U.S. military deploys 2,000 service members for Venezuela earthquake relief

Nearly 2,000 U.S. service members are supporting search-and-rescue and supply operations in Venezuela following two earthquakes last week. The U.S. military's Southern Command said the personnel are operating on land, at sea and in the air around the country.

Gen. Francis Donovan stated the focus remains locating survivors within the critical first week after the disaster. Venezuelan authorities reported more than 2,000 deaths and over 10,000 injuries from the 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude quakes. A NASA satellite assessment indicated almost 60,000 buildings may have been damaged or destroyed.

U.S. assistance details The military flew in about 310 urban search-and-rescue specialists shortly after the quakes. Those teams have rescued five survivors, including a mother and her toddler, according to John Barrett, the U.S. chargé d'affaires in Caracas.

Additional support includes an Army medical unit for surgical care, a Marine logistics company with water purification equipment, and a coordination cell for moving humanitarian supplies. The U.S. has provided more than $300 million in assistance since the disaster.

Barrett said debris removal will be a major task and that U.S. efforts will continue to address sanitation, water and energy needs. Donovan noted the current deployment is larger than the response to last year's Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica but smaller than the 2010 Haiti earthquake operation.