Deportation – Venezuelan Deportees Survive Deadly Earthquakes After Returning From US
Deportation – More than 100 Venezuelan nationals who had just been deported from the United States found themselves caught in one of the country’s deadliest natural disasters, with many becoming trapped beneath the rubble of a hotel only hours after arriving home.
More than 100 Venezuelan deportees narrowly escaped death after powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela shortly after their arrival from the United States. Survivors described scenes of panic, collapsed buildings, and desperate rescue efforts as they searched for people trapped beneath the debris. According to Venezuelan authorities, the disaster claimed more than 1,700 lives, making it one of the country’s most devastating recent tragedies.
Deportation Flight Arrived Before Disaster
A deportation flight departing from Miami landed in Venezuela just hours before the earthquakes hit on Wednesday. Data from ICE Flight Monitor, a project operated by Human Rights First that tracks deportation flights, showed that 146 Venezuelan citizens, including 19 women and seven children, were on board. After landing, officials transported the group to Hotel Santuario La Llanada in La Guaira, one of the regions that later experienced severe destruction.
The deportees had completed medical screenings and received identification documents after arriving. Officials informed them that they would be allowed to return to their homes the following day.
Survivors Recall Moments of Terror
Among those staying at the hotel was 58-year-old Lisbeth Portillo, who later described the terrifying experience. She said she had stepped onto a balcony shortly before the earthquake and noticed unusually dark skies and intense heat. Moments later, violent shaking began.
Portillo recalled hearing loud crashing sounds before seeing people around her fall as the building started collapsing. She said a heavy beam pinned her beneath the rubble, but shifting debris during the quake created enough space for her to crawl out. Although she suffered bruises across her body, she managed to escape.
She later joined about 20 other survivors who walked several kilometers through damaged streets searching for assistance. Along the way, they witnessed frightened residents fleeing collapsed buildings, many without shoes or proper clothing.
Families Finally Receive Word
After reaching a nearby National Guard facility, survivors were able to contact relatives for the first time since the disaster. Portillo said she called her husband in the United States to tell him she had survived after he feared the worst.
Having lived in South Florida for more than four years before her deportation, Portillo said the experience left her emotionally shaken. She described surviving the collapse as receiving a second chance at life and said she continues to struggle with the trauma of the event.
Others Continue Searching for Missing Relatives
Another survivor, 24-year-old Jenny Rodriguez, told Telemundo that she was also trapped beneath the collapsed hotel. She explained that another deportee from the same flight noticed her hand sticking out from the rubble and pulled her to safety after she called for help.
Not every family has received good news. Liliana Rojas said she has been unable to locate her 33-year-old partner, who had been held at an immigration detention center in El Paso, Texas, before being deported. She said officials confirmed only that he had been removed from the United States, leaving the family without information about his condition after the earthquake.
Deportation Program Continues
Portillo had entered the United States through the Mexico border in November 2021 and said she still had an asylum application pending before being deported. Her return came during the ongoing expansion of deportation operations under the Trump administration.
According to ICE Flight Monitor, the United States conducted 12 deportation flights to Venezuela during May, with flights operating three times each week. Deportation flights to Venezuela resumed in February 2025 following a 13-month suspension.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the deportees affected by the earthquake. Videos released by Venezuelan authorities showed the group being received at Caracas airport shortly before the natural disaster unfolded.