On 24 June 2026, a devastating earthquake doublet struck northwestern and central Venezuela, beginning with a Mw 7.2 foreshock near Yumare and followed just 30 seconds later by a Mw 7.5 mainshock off the coast of La Guaira. The quakes caused catastrophic destruction, especially in Caracas and the state of La Guaira, where 80% of buildings collapsed, resulting in over 6,400 deaths, roughly 86,300 injuries, and tens of thousands missing by August 2026. The USGS PAGER system predicted the final death toll could exceed 10,000, marking this as the strongest earthquake in Venezuela since the 1900 San Narciso event. The disaster originated along the transpressional boundary between the Caribbean and South American plates, specifically on the Boconó–San Sebastián–El Pilar fault system, which accommodates about 10 mm of lateral movement per year. The mostly offshore San Sebastián Fault had been previously identified as a potential source for a magnitude 7.1 quake, and this event fits a pattern of historical ruptures in 1641, 1812, and 1900.