The Trump administration says it is receiving “total compliance” from Venezuela’s interim government as American personnel continue leading a massive humanitarian response following the pair of devastating earthquakes that struck the South American nation last week.
The magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes that rocked northern Venezuela have killed nearly 2,000 people, with thousands more injured or missing as search-and-rescue operations continue across the hardest-hit regions.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, a State Department official said cooperation from Venezuelan authorities has exceeded expectations.
“We have seen total compliance from the interim authorities in Venezuela as a result of the unprecedented response by the United States to these deadly earthquakes,” the official told Fox News Digital Tuesday.
“Every request we have made has been immediately granted and in turn, we have seen an incredible outpouring of support from the Venezuelan people towards Americans on the ground,” the official continued.
The remarks mark a dramatic shift in U.S.-Venezuelan relations just six months after U.S. special forces captured former dictator Nicolás Maduro during a January operation that ended his rule.
According to the Trump administration, Maduro was taken into U.S. custody after American forces carried out a nighttime raid on the presidential palace, overwhelming his security detail. He now remains jailed in the United States awaiting trial on narcoterrorism and firearms-related charges.
Following Maduro’s removal, Venezuela’s Supreme Court installed Delcy Rodríguez as the country’s interim president. The Trump administration formally recognized her government earlier this year, and the two countries have gradually resumed diplomatic coordination on issues ranging from security cooperation to humanitarian assistance.
Maduro’s capture drew fierce criticism from several prominent Democrats.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) warned the operation risked violating international law, while Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) accused the United States of acting as a “rogue state.”
“Trump’s illegal and unprovoked bombing of Venezuela and kidnapping of its president are grave violations of international law and the U.S. Constitution. These are the actions of a rogue state,” Tlaib wrote on social media. “The American people do not want another regime change war abroad.”
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) also criticized the operation.
“Maduro’s illegitimate election does not give the president the power to invade without congressional approval, nor does it create a national security justification. That contention is laughable,” Murphy said.
Despite the political backlash, the Trump administration has mounted one of the largest U.S. disaster responses in the region in recent years.
President Donald Trump authorized an initial $150 million in emergency humanitarian assistance, including funding for organizations such as World Vision, Samaritan’s Purse, Catholic Relief Services, the International Medical Corps, the International Organization for Migration and the World Food Programme. An additional U.S. contribution was directed through the United Nations’ humanitarian relief fund for Venezuela.
The State Department also deployed a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) consisting of more than 250 personnel, including three specialized Urban Search-and-Rescue teams equipped to locate survivors trapped beneath collapsed buildings.
The U.S. military has supported the effort through U.S. Southern Command, which has surged aircraft, ships and logistical assets into the region after Venezuelan authorities formally requested American assistance. Military transport aircraft have been ferrying rescue teams, equipment and humanitarian supplies into the disaster zone.
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