one of the reasons so many structures collapsed.

🇻🇪‼️| A comienzos del 2011, Hugo Chávez y Nicolás Maduro lanzaron el proyecto “La Gran Misión Vivienda”. Allí se construyeron millones de casas para los venezolanos en situación de pobreza. La mayoría estaba en La Guaira y contaban con materiales de baja calidad. El proyecto… pic.twitter.com/iJGL7WCr4K

— UHN Plus (@UHN_Plus) June 27, 2026

Earlier this year, U.S. Delta Force operators removed socialist leader Nicolás Maduro from power to reset Venezuela's politics and install a U.S.-friendly regime.

No U.S. occupation was needed for the regime change operation, but now, under the guise of a humanitarian effort, there are U.S. boots on the ground. This raises questions about how long the new U.S. presence will remain in Venezuela.

President Trump has joked about turning Venezuela into America's 51st state.