Colombia denies U.S. deportation flights

President Donald Trump announced Sunday that he would impose sweeping retaliatory measures on Colombia after its government blocked two U.S. military planes carrying deported Colombian nationals. Initially cleared for landing, the flights—each transporting around 80 migrants—were denied entry when President Gustavo Petro abruptly revoked diplomatic clearances.

Trump retaliates with tariffs and visa sanctions

Trump responded by unveiling a comprehensive set of punitive actions. These include a 25% tariff on Colombian imports—rising to 50% in a week—plus visa sanctions on Colombian officials, allies, and their families. He argued that Petro’s decision threatened U.S. national security and violated Colombia’s international obligations to accept deported nationals.

Petro’s defiant response

The Colombian president dismissed Trump’s announcement, raising tariffs on U.S. imports by 25% and urging the country to seek new trading partners. Petro also reiterated that Colombia is “not anyone’s colony,” criticizing Washington’s approach. In a statement, his office framed the flight denial as a step to ensure “dignified conditions” for returning Colombians, promising they would be received on civilian aircraft.

Growing tensions over immigration enforcement

The U.S. has already run into similar clashes: Mexico briefly blocked two U.S. deportation flights last week, and Brazil condemned the “degrading treatment” of its citizens on an ICE repatriation flight. Meanwhile, Guatemala accepted three U.S. deportation flights in recent days, including two on military aircraft.

Escalating crackdown on illegal immigration

These deportation flights and subsequent diplomatic flare-ups come amid the Trump administration’s intensified push to curb illegal immigration. Under newly signed executive orders, the administration has deployed an additional 1,500 troops to the southern border and bolstered Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.