Over 100 Venezuelans deported from the US hours before the earthquakes are missing

Lead

More than 100 Venezuelans deported from the United States were being held in a hotel when twin earthquakes struck the country, trapping them in the rubble and setting off a scramble to find survivors. The deportation flight from Miami arrived in Caracas hours before Wednesday's earthquakes, and the deportees were housed in a hotel in La Guaira, one of the hardest-hit areas, according to survivors and officials.

Coverage Comparison

All five outlets covered the same core facts: the timing of the flight, the number of deportees, and the ordeal of Lisbeth Portillo, a 58-year-old deportee who escaped the collapse. However, their approaches differed significantly.

Al Jazeera presented the story primarily as breaking news, emphasizing rescue efforts. The BBC focused on a personal story, detailing the case of Abelardo Rincón, a 23-year-old deportee who remains missing, and his family's desperate search. The Guardian, South China Morning Post, and The Hindu each led with Portillo's survivor account, framing the disaster as a human interest tragedy.

All sources agreed on the key facts: 146 Venezuelans, including 19 women and seven children, were on board the flight, according to ICE Flight Monitor, an initiative of Human Rights First, which tracks deportation flights. The flight arrived hours before the earthquakes. Portillo, who was staying on a second-floor room with 16 other women, described escaping the rubble with about 20 other deportees and walking the streets looking for help.

A discrepancy emerged regarding the death toll. The Venezuelan government says more than 1,700 people were killed across the country, a figure cited by Al Jazeera, The Guardian, South China Morning Post, and The Hindu. The BBC, however, reported a death toll of at least 2,200, citing UN figures that also mention 50,000 missing. The reason for the discrepancy is not explained in the reports, but it may reflect different counting methods or timing.

Key Claims

• Deportation flight and passenger count: A deportation flight from Miami arrived in Caracas hours before Wednesday's earthquakes. On board were 146 Venezuelans, including 19 women and seven children, according to ICE Flight Monitor. This detail was reported by all five sources.

• Survivor account: Lisbeth Portillo, 58, said she escaped the rubble from the hotel with about 20 other deportees who walked the streets looking for help. They saw people running, some naked and others barefoot, as they emerged from the rubble of the building in La Guaira, one of the areas hardest hit by the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes. Portillo, speaking by phone from her home in Maracaibo, said, "We walked about 5km, and I cried and cried … there was no communication." She reached a National Guard building, where she had a chance to call relatives. "I was born again; God gave me a second chance," she said. "I am traumatised," she added, weeping. This account was carried by all five outlets.

• Missing deportee: Abelardo Rincón, 23, was deported from the US and is now missing. The BBC reported that Rincón had built a life for six years in Georgia, working at a car dealership, marrying, and expecting a daughter. He was among the missing deportees from Flight 164. This claim appears only in the BBC's reporting.

• Hotel conditions: The deportees were being held in a hotel when the earthquakes struck. According to The Guardian and The Hindu, Portillo said the government took them to the Hotel Santuario La Llanada, where they underwent medical exams and received identification documents. They were told they would go home the next day.

• Immigration context: Portillo was caught up in the Trump administration's drive for mass deportations. ICE Flight Monitor tracked 288 deportation flights in May to 38 countries, including 12 flights to Venezuela, operating three days a week. Deportation flights to Venezuela resumed in February 2025 after a 13-month pause. These details were reported by The Guardian and The Hindu.

• Government response: The Venezuelan government has posted numbers for the general public to call, but information has been limited in the wake of the disaster, as reported by the BBC. The US Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, provided a statement to the BBC: "This flight safely reached Venezuela and all illegal aliens on board were returned home. When an individual is no longer in ICE custody, ICE is no longer responsible for them."