Pentagon Invests Over $21 Million in Guantanamo Flights for Deportation Efforts

The U.S. Department of Defense has allocated more than $21 million towards flights to the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, as part of efforts under the deportation policy during the Trump administration. This information was disclosed in a letter submitted to Congress, which CBS News has managed to obtain.

Initially reported by NBC News, the expenditure figures have prompted significant discussion. In January, the former President Trump instructed his administration to utilize the Cuban-based naval site as a detention center specifically for migrants, emphasizing that those deemed as the most dangerous would be confined there in line with stringent immigration control measures. Since these measures have been initiated, comprehensive insights into the incurred flight costs have remained sparse.

By February, Venezuelan migrants were directed to this facility before subsequent relocation to Honduras. Throughout the following months, this site has sporadically served as a temporary holding point for migrants, pending their transfer to other locations.

In a formal response to inquiries from Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, the Pentagon divulged that between January 20 and April 8, a total of 46 flights were executed by U.S. Transportation Command under the aegis of migrant deportation operations. Spanning 802 hours, these military flights came at an average expenditure of $26,277 per hour, collectively surpassing $21 million.

Senator Warren condemned this expenditure, arguing that it represents a misappropriation of military assets for what she referred to as politically motivated maneuvers that fail to enhance national security. 'American military personnel should not be co-opted into such displays of power misuse,' she asserted.

Previous reports by CBS News have highlighted that under the Trump administration, both individuals classified as 'high-threat' and others regarded as 'low-risk' were transported to Guantanamo. Additionally, policies crafted during this administration established broad criteria permitting non-criminal detainees to be confined at the naval base.

Correspondence by CBS News

The article features contributions from Eleanor Watson, a dedicated journalist and producer at CBS News with expertise in Pentagon-related matters.