The United States is moving forward with visa restrictions aimed at an executive of a charter flight company accused of facilitating irregular migration into the country via Nicaragua from outside the Western Hemisphere. Such companies are accused of exploiting vulnerable migrants by offering services that aid irregular migration routes to the United States. Meanwhile, the Nicaraguan government under the Ortega-Murillo regime is alleged to profit financially from these exploitative practices.
The imposition of visa restrictions by the U.S. aims to hold accountable those involved in profiting from vulnerable migrants—be it smugglers, private companies, or public officials. The U.S. government pledges to continue enforcing visa restrictions against owners, executives, and senior officials of transportation companies engaged in such practices. These efforts are part of a broader initiative to combat exploitative activities both within and beyond the Western Hemisphere, in collaboration with governmental and private sector partners.
This action falls under a State Department policy announced in February 2024, which builds upon and replaces a previous policy from November 2023 under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) Section 212(a)(3)(C). The policy specifically targets senior officials of companies providing transportation services—whether by land, sea, or charter air—that are primarily utilized by individuals seeking to migrate irregularly to the United States.