Full Breakdown
Tragic Collapse of Hotel Housing U.S. Deportees Amid Venezuela’s Deadliest Earthquakes
6/30/2026, 11:05:37 PM
Deportees Arrive Hours Before Earthquakes, Hotel Collapses
On June 24, 2026 a deportation flight from Miami carrying 146 Venezuelan nationals—120 men, 19 women, five boys and two girls—landed at Simón Bolívar International Airport. The flight was part of ICE’s “Vuelta a la Patria” repatriation program. Venezuelan officials moved the passengers to the government-run Hotel Santuario La Llanada in La Guaira for processing. Within hours, back-to-back 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude quakes struck the coast, toppling the hotel and burying many of the newly arrived deportees.
Timeline
- 10:22 a.m., June 24: Flight lands; deportees taken to Hotel Santuario La Llanada.
- Evening, June 24: Twin 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude quakes collapse the hotel.
- Hours later: Survivors Lisbeth Portillo and Jenny Rodríguez escape, walk five km to a National Guard post.
- 40 hours after quakes: Anderson Daniel Salcedo rescued from rubble.
- June 29: Heavy machinery arrives; families keep searching.
- June 30: Rescue teams remain active.
Data & Statistics
146 deportees on the flight (ICE Flight Monitor). Survivor counts vary: reports cite 12 survivors, 9 survivors, or 25 deaths and 21 missing (family spreadsheet). National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez reports 1,719 dead, 5,034 injured, 15,866 displaced. UN estimates 44,000 missing; 2,000 rescuers from 27 countries, 160 dogs, and 10,000 body bags.
Why It Matters
The collapse creates a humanitarian crisis for repatriated migrants, questions the safety of processing facilities, and strains Venezuela’s emergency response. International aid and accountability for U.S. deportations and Venezuelan handling of victims are now focal points.
Official Statements
Venezuela’s Grand Mission expressed “deepest sorrow and solidarity” and posted phone numbers for families. A DHS spokesperson confirmed the flight arrived safely and said ICE is no longer responsible after release. UN coordinator Gianluca Rampolla highlighted coordinated rescue, medical care, and procurement of body bags.
Criticism & Opposition
Families allege SEBIN confiscated phones and IDs, hindering communication. Oswadeliz Núñez said, “Venezuelans are not animals, they are humans, not criminals.” Relatives claim no official victim list and restricted site access.
Conflicting Reports
Survivor numbers differ across sources, and Venezuelan authorities have not released a definitive roster of missing deportees. Families dispute the agency’s claim that all missing persons have been accounted for.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Thanks to God — and to him — I was able to get out of there.” — Jenny Rodríguez, survivor
- “I was born again; God gave me a second chance,” — Lisbeth Portillo, survivor
- “He called me at 5pm and told me ‘I love you so much, Mom. See you tomorrow at home,’” — Anderson Daniel Salcedo, text to his mother
- “ "At this point, we need help getting their bodies from under the rubble," she said.” — Oswadeliz Núñez, mother of a missing deportee
What’s Next
Rescue operations continue, families plan legal actions against the United States and Venezuela, and UN agencies are scaling up humanitarian assistance while urging transparent accounting of the deportees’ fates.
