Cuba Accepts Mass Deportation of Convicted Criminals for the First Time in Years
For the first time in decades, Cuba’s government has allowed a mass deportation flight carrying at least six Cubans with serious criminal records, according to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The Madrid-based outlet, Diario de Cuba, noted that for years, the Castro regime had consistently turned away deported Cubans from the United States. Interestingly, on Thursday, it was revealed that some deportees had previously been sent to third countries, with at least four individuals reported expelled to Africa back in 2025.
ICE shared on social media that, while still hesitant to accept mass repatriation flights, Cuba is seeing these airlifts happen more frequently under the current U.S. administration. The first mass deportation flight to Cuba in 2026 occurred on February 9, repatriating 170 Cubans. Some of these individuals had convictions for serious crimes such as murder, kidnapping, and drug trafficking—marking a significant shift for the communist authorities.
ICE provided additional information about the six convicted individuals deported. One of them, Yong-Davis Wong Den Hernandez, was convicted for second-degree murder in Florida and for helping unauthorized immigrants in Texas. Another man, Raul Duquezne Batista, a member of the Los Habaneros gang, had multiple convictions including aggravated assault and robbery in Kansas. Interestingly, he also claimed to have spent 20 years in a Cuban prison for robbery and trespassing.
Another Cuban identified was Alexander Padron-Marten, who was arrested in Philadelphia for drug trafficking. Additionally, Orlando Sanchez Sarria, previously convicted of grand theft in Los Angeles, apparently moved to Philadelphia with the intent of continuing his criminal activities. His criminal record also included serious drug-related charges and firearm offenses.
The fifth deportee, Miguel Ramon Cabeda-Perez, who had been convicted of rape and was caught with a fake driver’s license, was apprehended by ICE officers in St. Paul after emerging from a South Dakota prison. Lastly, Gary Quintana Martinez, facing aggravated assault charges, was detained at a correctional center in Louisiana.
ICE concluded a series of posts with a statement emphasizing that, “Immigration enforcement makes everyone safer!”
Cuban state media outlet Kubadebate reported the arrival of these deportation flights on February 9, though they notably omitted the fact that some deportees had significant criminal histories. They specified that out of the 170 deportees, 153 were men and 17 were women, with three individuals under investigation for potential criminal acts prior to their departure.
Furthermore, Marti Noticias disclosed that nearly 42,000 Cubans awaiting deportation orders are still left in limbo due to the Cuban government’s earlier refusal to accept them, although recent developments suggest that migration cooperation between the two nations might be evolving.
According to reports from both Diario de Cuba and Marti Noticias, one Cuban deported to Africa in 2025 was identified as Juan Carlos Font Aguero. His stepdaughter, Yessica de la Caridad García Negrin, claimed that Font Aguero was sent to Eswatini after Cuban officials declined to accept his return. She also mentioned that Mexico had similarly refused another Cuban man sentenced for murder.
