Moreno says he will introduce legislation to sanction Colombia
Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) said Sunday he will introduce legislation to sanction Colombia this week after the country’s president reportedly denied entry to two planes carrying deported migrants from the U.S.
“This week I will introduce legislation to impose new sanctions on Colombia for refusing @realDonaldTrump’s migrant repatriation flights,” Moreno wrote on the social platform X.
Moreno, who was born in Colombia, said the legislation would be joined by Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) and Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.).
The statement follows President Trump’s announcement that he is enacting tariffs, a travel ban and other measures in response to the Colombian government’s rejection of two planes carrying migrants, and in response to the country’s president saying he would prohibit the entry of deportation flights from the U.S.
“I was just informed that two repatriation flights from the United States, with a large number of Illegal Criminals, were not allowed to land in Colombia. This order was given by Colombia’s Socialist President Gustavo Petro, who is already very unpopular amongst his people,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
Trump added that the Colombian president’s “denial of these flights has jeopardized the National Security and Public Safety of the United States,” and that, therefore, he had “directed my Administration to immediately take the following urgent and decisive retaliatory measures,” including U.S.-bound goods facing tariffs of 25 percent and the prohibition of travel “on the Colombian Government Officials, and all Allies and Supporters.”
“These measures are just the beginning. We will not allow the Colombian Government to violate its legal obligations with regard to the acceptance and return of the Criminals they forced into the United States!” Trump said.