Venezuelan Rescuers Return to Miami After Earthquake Mission, Describe Widespread Destruction

Urban Search and Rescue Florida Task Force members returned to Miami late Monday after an intense eight-day mission in Venezuela's earthquake-affected regions. The team, including firefighters and K-9 units from Miami and Miami-Dade, received an emotional welcome from citizens at Miami International Airport.

Rescuers reported that the level of destruction caused by the earthquakes in Venezuela was significantly greater than what they typically encounter during common weather-related disasters in the United States and the Caribbean. Captain German Leal of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue recounted the shocking experience of returning to his native La Guaira, only to find his childhood neighborhood reduced to rubble. "I saw nothing but sadness and destruction," Leal stated, referring to the Caraballeda sector.

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I saw nothing but sadness and destruction.

Leal described the tragedy as initially difficult to comprehend. However, deploying with his team into the disaster zones allowed him to find purpose and begin to "improve" by assisting survivors. During their search and rescue operations, residents of the Caraballeda sector offered the team water and food, demonstrating a spirit of mutual support.

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They wanted to help. They were there for us. They even gave us their water, which we didn't want to accept because we had our own supplies and they needed it more.

"They wanted to help. They were there for us. They even gave us their water, which we didn't want to accept because we had our own supplies and they needed it more," Leal recounted. The U.S. Chargé d'Affaires in Caracas, John M. Barrett, expressed gratitude for the support from South Florida, Los Angeles, and Virginia rescue teams, acknowledging their "extraordinary work on the ground" that "saved lives and brought hope."

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 25 of the 77 international rescue brigades that arrived in Venezuela remain in the country. Official reports indicate that the death toll from the earthquakes has risen to 3,685, with 16,740 injured.

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I want to thank you for your extraordinary work on the ground. Your bravery and professionalism in Venezuela saved lives and brought hope in a critically important time.