Trump pledges rapid U.S. response for Venezuela after historic earthquakes kill dozens

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio looks on as US President Donald Trump speaks to the press following US military actions in Venezuela, at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, on January 3, 2026. Jim Watson | Afp | Getty Images President Donald Trump pledged Wednesday to deploy U.S. resources to earthquake-stricken Venezuela after back-to-back tremors of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck near the country's northern coast, flattening buildings in the capital Caracas and prompting a state of emergency. "The U.S. stands ready, willing, and able to help," Trump said in a Truth Social post Wednesday evening stateside. The president added that he had instructed all government agencies to prepare to "move quickly," calling Venezuela's people the "new and great friends." Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said earlier in the day that the U.S. was in touch with Venezuelan authorities and has been mobilizing assistance for the South American nation. The State Department has already mobilized a disaster assistance team and task force to deliver and coordinate critical assistance to Venezuelans, including search and rescue teams, medical supplies, and humanitarian resources, according to senior State Department official Jeremy Lewin. The U.S. Geological Survey issued two consecutive red alerts through its PAGER system, and estimated a 41% probability that fatalities could exceed 10,000 and a 17% chance they could reach 100,000. …