U.S. Sends Rescue Teams to Earthquake-Stricken Venezuela, Breaking Diplomatic Standoff

Two powerful earthquakes hit northwestern Venezuela on June 24, killing at least 188 people and injuring over 1,500. The U.S. deployed elite search-and-rescue teams despite years of severed ties and active sanctions—a pattern established after Haiti's 2010 earthquake. Coordinating with Venezuelan authorities under political tension creates friction, though disaster response traditionally carves exceptions to estrangement. The EU also sent teams through its Civil Protection Mechanism.