A U.S. Air Force contingency response wing dispatched to Venezuela to assist authorities following high-magnitude earthquakes that devastated the country almost two weeks ago.
Airmen in the 621st Contingency Response Wing are supporting Venezuelan authorities with airfield operations to land C-17s that are delivering essential earthquake relief, according to a Wednesday social media post.
U.S. Southern Command announced a day after the quakes that the U.S. would be sending C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft, alongside C-130 Hercules, the amphibious transport ship USS Fort Lauderdale and the littoral combat ship USS Billings.
On June 24, two devastating earthquakes hit Venezuela with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 within seconds of each other. The death toll had risen to 3,811 as of Wednesday, and 16,740 people were injured, National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said in an address.
Nine Americans are among the dead, State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott confirmed Tuesday on Fox News.
The U.S. has committed around $350 million to the response effort in Venezuela thus far, Pigott said.
The 621st Contingency Response Wing deployed a Contingency Response Element from the 321st Contingency Response Squadron to Simón Bolívar International Airport, according to a July 3 release.
The CRE, made up of 110 airmen, are working with local aviation authorities, the Venezuelan interim authority and the U.S. interagency response team to expand the intake of humanitarian aid through air transport, according to the statement.
The Contingency Response Airfield Assessment team was first on the ground to evaluate the airfield’s structural integrity and runway load-bearing capacity to verify its ability to have heavy cargo land safely.
Then the remaining CRE units arrived to establish airfield operations to support Venezuela’s air traffic control, airfield management and cargo handling.
“By stepping in to help manage tower and ground operations, the airmen are clearing logistical bottlenecks,” the release says. “This critical infrastructure support ensures that vital supplies, heavy equipment, and relief personnel reach the front lines of the disaster zone as quickly and safely as possible.”
The 621st CRW, known as the “Devil Raiders,” are housed at both Joint Base McGuire-Dix Lakehurst, New Jersey, and Travis Air Force Base, California. The 621st rapidly dispatch to open airbases, coordinate air mobility operations, assist partner nations and empower joint interoperability.
The wing also provided support following an earthquake in Haiti and supported relief efforts following floods in Pakistan, both in 2010. Then in 2017, the wing helped in the aftermath of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria across the Southern U.S. and the Caribbean.
Cristina Stassis is a reporter covering stories surrounding the defense industry, national security, military/veteran affairs and more. She previously worked as an editorial fellow for Defense News in 2024 where she assisted the newsroom in breaking news across Sightline Media Group.