Trump announces retaliatory measures after Colombia blocks military deportation flights from U.S.
President Donald Trump said Sunday he would impose sweeping retaliatory measures against Colombia, including tariffs and visa sanctions, after the country denied entry to two U.S. military deportation flights.
“These actions are just the beginning. We will not allow the Colombian government to violate its legal obligations regarding the admission and return of criminals it has forced into the United States!” Trump wrote in the Social Truth post.
Officials from the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense confirmed to NBC News that the flights were denied.
The flights, carried out on US C-17 military aircraft, each carried about 80 Colombian migrants and departed from California, the defense official told NBC News.
In response, Trump announced sweeping retaliatory measures that include tariffs on Colombian imports, visa sanctions on government officials and allies, enhanced customs inspections and financial sanctions, as the United States accuses Colombia of violating its obligations to accept deported citizens.
Trump justified these measures by saying:[President Gustavo] Petro’s refusal of these trips has jeopardized the national security and public safety of the United States.
He added that customs duties on Colombian imports will start with 25% customs duties on all goods, but will rise to 50% within one week.
“Retaliatory measures also include, ‘travel bans and immediate visa revocations of Colombian government officials and all allies and supporters,’ as well as ‘visa sanctions on all party members, family members, and supporters of the Colombian government,’” Trump wrote.
According to Office of the United States Trade RepresentativeThe estimated total value of trade in goods and services between the United States and Colombia in 2022 is an estimated $53.5 billion, with the value of exports slightly exceeding the value of imports.
and, According to the Bureau of Industry and SecurityThe most important US imports from Colombia in recent years have been oils, minerals, lime, and cement, which totaled more than 40% of imports, and agricultural goods, which added more than 26% of imports.
The flights were initially cleared to land, but were halted after Colombian President Gustavo Petro suddenly revoked all diplomatic clearance for the plane, the official said.
In a later statement, Petro’s office wrote that the flights were halted not because he did not want to facilitate the return of Colombians to his country, but because the government was prioritizing “dignified conditions” for migrants.
“The Government of Colombia, led by President Gustavo Petro, has arranged the presidential plane to facilitate the dignified return of Colombian citizens who were scheduled to arrive in the country today in the morning hours, coming from deportation flights,” the statement read. .
The statement added, “This measure responds to the government’s commitment to ensuring dignified conditions. In no way have Colombians, as patriots and rights holders, been expelled from Colombian territory.”
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This comes after Mexico temporarily grounded two US planes carrying 80 passengers each from landing last week, thwarting deportation plans and raising tensions. While the issue was later resolved, Mexican officials expressed opposition to unilateral actions taken by the United States on immigration policy.
In a statement shared on X, Petro criticized the use of military aircraft for deportation.
“An immigrant is not a criminal and should be treated with the dignity a human being deserves,” he wrote. We will receive our citizens on civilian aircraft without treating them as criminals. Colombia must be respected.”
The Brazilian government condemned what it saw as humiliating treatment of its citizens on a flight home on Friday, citing the use of handcuffs, a malfunctioning air-conditioning system and other violations of a bilateral agreement guaranteeing humane treatment.
On Friday, Guatemala received about 265 citizens who were deported on three flights from the United States, two of which were military aircraft, according to the Guatemalan Migration Institute.
The flights are part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration, which began through executive orders during Trump’s first week in office. Along with deportation efforts, the administration has deployed an additional 1,500 troops to the U.S.-Mexico border to bolster law enforcement.
