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More than 100 Venezuelans who were deported from the U.S. hours before the earthquakes are missing
PBS • • world
Key Points:
- Lisbeth Portillo, a 58-year-old deportee from the U.S., survived the devastating 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes in La Guaira, Venezuela, after being trapped under rubble at a hotel housing deportees.
- Portillo and about 20 other deportees were caught in the earthquake shortly after arriving in Venezuela, having been deported the same day under the Trump administration's mass deportation policy.
- The Venezuelan government reported over 1,700 deaths from the earthquakes, which struck in an area where deportees were temporarily housed, complicating rescue efforts.
- Deportation flights to Venezuela resumed in February 2025 after a 13-month pause, with the U.S. running 12 flights to the country in May alone, according to ICE Flight Monitor.
- Survivors like Portillo described harrowing experiences, including being trapped under debris and struggling to contact family, highlighting the human impact of both deportation policies and natural disasters.
