Colombia expelled foreign nationals over the weekend, a hardline enforcement action targeting those authorities say systematically disrupted public order in major cities.
The crackdown unfolded in two waves. On Saturday, President Abelardo De La Espriella announced the expulsion of 33 foreigners from Barranquilla and Cartagena, a move he detailed in a series of forceful social media posts. The group, he said, had accumulated 152 “corrective measures” for behaviors including street brawls, carrying bladed weapons, and openly using narcotics.
¡A LOS BANDIDOS QUE VIENEN A SEMBRAR EL CAOS LOS SACAMOS DE COLOMBIA! ¡En la era del Tigre, la autoridad se respeta y la ley se cumple! Hemos expulsado del país a 33 ciudadanos extranjeros que venían alterando la tranquilidad de Barranquilla y Cartagena y que acumulaban 152… pic.twitter.com/6C1whmtKzW
The operation intensified the following morning when Migración Colombia, in a coordinated effort with the National Police and the Army, expelled an additional 80 individuals from Bogotá. These foreigners, according to Bogotá’s Secretariat of Security, were responsible for more than 1,100 documented infractions, ranging from theft and drug trafficking to extortion and “concert for crime.”
A Show of Force from the Presidency
“To the bandits who come to sow chaos, we are kicking them out of Colombia!” he declared in one post. “In the era of the Tiger, authority is respected and the law is fulfilled!”
Colombia expulsó a más de 80 venezolanos que se encontraban en situación irregular https://t.co/hKoW6ixXHA
“Colombia is a place to come and respect the law, not to commit crimes!” he said. “Let it be clear: no one is above the law here. As my name is Abelardo De La Espriella!”
The logistical operation was as sweeping as the political message. The 80 individuals detained in Bogotá were gathered from 15 different localities. They were first processed at the Sijín, Bogotá’s criminal investigation headquarters, before being transferred under heavy guard to the CATAM military base.
There, they boarded a Colombian Air Force transport plane bound for Cúcuta, a city on the Venezuelan border, where they were handed over to local authorities.
¡80 EXTRANJEROS QUE VINIERON A DELINQUIR A BOGOTÁ FUERON EXPULSADOS DE COLOMBIA! ¡A NUESTRO PAÍS SE VIENE A RESPETAR LA LEY, NO A BURLARSE DE ELLA! He dado una instrucción clara: quienes vengan a Colombia a delinquir no pueden encontrar refugio en nuestro territorio. En… pic.twitter.com/WdxiMaXURy
The Scale of the Crackdown
The expulsions did not happen in a vacuum. They are the culmination of a larger, months-long campaign. Infobae reported that between August 7 and October 29, Colombian authorities carried out a total of 462 deportations and expulsions linked to security threats, public order disturbances, or requests from foreign and Interpol authorities.
A Diplomatic Friction Point
On the other side of the border, political leaders in Venezuela have expressed their displeasure. Caracol Radio reported that deputy Juan Carlos Palencia lamented the treatment of Venezuelan citizens, stating that the actions damage the “brotherhood and cooperation” between the two nations.
“We regret what is happening with our citizens and this aggressive policy that the Colombian government is using against a country that is a brother and one we have always thought of in terms of binational cooperation, fraternity, and understanding,” Palencia told Caracol Radio. “Unfortunately, there is no clear policy between the two countries on migration, and this generates concern in the border context.”
Palencia called for dialogue and a review of the procedures, noting that Venezuelans were being transported from various Colombian cities and "dropped off at the Tienditas bridge on the Venezuelan side." This detail shows the practical and political complexities of the operation, which has strained relations and challenged the due process for those expelled.
Agencies Coordinate to Identify and Process Expelled Individuals
Behind the headlines is a complex interagency machine. For the Bogotá operation, Migración Colombia worked with the Bogotá Police, the District Secretariat of Security, Convivencia y Justicia, the 13th Army Brigade, and the Personería de Bogotá to identify, detain, and process the 80 individuals.
‘Colombia no es refugio de criminales’: Presidente De La Espriella anunció expulsión de 80 extranjeros por actividades delictivas en Bogotá. Leer más: 🔗 https://t.co/Oat3FYtuWD
The legal basis for the expulsions rests on a combination of prior offenses and administrative measures. The Bogotá Secretariat of Security noted that the system used, SIEDCO, tracks criminal and contraventional statistics, with some of the expelled individuals having up to 90 prior “notations.” Ten of the 80 had active arrest warrants in Venezuela and were directly handed over to their country’s authorities.
Migración Colombia’s director general, José Luis Castañeda, defended the approach, stating, “Colombia has its doors open for foreigners who come to work and do things right, but those who enter with the intention of committing crimes will have to face the full weight of the law.”
He emphasized the agency’s “determination to rigorously enforce migration regulations” and strengthen security through constant coordination with public force and local authorities.
Atendiendo la solicitud de @MigracionCol, la @SeguridadBOG junto a @PoliciaBogota, @COL_EJERCITO @SectorSalud y @personeriabta brindamos apoyo a los operativos donde fueron requeridos 80 extranjeros, en 15 localidades de Bogotá, que tenían antecedentes por diferentes delitos y… pic.twitter.com/IRf4Snq3F0
