ICE Arrests Five Cuban Nationals with Criminal Records in U.S.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced the detention of five Cuban nationals with serious criminal records across multiple U.S. states, as part of the Trump administration’s intensified crackdown on irregular immigration.

The Detainees and Their Charges

The arrests spanned five different states, highlighting the geographic breadth of enforcement operations:

Roberto Cámara Sánchez was arrested in Miami, Florida. Convicted of second-degree murder in 2005, he currently faces charges for another homicide. “Residents of Florida can breathe easier knowing this illegal immigrant criminal is off the streets,” ICE stated on social media platform X.

In Denver, Colorado, agents detained Pedro Enrique Zayas Rodríguez, with prior convictions for dangerous drug possession, attempted homicide during a robbery, and second-degree assault on a law enforcement officer. His deportation order dates back to 2014.

Osvaldo Rivero Ledesma, aged 67, was captured in Houston, Texas. Convicted of murder and robbery in Rusk County, he is identified as a former member of the Brotherhood of Latin Gunmen gang.

In New York, Andrés Linares Cárdenas was arrested with prior assault charges. Meanwhile, in Minnesota, during Operation Metro Surge, Erasmo Díaz de la Luz was detained with convictions for drug trafficking and dangerous drug possession. His final deportation order dates from 2011.

Record Deportation Numbers

These arrests are part of a broader pattern of immigration enforcement escalation. According to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) data cited by Café Fuerte, the deportation of 170 Cubans on February 9 — the first repatriation flight of 2026 — brought the total number of Cubans returned since January 2025 to 1,668 people.

Cumulatively, a record 5,053 Cuban nationals have been expelled from the United States during President Trump’s two terms in office.

Context: The New Migration Reality for Cubans

The immigration landscape for Cubans in the U.S. has shifted dramatically. Cold War-era immigration privileges are gone: Cubans with temporary legal status are no longer safe and are actively pursued by immigration agents.

The DHS claims that approximately 70% of those arrested are convicted criminals or face legal proceedings. However, human rights organizations and community leaders argue that these operations also target law-abiding workers with no criminal history who have lived in the country for years, paid taxes, and supported their families.

Aggressive ICE operations across various cities have sparked widespread protests and allegations of poor conditions, abuse, and inadequate medical care in immigration detention centers.

What Lies Ahead

With Cuba’s humanitarian crisis deepening due to fuel shortages and the closure of the migration route through Nicaragua, Cubans face an increasingly restrictive landscape both for emigrating and for remaining undocumented in the United States.

The lingering question is whether Trump’s contradictory signals — having spoken both of “working a deal” with Cuba and of making it “free again” — will translate into any policy shift that directly affects the thousands of Cubans in precarious immigration situations.