Deported Venezuelans killed by earthquake as survivors plead for help
Over 100 Venezuelans deported from the US were killed or went missing in catastrophic earthquakes just hours after arriving in the country.
ICE Flight Monitor, an initiative run by Human Rights Watch, said the flight carrying 146 Venezuelans left Miami and landed in Caracas on Wednesday at 10.22am.
They would all be injured, missing, or dead just hours later when a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck the country, with one confirmed in hospital while some survivors have begun to reach family.
At least 1,750 people are confirmed killed across the country so far, including four Americans, with the death toll expected to rise as tens of thousands remain unaccounted for.
While the deportees were transported to Hotel Santuario in La Guaira for processing, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security told the Daily Mail that the Venezuelans were no longer in the custody of the US government when the earthquake hit.
'This flight safely reached Venezuela and all illegal aliens on board were returned home,' the spokesperson said. 'When an individual is no longer in ICE custody, ICE is no longer responsible for them.'
Deportation flights from the US to Venezuela ramped up in recent months following the Trump administration's decision to end Temporary Protected Status for 300,000 migrants.
ICE Flight Monitor tracked 1,746 Venezuelans deported from the US in May. The monitor tracked a total of 12 flights throughout the month, operating three days a week.
Over 100 Venezuelans were trapped in the catastrophic deadly earthquakes last week just hours after they were deported to their home country. Video footage before the natural disaster showed multiple men, women and children at the Simón Bolívar International Airport
A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck the country last Wednesday, killing at least 1,750 people with thousands unaccounted for
The deportees were taken to a hotel in La Guaira for processing. The government's Return to the Homeland Grand Mission said there were 120 men, 19 women, five boys and two girls on board the flight
Mervin Maldonado, a Venezuelan politician affiliated with the government's Return to the Homeland Grand Mission, shared a video online of the most recent group of Venezuelans leaving the plane.
Maldonado was seen greeting the migrants and giving toys to children on board the flight.
The Grand Mission also shared several photos online of the individuals at the Simón Bolívar International Airport.
They said the flight left from Miami and passengers included 120 men, 19 women, five boys and two girls 'all ready to begin a new chapter in their beloved homeland.'
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It is unclear if there were any Americans on board the flight. The State Department has said that four Americans are known to have died in the earthquakes.
As search and rescue efforts have continued, video footage in La Guaira shared by the AFP News Agency showed survivors screaming at members of the army for not clearing the rubble in a tense confrontation.
'What did you bring weapons for? You should've brought a shovel, a pickaxe. That uniform is to defend the homeland, to defend a country,' one resident was heard saying to a soldier in Spanish.
The volunteer told the news agency that he was bothered that a general showed up with around 15 armed officers, and they stood against the wall as residents pulled bodies from the rubble.
Venezuelans have been left in agonizing confusion as many are desperately checking morgue records and hospitals for their loved ones.
Alonso Guanipa Toyo told NPR that his brother, Victor, was among the deportees who landed in Venezuela from Miami.
He said his family has not had any government help locating his brother, adding, 'If there's not a corpse, there's no dead (person).'
La Guaira was devastated by the earthquakes. Hundreds of buildings were destroyed and massive rescue missions ensued to locate victims and survivors
There are still thousands unaccounted for following the deadly earthquakes. Communities across the country have been destroyed
The deportees were transported to Hotel Santuario in La Guaira, seen above, for processing when the earthquake struck
Guanipa Toyo said Victor was detained in Texas on June 12 at a nightclub. He added that his brother had no criminal record and was in the US legally.
Oswadeliz Nuñez said his son, Daniel, was also among the detainees at Hotel Santuario when the earthquake struck.
The concerned father said that Daniel had been living in Jacksonville, Florida and worked in construction.
He was detained by immigration officials on his way to work in May after crossing the border illegally and driving without a license.
Georgelyss Montes said her best friend, Angelo Mejía Meléndez, was on the flight and was later killed in the earthquake. His family identified him by a tattoo that was visible on his arm.
Two families of deportees on the flight confirmed to Reuters that there were 12 survivors. Another family member said Grand Mission had informed them there were 32 survivors.
Anderson Daniel Salcedo was identified as one of the survivors. His grandmother told Reuters that he was found 40 hours after the earthquake and sustained life-changing injuries.
Families of the 146 deportees are searching hospitals and morgues in a desperate search for those unaccounted for
Angelo Mejía Meléndez was identified by family members as one of the victims who did not survive the earthquake on the deportation flight
His family, along with others who had relatives on the flight, said the deportees had their phones and paperwork taken by officials, complicating search-and-rescue efforts.
'He spent 40 hours in that hole, he didn't have an ID, they couldn't account for him because he had no documents,' Salcedo's grandmother, Marlene Lozano, said.
'We had no way to communicate with him and didn't know anything.'
Lozano added that her grandson had his legs amputated after being under the rubble, which was worsened when he was pulled out. He has been intubated as his family waits and hopes for a recovery.
Lisbeth Portillo recalled her harrowing survival story at Hotel Santuario to the Associated Press.
She said she was in a second-floor room with 16 other women when she saw the sky go black.
Mervin Maldonado, a Venezuelan politician affiliated with the government's Return to the Homeland Grand Mission, shared a video and photos online giving gifts to children on board the flight
It is believed that there were seven children on the deportation flight. The number of individuals who survived from the flight has not been confirmed
Portillo then lay down when she felt the shaking and heard screams for help. She said she was buried and covered by a beam but was able to escape with 20 other deportees.
'We walked about five kilometers, and I cried and cried … there was no communication,' she recalled.
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Portillo said the group eventually reached a National Guard building where they called their loved ones.
'I was born again; God gave me a second chance. I am traumatized,' she continued.
