CARACAS, Aug. 4 (ANI) — The United States has resumed deportation flights to Venezuela for the first time since twin earthquakes devastated the South American nation in late June, returning more than 100 individuals on Monday.
According to CNN, a flight carrying 146 deportees arrived in Venezuela just hours before the earthquakes struck. Many of those passengers later died when the hotel where they were staying collapsed during the seismic disaster.
The Trump administration had been deporting hundreds of Venezuelan nationals each week before suspending the flights after two earthquakes, each exceeding magnitude 7, struck the country.
CNN, citing CNNE, reported that a flight carrying 147 Venezuelan migrants departed Miami on Monday and arrived in Barcelona, in Anzoátegui state, landing at General José Antonio Anzoátegui International Airport. The flight before the earthquakes had landed at Simón Bolívar International Airport, which sustained extensive damage during the disaster.
CNN said it has requested comment from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Mervin Maldonado, who heads Venezuela’s repatriation initiative, welcomed the returning migrants in a social media post, saying they were “returning home, to reunite with their families, to continue their education, to be productive, and to contribute to national development.”
The increase in deportations follows an October ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court allowing the Trump administration to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for roughly 300,000 Venezuelans who had been living in the United States under humanitarian protections, CNN reported.
Following that decision, deportations increased significantly, with 1,746 Venezuelans removed in May alone, according to ICE Flight Monitor data. Deportations expanded further after a U.S. military operation in January that reportedly resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro, leading to closer cooperation with acting President Delcy Rodríguez.
Venezuelan repatriation officials said Monday’s flight was the 165th deportation flight since early 2025 under a bilateral migration framework established between Washington and Caracas, CNN reported.
Meanwhile, Jorge Rodríguez, president of Venezuela’s National Assembly, said the death toll from last month’s twin earthquakes has risen to 6,125. In a post on X, Rodríguez said more than 6,462 people had been rescued, while over 60,000 remained hospitalized for treatment.
The twin earthquakes and subsequent aftershocks caused widespread destruction across the affected regions, with authorities continuing rescue, relief, and recovery operations. Officials reported that 1,350 aftershocks have been recorded since the main earthquakes.
Last month, twin earthquakes measuring magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 struck northern Venezuela, causing widespread devastation. (ANI)
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