Migration towards the United States through the dangerous jungle passage known as the Darién Gap has been temporarily halted after the arrest of two boat captains working for companies that assist in ferrying migrants to the jungle.
Boat companies have ceased migrant crossings from the towns of Necoclí and Turbo in northern Colombia to the entrance of the Darién forest, leaving approximately 3,000 migrants stranded in those communities, as confirmed by the mayor of Necoclí.
Colombian law enforcement’s actions in the region are closely monitored by U.S. officials as the Biden administration has been urging Colombia to prevent people from using the Darién as a route to the United States.
The boat route serves as the primary entry point into the Darién Gap, a land strip linking South and North America that has become one of the hemisphere’s most crucial migration routes in recent years.
Almost a million individuals have crossed the Darién since 2021, contributing to an immigration crisis in the United States, according to authorities at the route’s end in Panama.
The Colombian Navy recently seized two boats from the companies Katamaranes and Caribe, carrying a total of 151 migrants from Necoclí towards the jungle, as reported by the Colombian prosecutor’s office.
The migrants were found to be transported illegally, leading to the arrest of the two boat captains and the confiscation of both vessels.
The arrests represent a significant change in strategy by Colombian authorities, who had previously allowed boat operators to openly transport migrants from Necoclí across the Gulf of Urabá to the towns of Acandí and Capurganá, where they enter the jungle.
In an interview, the mayor of Necoclí, Guillermo Cardona, mentioned that the boat companies, with multiple captains and large fleets, had stopped operations as a form of protest against the arrests in recent days.
Boat operators play a crucial role in a lucrative migration business that has thrived in northern Colombia, run by local politicians and economic leaders, including the manager of Katamaranes.
U.S. officials have been urging Colombian authorities to investigate the boat operators since at least October.
A top Colombian prosecutor, Hugo Tovar, stated that his office is working closely with the United States on combating human trafficking through Colombia and the Darién, with support from U.S. agencies Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Necoclí, a beach town with limited resources, has been overwhelmed by migrants in recent years.
The duration of the halt in operations by the boat companies is uncertain, but if it continues, the number of stranded migrants in tents on the town’s beaches is expected to rise rapidly, straining water and sanitation services.
The situation may pressure the Colombian government to ease up on future arrests of boat operators due to limited capacity to aid a large number of people who could become stuck at the northern border.
Despite this, Mr. Tovar affirmed the commitment of his office to investigating human trafficking, emphasizing its significance across the hemisphere.
Mr. Cardona called on the national government for assistance with the hundreds of stranded migrants, labeling it as an SOS situation.
Immigration through the Darién poses a significant challenge for the Biden administration, especially in anticipation of the 2024 presidential race.
President Biden and his likely Republican opponent, Donald J. Trump, are scheduled to visit different parts of Texas near the southern border on Thursday.
The number of people crossing the Darién jungle towards the United States has been increasing, with over 500,000 individuals crossing in the previous year alone, contributing to a record number of arrivals at the U.S. border.
Efforts by Mr. Biden to deter this flow through legal migration paths and increased deportation measures have had limited success.
As of Feb. 28, Panama authorities reported a 35% increase in the number of people trekking through the Darién compared to the same period last year.
The majority of migrants originate from Venezuela, followed by Ecuador, Haiti, Colombia, and China.
