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U.S. Military Sends C-17 Jets and Search Teams to Venezuela After Earthquakes
C-17 cargo aircraft have delivered U.S. urban search and rescue personnel and equipment to Venezuela following two major earthquakes. The U.S. Southern Command is coordinating the response with the State Department.
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U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft have arrived in Venezuela carrying search and rescue teams and equipment after two earthquakes struck the northern part of the country Wednesday night. The first C-17 landed at El Libertador airbase in Maracay on Thursday morning, according to flight tracking data and posts from the U.S. Embassy in Caracas.
A second C-17 arrived later the same day. The aircraft transported nearly 80 experts per team, including firefighters, doctors, structural engineers, and 12 detection dogs.
U.S. Military Assets Deployed The U.S.
Embassy in Caracas stated that the teams bring advanced capabilities to locate survivors and assist in complex emergencies. Their personnel and equipment are being positioned to move to the hardest-hit areas when conditions allow. The command added that America's military is delivering the people and capabilities needed to save lives.
Additional U.S. military assets in the region include the amphibious transport ship USS Fort Lauderdale, the littoral combat ship USS Billings, C-130 Hercules transports, and MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft. A CH-47 Chinook helicopter was also prepared at Soto Cano Air Base in Honduras.
Command Structure and Coordination U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Kevin J.
Jarrard arrived in Caracas on Thursday to oversee the Pentagon's relief efforts. SOUTHCOM stated that Jarrard is serving as the senior command official on the ground and is working with partners to plan, coordinate, and direct U.S. military logistical and operational capabilities.
The earthquakes measured 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, with an epicenter west of Caracas. Venezuelan authorities reported more than 900 deaths and widespread damage across the northern coastal region.
