Deported Venezuelans missing after U.S. flight lands before earthquake

More than 100 Venezuelans deported from the United States are missing after a powerful earthquake struck their home country. The deportees had arrived in Caracas hours before the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes hit Venezuela.

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We walked about five kilometers, and I cried and cried … there was no communication.

Lisbeth Portillo, 58, was among the deportees staying at the Hotel Santuario La Llanada when the tremors began. She described escaping the rubble with about 20 other survivors, witnessing people running in distress. "I was born again; God gave me a second chance," Portillo said, though she remains traumatized by the experience.

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I was born again; God gave me a second chance.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not immediately respond to requests for information. The deportation flights to Venezuela had resumed in February 2025 after a 13-month pause, part of a broader push for mass deportations. Portillo recounted the terrifying moments the hotel began to shake, with people screaming and falling around her. She narrowly escaped being crushed by a beam.

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I am traumatized.

The Venezuelan government reported over 1,700 deaths from the earthquakes. Images of the deportees being received by Venezuelan authorities upon arrival were shared on social media.

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I started hearing 'papa, papa papapa,', and I saw the women next to me start to fall.