The U.S. announces sanctions on executives of travel agencies and tour operators that facilitate irregular emigration.

The United States government expanded this Wednesday its policy of sanctions to executives of travel agencies and tour operators that facilitate irregular emigration from Latin America.

In a statement from the Department of State, it was reported that visa restrictions are being expanded under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which prohibits the issuance of visas to individuals who facilitate irregular migration to the United States and benefit from the exploitation of vulnerable migrants.

The policy - which previously affected airlines and charter flights - will now also apply to executives of travel agencies and tour operators that offer travel services designed mainly for irregular migrants.

Under this regulation, the managers of travel agencies that offer tour packages to Cubans to visit the so-called "Land of Volcanoes" (Nicaragua) could be affected. These managers, after dropping off the passengers at a hotel, acknowledge that none of them will go on any tours but will instead embark on a journey through Central America to the U.S. border.

"No one should benefit from vulnerable migrants—neither traffickers, nor private companies, nor public officials, nor anyone else," stated U.S. authorities.

According to the statement, with the implementation of this policy, the United States will continue using "visa restrictions against unscrupulous transportation executives" as part of a campaign to eliminate exploitative practices inside and outside the Western Hemisphere.

This action expands a policy of the Department of State announced in February 2024, which replaced a previous policy announced in November 2023, under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the INA.

That policy was aimed at senior officers of companies that provide chartered land, sea, or air transportation, but will now also cover senior officials of travel agencies and tour operators.

Since last year, these measures have begun to affect companies that transport irregular immigrants to Nicaragua, mainly from Cuba and Haiti.

At the beginning of November 2023, the United States expressed concern about the increase in these charter flights from Cuba to Nicaragua, and stated that they were aware that they were leaving the island full of passengers and returning empty.

Two weeks later, the State Department reported that it was evaluating possible consequences for those companies that facilitate the exodus of Cubans through Nicaragua via charter flights.

On June 13th, the White House reported that it had sanctioned transporters who were facilitating the entry of irregular immigrants into the country through flights of Cubans to Nicaragua.