More than 100 Venezuelans who were deported from the United States just hours before the devastating earthquakes are now missing. The deportees, including 19 women and seven children, were being held in a hotel in La Guaira when the earthquakes struck, causing widespread destruction and chaos.

Survivors’ Accounts

Lisbeth Portillo, a 58-year-old deportee, described her terrifying experience. She said she was in a second-floor room with 16 other women when the earthquake hit, causing the building to collapse. Portillo was able to escape the rubble, but many others were not so fortunate.

Portillo and about 20 other deportees walked the streets, searching for help and trying to contact their relatives. They eventually reached a National Guard building, where they were able to call their families and let them know they were alive.

Deportation Flight

The deportees had arrived in Venezuela on a flight from Miami, just hours before the earthquakes. The flight was part of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) deportation program, which has been criticized by human rights groups.

The Venezuelan government has reported that over 1,700 people were killed in the earthquakes, and many more are still missing. The deportees’ families are desperately searching for their loved ones, but so far, many remain unaccounted for.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.