Reports from major news outlets or official statements confirming the flight

Colombia Agrees to Unrestricted Deportation on U.S. Military C-17s After Trump's Tariff Threat

Jan 27, 2025, 04:59 AM

The White House announced that Colombia has agreed to all of President Donald Trump's terms regarding the deportation of migrants, following a tense standoff over the use of U.S. military aircraft for deportation flights. The agreement includes the unrestricted acceptance of all Colombian migrants returned from the United States, including on military aircraft, without limitation or delay. This comes after Trump threatened to impose a 25% tariff on Colombian imports, which would increase to 50% in a week, along with visa sanctions and enhanced customs inspections. In response, Colombian President Gustavo Petro had initially blocked two U.S. military deportation flights, each carrying about 80 migrants, on C-17 aircraft, demanding that migrants be treated with dignity and returned on civilian planes. However, after negotiations, Colombia agreed to accept the deportation flights as per Trump's terms, and the U.S. has decided to hold the tariffs and sanctions in reserve unless Colombia fails to honor the agreement. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the agreement, while Colombian Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo stated that Colombia would continue to receive its citizens, guaranteeing them dignified conditions. Visa sanctions and enhanced inspections will remain in effect until the first planeload of Colombian deportees is returned.