First deportees from US were not criminals, Colombian government says

The Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Newsweek on Tuesday that none of the deportees sent from the U.S. to Colombia in the first batch of repatriation flights under the new Trump administration had criminal records in either country, with their sole offense being in the U.S. illegally.

Two Colombian Air Force planes carrying deportees from the U.S. landed at El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá on Tuesday, following a weekend standoff between President Trump and Colombian President Gustavo Petro.

Newsweek reached out to the White House and ICE for comment on the Colombians’ claim.

Why It Matters

Colombia and the U.S. reached an agreement on Sunday after a brief standoff between Petro and Trump. The tension began when Petro blocked the deportation flights on Sunday while they were in the air, prompting Trump to threaten a 25 percent tariff on all Colombian goods, with plans to increase it to 50 percent within a week, among other sanctions.

At the House Republicans‘ annual policy retreat in Doral, Florida, Trump addressed the tiff, defending his decision to use military aircraft to send back the migrants. He claimed that the majority of those deported were dangerous criminals, describing them as “the worst people you’ve ever seen,” which is why they were transported in handcuffs.

“Three hundred people sitting on a plane. Every single one of them is either a murderer, a drug lord, a kingpin, the head of the mob, or a gang member,” Trump said. “And you’re flying that plane—it’s not gonna end well. You ever see the movie ‘Con Air’? Except here’s the difference: the people in ‘Con Air’ were actors.”

The Trump administration has said that it would focus on migrants with criminal records in the first phase of its mass deportation efforts.

What To Know

In a statement to Newsweek, a spokesperson for the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the flights carried 201 Colombian nationals, including men, women and children. The first flight, from El Paso, had 91 passengers—46 men and 45 women. The second flight, from San Diego, transported 110 people, including 62 men, 32 women, and 16 minors.

Upon arriving in Bogotá, some deportees told assembled reporters they had no criminal records in the U.S. and that their only offense was crossing the border. Many said they had been picked up a week earlier at the U.S.-Mexico border and were immediately deported after their asylum claims were denied.

“I was trying to be in that country legally. I had a job here in Colombia; I am a mechatronics engineer,” said Fredy Alexander, who had his asylum request denied after spending 12 days in the U.S.

“They treated us like criminals; it was inhumane. We were handcuffed. I crossed the border last week; here, I have nothing,” said another unnamed deportee.

Local authorities confirmed to Newsweek that none of the deportees had any criminal record in Colombia.

Deportation flights from the U.S. are common, with ICE conducting hundreds each year. Between 2020 and 2024, Colombia alone received 475 deportation flights from the United States, including some in which the deportees were chained at the ankles.

However, using military aircraft to conduct the repatriation flights is new, as such flights have typically relied on commercial and charter aircraft. U.S. officials said military planes were used over the weekend due to a shortage of commercial and charter options.

What People Are Saying

Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary, said in a statement that Colombia agreed to all of Trump’s terms: “including the unrestricted acceptance of all illegal aliens from Colombia returned from the United States, including on U.S. military aircraft, without limitation or delay.”

Florida GOP Rep. Maria Salazar, speaking on Colombian radio: “Trump was saying he was repatriating criminals, illegals, people who shouldn’t be in this country. I don’t understand why Petro wants to pick unnecessary fights; he was putting millions of dollars in Colombian exports at risk. He’s a president who isn’t respecting the will of his people.”

Colombian Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), wrote: “As part of the agreement with our partners in the United States, the first Colombian Air Force flight will take off in just a few minutes to ensure the dignified return of 110 Colombian nationals. We have worked to protect their rights, with the support of our consulates, prioritizing the well-being of our people and strengthening the bilateral relationship.

What Happens Next

Now that Colombia has agreed to allow U.S. military aircraft carrying deported migrants to land in the country, the threat of tariffs has been averted, and trade will continue to flow uninterrupted.

The Colombian Foreign Ministry said that Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo and Ambassador to the U.S. Daniel García-Peña are planning to travel to Washington, D.C. to discuss diplomatic relations following the dispute.