Trump Imposes 25% Tariffs and Sanctions on Colombia Amid Migrant Dispute

In a bold response to Colombia's refusal to accept U.S. military flights carrying deported migrants, President Donald Trump announced sweeping retaliatory measures on Sunday, including tariffs and sanctions.

The tensions flared after the South American nation denied entry to two U.S. military aircraft carrying migrants being deported as part of the U.S. administration's crackdown on illegal immigration. Colombia, the third-largest U.S. trading partner in Latin America, quickly retaliated by threatening to impose a 50% tariff on U.S. imports. Later, President Gustavo Petro, who leads the country's left-wing government, directed his trade minister to escalate tariffs on U.S. goods by 25%.

This marks the second time a Latin American country has refused U.S. military deportation flights. Trump's punitive measures underscore his hardline foreign policy stance and his determination to pressure countries into compliance with U.S. immigration policies. On Truth Social, Trump claimed Colombia's refusal jeopardized U.S. national security.

The retaliatory actions include imposing 25% tariffs on all Colombian goods entering the U.S., which will increase to 50% within a week, along with a travel ban and visa revocations for Colombian government officials. Additionally, Trump announced emergency financial sanctions targeting Colombia's banking and treasury sectors, along with heightened border inspections for Colombian nationals and goods.

“These actions are just the beginning,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “We will not let the Colombian government violate its obligations by refusing to take back criminals they’ve sent to the U.S.!”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also criticized Petro’s decision, emphasizing that Colombia had originally approved the deportation flights but reversed the decision once the planes were already in the air.

In response, President Petro condemned the U.S. approach, calling it a criminalization of migrants. In a post on X, Petro expressed that Colombia would instead welcome deported migrants via civilian flights, rejecting the notion of treating them as criminals. He also pointed out that while there were over 15,000 undocumented Americans living in Colombia, his government would never carry out similar deportation measures for U.S. citizens. “We are the opposite of the Nazis,” Petro wrote.

Trump's move comes amidst his broader immigration crackdown, which he declared a national emergency. Since taking office last week, he has directed the U.S. military to assist with border security, imposed a ban on asylum seekers, and taken steps to restrict birthright citizenship.