U.S. armed forces are continuing to provide disaster assistance to the people of Venezuela in the aftermath of two June 24 earthquakes that brought widespread destruction to the coastal state of La Guaira and the country's capital city of Caracas. They are operating under the direction of U.S. Southern Command in support of efforts led by the State Department.
The deployed military units are configured for rapid, short-term responses to stabilize crises, minimize immediate suffering and save lives. This presence is temporary, remaining active for as long as requested, ready to transition relief tasks to nongovernmental organizations, international aid groups and local authorities as soon as the immediate crisis is stabilized.