About 2,000 U.S. troops supporting relief efforts after Venezuela earthquakes

Around 2,000 U.S. service members are actively supporting relief operations in Venezuela in the wake of devastating earthquakes, according to General Francis Donovan, head of the U.S. military's Southern Command. These personnel are engaged on land, air, and sea, focusing on critical search and rescue efforts and the delivery of much-needed supplies.

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The U.S. military, the Department of War, has roughly 2,000 teammates in the area on land, air and sea around Venezuela.

Wednesday marked the seventh day since the two earthquakes, and the primary objective remains the search for survivors. General Donovan highlighted the critical 3-to-7-day window for potentially recovering individuals still alive in the rubble. The Venezuelan government has reported that the earthquakes have claimed over 2,000 lives and injured more than 10,000 people.

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They are working hard daily to help in the search and rescue efforts, to help in the recovery efforts to deliver needed supplies.

Following the initial quakes, the U.S. military facilitated the arrival of approximately 310 specialists from urban search and rescue teams. These teams have successfully rescued five survivors, including a mother and her young child. John Barrett, the chargé d'affaires for the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, noted that while the immediate focus is on saving lives, the U.S. remains committed to Venezuela's long-term economic recovery, a plan that was in place prior to the disaster.

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In these situations, you have anywhere from 3 to 7 days that you have to respond to hopefully recover people that are still living and maybe injured in the rubble.

U.S. humanitarian assistance has surpassed $300 million since the disaster. Military support includes a coordination cell for aid transport, specialized medical units for surgical support, and a Marine Combat Logistics Company equipped with water purification systems and heavy-duty towing capabilities. Barrett acknowledged the immense task of clearing debris from collapsed buildings, stating that the U.S. will continue to adapt its support to Venezuela's needs in sanitation, water, and energy generation for as long as necessary.

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That reconstruction looks a little bit different, of course, since the devastating earthquake, but the economic recovery had already begun.