Cuba Accepts Deportees with Serious Criminal Records for First Time

Cuba Receives Deportees with Serious Criminal Records for the First Time

The Cuban government received an ICE Air flight carrying 170 undocumented Cuban immigrants deported from the United States on February 9, according to a statement published by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Wednesday.

What sets this flight apart is not just its size—it’s the first deportation flight to Cuba in 2026—but the criminal profiles of several deportees. For the first time, Cuba has accepted individuals convicted of serious crimes including murder, rape, kidnapping, and drug trafficking.

The Most Serious Cases According to ICE

ICE’s statement details several specific cases illustrating the severity of the criminal backgrounds:

• Yondeivis Wong Den-Hernandez: convicted of second-degree murder in Florida and aiding and abetting improper entry of an alien in Texas.

• Raúl Duquenzne-Batista: associated with the “Banda Los Habaneros” gang, with convictions for aggravated assault, rape, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated robbery, and criminal use of weapons. He admitted to serving 20 years in Cuban prison for robbery.

• Alexander Padron-Marten: linked to controlled substance trafficking, arrested in a law enforcement operation in Philadelphia.

• Orlando Sánchez-Sarría: charged with grand theft, drug trafficking, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, conspiracy to distribute cocaine, and other offenses.

• Miguel Ramón Caveda-Pérez: associated with rape charges, taken into custody from a state penitentiary in South Dakota.

• Gaully Quintana Martínez: convicted of aggravated assault with a dangerous weapon, arrested after serving his sentence in Louisiana.

A Historic Shift in Havana’s Position

While deportation flights to Cuba have existed for years, Havana historically resisted accepting mass deportation flights, especially of individuals with serious criminal backgrounds. Under the Trump administration, these repatriations “are occurring at record numbers,” according to ICE’s statement.

The flight resumed deportations after a month of January with no aerial operations, following the last recorded return on December 18, 2025, when 128 Cubans were sent back to the island.

The Cuban Government’s Response

Cuban authorities stated that the deportees included 153 men and 17 women. Three individuals were transferred to investigative bodies as suspected perpetrators of crimes committed before emigrating.

As usual, the regime reiterated its stance on “regular, safe, and orderly” migration and warned about the “risks to life” posed by illegal departures from the country.

Context: Deportations Intensify

This flight is part of an unprecedented escalation in Cuban deportations. According to recent data, more than 45,000 Cubans have active deportation orders in the United States, while the Trump administration has diverted more than 750 Coast Guard flights for deportation operations.

Cuba’s acceptance of deportees with serious criminal histories marks a turning point in the migration relationship between both countries, raising questions about the conditions these individuals will face upon returning to an island mired in a deep economic and humanitarian crisis.

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Sources: ICE, CiberCuba, NPR Code Switch