Department of Homeland Security and Defense Department officials say Colombia has refused admission to two U.S. military deportation flights.
The defense official told NBC News that the flights, which were operated aboard U.S. military C-17 aircraft, had left California and were transporting roughly 80 Colombian migrants apiece.
The official stated that after Colombian President Gustavo Petro abruptly revoked all diplomatic permissions for U.S. military and Immigration and Customs Enforcement aircraft, the flights that had been cleared for landing were stopped.
Petro expressed disapproval of the way deported refugees were treated in a statement posted on X.
He wrote that a migrant should be treated with the respect that every human being is entitled to because they are not criminals. Without treating them like criminals, we will transport our citizens in private aircraft. Colombia has to be respected.