Communist Nicaragua is playing a surprising role in managing America’s immigration crisis, keeping deportation flights away from the public eye. Is Daniel Ortega secretly working with U.S. officials while simultaneously fueling the border chaos?
At a glance:
- Nicaragua has been secretly receiving U.S. deportation flights since Trump’s presidency
- Five deportation flights have arrived in Managua since January 20, 2025
- The communist Ortega regime stopped publishing deportee statistics in 2019
- Nicaraguan authorities direct deportation planes to remote areas away from public view
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio has accused Nicaragua of “weaponizing” migration to pressure the U.S. to lift sanctions
Secret Deportation Program Uncovered
The communist regime of Daniel Ortega has been quietly accepting deportation flights of Nicaraguan nationals from the United States, a practice that began during President Donald Trump’s first administration. According to reports from the exiled newspaper Confidencial, at least five deportation flights have landed in Managua since January 20, 2025, operating under a shroud of secrecy.
These clandestine operations have flown under the radar as the Ortega regime halted the publication of deportee statistics in mid-2019, effectively concealing the scale of the deportation program. Flight tracking platforms have become the primary means of documenting these movements, with all identified flights using the identifier “G66194 from Global X” and operated by Global X Airlines.
Ortega’s Double Game at the Border
The deportation flights represent only one side of Nicaragua’s complex relationship with U.S. immigration policies. While accepting deportees, the Ortega regime has simultaneously been accused of facilitating northbound migration toward the United States, creating a pipeline of migrants that contributes to the crisis at America’s southern border.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has explicitly called out Nicaragua for “weaponizing” migration as a strategic response to U.S. sanctions against the Ortega regime. This calculated approach allows Nicaragua to maintain pressure on American immigration systems while publicly positioning itself as a defender of migrant rights.
Despite the regime’s apparent cooperation with deportations, Ortega has carefully avoided publicly criticizing Trump’s immigration policies. The deportation flights arrive at the Augusto C. Sandino International Airport in Managua but are directed to a remote ramp where Nicaraguan Police, Army, and migration officers manage the arrivals away from public view.
Hidden Operations and Political Implications
The deportation flights depart from Alexandria, Louisiana, and Houston, Texas, using Airbus A320 aircraft, but are notably absent from official Nicaraguan aviation records. Nicaragua’s National and International Airports Administration Company does not log these flights in their systems, further obscuring the program from official documentation.
Confidencial’s investigation revealed that authorities take extraordinary measures to maintain secrecy, with deportees processed through special channels that bypass normal immigration procedures. The number and identities of deportees remain undisclosed by Nicaraguan authorities, making it impossible to determine the full scope of the program.
The revelation of Nicaragua’s dual role in both accepting deportees and encouraging migration northward highlights the complex interplay between immigration policy and international relations. As sanctions continue to pressure Ortega’s regime, the migration pipeline serves as a bargaining chip in a larger geopolitical confrontation between Nicaragua and the United States.
