Over 100 U.S. Deportees Survive Venezuela Earthquakes by Chance of Building Placement

Twin earthquakes struck Venezuela's La Guaira coast on June 27, killing over 1,700 people and destroying dozens of buildings. More than 100 recently deported Americans warehoused in a hotel at the time of the 7.1-magnitude tremors survived, while the city's building stock collapsed around them. The episode exposes a vulnerability in U.S. deportation operations: no functioning consular presence monitors welfare post-arrival in Venezuela, a destination for accelerating removal flights.