Caracas (Venezuela), August 4, 2026, BNN Web Staff: The United States has resumed deportation flights to Venezuela after temporarily suspending removals following the devastating twin earthquakes that struck the country in late June.
A flight carrying 147 Venezuelan migrants departed from Miami on Monday and landed at General José Antonio Anzoátegui International Airport in Barcelona, Anzoátegui state, CNN reported, citing CNNE. The arrival marked the first deportation flight from the US since the earthquakes caused widespread destruction across Venezuela.
Shortly before the twin earthquakes struck, another US deportation flight had brought 146 Venezuelans back to the country. Several of the deportees reportedly died after the hotel where they were staying collapsed during the seismic disaster.
The Trump administration had been deporting hundreds of Venezuelan nationals every week before the earthquakes, but the process was put on hold after two powerful earthquakes, measuring more than magnitude 7, hit the country.
The earlier deportation flight had landed at Simón Bolívar International Airport, Venezuela’s main international airport, which sustained extensive damage during the disaster. The latest flight was redirected to Barcelona in Anzoátegui state.
The US Department of Homeland Security had not issued an official statement on the resumption of deportation flights at the time of reporting.
Meanwhile, Mervin Maldonado, who heads Venezuela’s repatriation programme, welcomed the returning migrants in a social media post. He said they were returning to reunite with their families, continue their education, become productive members of society and contribute to the country’s development.
Deportations of Venezuelan nationals from the US had increased following a US Supreme Court ruling in October that allowed the Trump administration to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nearly 300,000 Venezuelans living in the country under humanitarian protections.
According to ICE Flight Monitor data cited by CNN, the US deported 1,746 Venezuelans in May alone. Deportation operations expanded further after a US military operation in January led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, followed by increased cooperation between Washington and Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez.
Venezuelan repatriation authorities said Monday’s flight was the 165th deportation flight conducted since early 2025 under a migration arrangement between Washington and Caracas.
The resumption of deportation flights comes as Venezuela continues to deal with the aftermath of the twin earthquakes. Jorge Rodríguez, President of Venezuela’s National Assembly, said the death toll had risen to 6,125.
He also stated that more than 6,462 people had been rescued, while over 60,000 injured people were receiving treatment in hospitals. Authorities recorded around 1,350 aftershocks following the two major earthquakes.
The earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, caused widespread destruction across northern Venezuela. Rescue, relief and rehabilitation operations are continuing in the affected regions.
