Washington — President Trump vowed immediate and severe retaliation on Sunday after the Colombian government blocked the arrival of U.S. deportation flights over the weekend. The Colombian authorities objected to the Trump administration’s plan to utilize military planes for deporting migrants.
According to CBS News, Trump announced via social media that his administration would implement several measures against Colombia, including a 25% tariff on all goods entering the U.S. from Colombia, which he stated would increase to 50% after one week.
Additionally, he declared a travel ban and “immediate visa revocation” for Colombian government officials and their associates, alongside visa sanctions on Colombian authorities and their families, as well as enhanced customs inspections on travelers and cargo from Colombia.
“These measures are just the beginning,” Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social. “We will not permit the Colombian Government to disregard its legal obligations regarding the acceptance and repatriation of the criminals they sent to the United States!”
A senior administration official remarked that Trump’s actions send “a clear message” to countries about their obligation to accept repatriation flights.
Earlier on Sunday, Colombian President Gustavo Petro stated he rejected the deportation flights because they involved military aircraft, arguing that such an approach treated migrants as criminals. “The United States must establish a protocol for the dignified treatment of migrants before we receive them,” Petro wrote on social media, adding that he would accept deportation flights if conducted on civilian planes.
Two U.S. officials informed CBS News that two Department of Defense planes carrying migrant deportees were scheduled to arrive in Colombia on Sunday after departing from the San Diego area near the southern border. However, those plans were canceled overnight. One official indicated that the intention was to deport approximately 80 Colombian migrants on each military aircraft.
Colombia’s decision to block the U.S. deportation flights represents an early diplomatic setback for the Trump administration as it prepares for its promised mass deportation campaign and a crackdown on illegal immigration.
As part of this effort, President Trump has sought to significantly enhance the military’s role in immigration enforcement, declaring a national emergency to deploy an additional 1,500 Army soldiers and Marines to the southern border. These troops have been tasked with constructing border barriers and assisting Customs and Border Protection in operational duties, despite long-standing legal restrictions on using military personnel for civil law enforcement, including immigration laws.
Earlier in the week, the administration utilized military aircraft to deport Guatemalan migrants who had illegally crossed the southern border back to Guatemala, promoting the action as the beginning of their mass deportation initiative.
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