More than 100 Venezuelans who were deported from the United States reportedly remain missing after powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela just hours after their arrival, according to survivors and local accounts. The group, which had been transported on a deportation flight from Miami, was taken to a hotel in La Guaira when the twin earthquakes—measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude—hit the region, triggering widespread destruction and panic.

The deportation flight carried 146 Venezuelans, including women and children, according to ICE Flight Monitor, an initiative of Human Rights First that tracks deportation movements. Upon arrival in Caracas on Wednesday, the group was transferred to a hotel in La Guaira for processing, medical checks, and documentation. Survivors say they were told they would be released the following day, but were instead caught in the earthquake disaster while staying at the facility.

Several survivors described scenes of chaos as buildings collapsed and people fled through debris-filled streets. One survivor, Lisbeth Portillo, said she escaped from the collapsed hotel along with around 20 others and walked several kilometres in search of help. She described people running barefoot and injured, while communication networks were completely down. Portillo said she later reached a National Guard facility, where she was able to contact her family after hours of uncertainty.

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According to survivor testimonies, the second earthquake struck while many were still inside the hotel, causing structural collapse and trapping several people under rubble. Portillo said she was buried under debris but managed to free herself after a beam shifted during the shaking. Other deportees, including 24-year-old Jenny Rodriguez, also told local media that they were trapped and had to be rescued with the help of fellow survivors.

Venezuelan authorities have not yet released a full official breakdown of casualties or missing persons from the hotel where the deportees were held. However, survivors and relatives say more than 100 people remain unaccounted for in the aftermath of the disaster. The situation has also drawn attention to the timing of U.S. deportation flights, which resumed earlier in 2025 after a temporary pause, and the broader conditions faced by deportees upon arrival in Venezuela.

As rescue operations continue in the earthquake-hit region, families are still waiting for information about their missing relatives. The Venezuelan government has said it is coordinating emergency response efforts, while survivors continue to recount harrowing experiences of survival amid collapsing buildings, aftershocks, and widespread devastation.

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