Argentine footballer Lucas Trejo's wife and two children have been found dead following the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela earlier this week, according to the *New York Post*.
The country was hit by two powerful earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude on Wednesday. The disaster has claimed at least 1,430 lives, with Trejo's wife, Yanina Maranella, and the couple's children, Aarón and Ainhoa, among the victims.
The deaths were confirmed by family friend and fellow footballer Edson Tortolero in a statement shared on Instagram.
> "We inform all the people of Venezuela and Argentina that the bodies of Lucas Trejo's family members have been found lifeless. We thank everyone for the support and ask for the most sincere respect for his family at this time. We pray for eternal life for them," Tortolero wrote in Spanish.
Trejo's club, Club Sport Marítimo de La Guaira, also issued a statement expressing its condolences after the family's bodies were recovered following a 74-hour search.
"Club Sport Marítimo La Guaira deeply mourns the loss suffered by Lucas Trejo's family. We ask for respect for his relatives and teammates. After a 74-hour search, they were found deceased," the club said.
Trejo, 38, joined Marítimo earlier this year after spending much of his professional career in Venezuela. According to reports from Argentina, his father and brother traveled to Venezuela to support him during the search for his family.
In recent months, Trejo had shared photos of his family on Instagram. In April, he posted a birthday tribute to his wife, writing: "Happy birthday my love!!! May God richly bless your life and continue to fulfill the desires of your heart."
