U.S. imposes visa restrictions on Colombian transport firms aiding irregular migration
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May 6 (UPI) -- The Biden administration on Monday imposed visa restrictions on Colombian transportation companies accused of preying on vulnerable migrants seeking to enter the United States.
The companies were not individually identified, but the State Department said they knowingly participated in the irregular migration of migrants by sea, exposing them to exploitation and violence.
"U.S. visa restrictions promote accountability for these actors and send a signal that no one should profit from vulnerable migrants -- not smugglers, private companies nor public officials," the State Department said in a statement.
The announcement of the visa restrictions comes ahead of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday leading a delegation to Guatemala for a ministerial meeting centered on migration.
The State Department said over the weekend that Blinken is expected at the meeting to highlight the Biden administration's efforts to bolster humane migration management, strengthen law enforcement, create lawful pathways and increase refugee and migrant integration in the Americas.
The sanctions announced Monday come under powers given to the state Department in November targeting operators of Nicaraguan chartered flight companies offering flights at extortion prices to send migrants toward the U.S. southern border.
That power was then expanded in February to allow the targeting of all transportation operators credibly accused of offering services specifically targeting migrants seeking to illegally enter the United States.
