Donald Trump on Sunday fired a warning shot at Central and South American countries if they refuse to comply with his plan to return flights of deported migrants to their countries of origin.
The president announced on his Truth Social account that he is imposing a 25 percent tariff on all goods coming from Colombia — and the penalty will increase to 50 percent within a week.
It came after Colombia refused to allow two US military flights full of migrants to land on its territory on Sunday.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro said in a post on X earlier Sunday morning that he would not allow the US to land with migrants aboard military aircraft.
Trump immediately announced sanctions against the South American country in retaliation for the order.
“I have directed my administration to immediately take the following urgent and decisive retaliatory actions,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday.
He announced the tariffs, as well as his imposition of “a travel ban and immediate visa revocations on Colombian government officials and all allies and supporters.”
According to Trump's announcement on social media, all “party members, family members and supporters of the Colombian government” will also face visa sanctions.
Donald Trump has ordered sanctions on Colombia after the country refused to allow US military flights of deported migrants back to Colombia to land this weekend
Mexico and Colombia have refused to allow US military planes carrying illegal migrants to land on their countries' territory as Donald Trump continues his mass deportation plan
“These measures are just the beginning,” the president warned. “We will not allow the Colombian government to violate its legal obligations regarding the acceptance and return of the criminals they forced into the United States!”
Trump hit early roadblocks this week with his plans for the mass deportation of illegal immigrants, when Mexico and Colombia both refused to allow flights to land in their countries.
The official said there were 80 migrants on board each of the two flights bound for South America when the plane's permission to land in Colombia was revoked.
Now the Trump administration is working on a deal with El Salvador to accept migrants from third countries, which would prevent them from seeking asylum in the US.
Mexican authorities this week also prevented the US plane from deporting illegal immigrants to their country.
It is not clear why Mexican authorities blocked the flight – especially after the country's naval forces were seen building a temporary shelter to take back those who had illegally crossed the northern border into the US.
Deporting migrants abroad requires permission from the government of the entering country.
Trump announced on Truth Social on Sunday that he was directing his administration to impose sanctions and tariffs on Colombia and its government officials after the president refused to allow two separate military flights of migrants to land back in their country.
Trump signed about a dozen executive orders related to illegal immigration and the migrant border crisis during his first week in the Oval Office.
But a plane full of migrants did not leave the US after Mexico said it would not allow it to land on their territory.
The flight was one of three scheduled to depart on Thursday.
The other two were bound for Guatemala with more than 150 people on board – and successfully completed their missions when the government allowed the plane carrying deported migrants to land.
Defense Department officials confirmed last week that their forces plan to fly 5,400 migrants currently in custody out of the US on deportation missions.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro said in a post Sunday morning that he would not allow the US to land with deported migrants aboard two military planes
Trump is working with El Salvador to try to reach an agreement to accept deportation flights of migrants from third countries. Pictured: Migrants deplane a US military plane after it landed in Guatemala on January 24, 2025
The aircrews and maintenance teams involved in the missions complement the 1,500 active-duty soldiers and Marines who deployed to the border last week.
Four C-17 and C-130 military aircraft were moved this week to El Paso, Texas, and San Diego, California, an official told Task & Purpose, in preparation for the deportation flights.
During his first moments as president, Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border.
Trump plans to send 10,000 active-duty troops to the border as he ordered the Defense Department to take “full operational control” of dealing with the national security crisis.
