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The U.S. government announced new sanctions on Monday against owners, executives, and senior officials of transportation companies, travel agencies, and tour operators who, according to the State Department, have deliberately facilitated illegal immigration into U.S. territory through Nicaragua.
"United States does not tolerate those who benefit from illegal immigration nor those who violate our immigration laws," declared Tommy Pigott, spokesman for the State Department, on X.
"Today, we have taken measures to revoke visas and impose visa restrictions on owners, executives, and senior officials of transportation companies, travel agencies, and tour operators who knowingly facilitated illegal immigration to the United States through Nicaragua," he specified.
The State Department outlined that the actions are being taken under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which prohibits entry into the country for those whose activities may cause serious adverse consequences for U.S. foreign policy.
The restrictions include the revocation of existing visas and the imposition of new limitations to ensure that these individuals cannot enter the country.
"Investigations indicate that the entities represented by these individuals facilitated their travel through Nicaragua due to the permissive immigration policies of the regime of Daniel Ortega, which destabilize the region and drive illegal migration to the United States," stated the Department of State in its statement.
Spokesman Matthew Miller added that these measures aim to "protect the integrity of U.S. borders and ensure accountability for those seeking to profit from irregular migration."
The context of these sanctions is defined by the massive influx of Cubans and citizens of other nationalities into the United States via Nicaragua, following Ortega's removal of the visa requirement for Cubans.
Many families sold their belongings in Cuba to afford the tickets and the journey north, creating a multimillion-dollar business that benefited the Nicaraguan regime and also exerted pressure on the southern border of the United States.
A very profitable business that has not stopped
The regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo continues to turn the desperation of thousands of Cubans into an inexhaustible source of income that keeps enriching their coffers, even as international pressure mounts and the United States tightens its policy against Managua.
While Washington warns that the Sandinista government is using migration as a political weapon, the Managua-Honduras-Mexico route remains active and profitable, with Cubans as its backbone.
The latest data revealed by the independent newspaper La Prensa shows that between January and July of this year, over 21,000 migrants heading to the United States entered Honduras from Nicaragua. Of these, 83% were Cuban.
The figure confirms a sustained trend; despite the restrictions from the U.S. and Mexico, Cubans continue to bet on the Nicaraguan route as the only way out amid the crisis and repression of the regime in the Island.
History of sanctions against a dictatorship
These new restrictions add to those imposed last April, when the Trump administration sanctioned over 250 Nicaraguan officials for human rights violations, authoritarianism, and involvement in irregular migrant trafficking.
During 2024, Washington had also sanctioned executives of airline and maritime companies, as well as tour operators who facilitated irregular migration from Cuba to Nicaragua and from there to the United States.
The impact of recent measures is already evident in the closure of more than 70 charter flight routes, including strategic connections between Cuba and Nicaragua, as well as in the restriction of visas for individuals in Europe, Asia, and other regions linked to these networks.
With these actions, the United States reinforces its policy against the exploitation of migrants and human trafficking, dismantling networks that profit from the vulnerability of those seeking to enter the country irregularly.
The State Department emphasized that no one should profit financially from migrants, whether private companies or public officials, reinforcing a clear message of control and security at the borders.
In summary, the U.S. administration combines sanctions, visa restrictions, and the closure of strategic routes as part of a broader effort to curb irregular migration from Nicaragua and prevent these practices from destabilizing the region and compromising the national security of the United States.
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