The United States deported more than 100 Venezuelan nationals on Monday, resuming repatriation flights for the first time since a series of deadly earthquakes struck Venezuela in late June.
The charter flight departed from Miami and landed in Barcelona, an eastern coastal city in Venezuela, according to officials familiar with the operation.
The earthquakes killed more than 6,000 people and caused extensive damage across the country. Washington had paused deportation flights following the disasters, acknowledging the humanitarian crisis and the immediate strain on Venezuela's infrastructure and public services.
The deportees return to a country where housing, infrastructure and essential services remain severely affected by the June quakes. Humanitarian organizations have continued to call for international assistance, citing persistent difficulties delivering aid and rebuilding communities.
The resumption complicates an already strained relationship between Washington and Caracas. U.S. authorities have not publicly announced schedules for additional deportation flights.
