In a phone conversation on February 21 with Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated U.S. support for the country's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, according to State Department's spokesperson Tammy Bruce.

Two men died in custody in Uzbekistan in recent days, and a third man is in the hospital unresponsive after police detained him, according to rights groups and local bloggers.

The U.S. is deporting unauthorized migrants from Africa and Asia to Panama, a major diplomatic breakthrough for the Trump administration's mass deportation efforts.

Panama received three U.S. deportation flights last week with migrants from China, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and other countries.