U.S. deports 26 Uzbek nationals for breaching immigration laws

The flight was operated by the American charter carrier Omni Air International. The journey began in El Paso, Texas – a city located on the United States-Mexico border – at 7:08 p.m. local time on April 29. Given the logistical complexity of the deportation process, the aircraft made five intermediate stops before reaching its final destination. The stops included Baltimore in the U.S., Jasionka in Poland, Chisinau in Moldova, Bucharest in Romania, and Yerevan in Armenia.

The passengers spent a total of 36 hours in transit before the aircraft touched down at Tashkent International Airport at 6:09 p.m. on May 1.

According to the Dunyo Information Agency under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the return operation was the result of coordinated cooperation between the competent authorities of Uzbekistan and the United States. This partnership involved the swift alignment of organizational and legal procedures, including the identification of individuals, the processing of necessary documentation, and the assurance of safe transportation.

This marks the latest in a series of similar flights organized by U.S. immigration authorities. In January, 44 Uzbek citizens were deported via the same airline, and another 65 individuals were returned to Uzbekistan in March. Reports indicate that these flights have become more frequent over the past year as immigration enforcement measures have intensified.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that all returning citizens underwent the required identification and legal checks prior to boarding, ensuring that the repatriation process remained compliant with international and domestic laws.