The identity of the former official has not yet been revealed, but it is known that his arrest is administrative, not criminal.
14ymedio, Madrid, 13 March 2025 –The US authorities arrested on Wednesday a former Cuban intelligence agent who allegedly obtained his residence (green card) in the United States fraudulently, according to the delegation in Miami of the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The name of the detainee has not been provided, although an image has been released in which he is seen from behind at the time of the arrest.
“This morning, ICE, HSI and the FBI made an administrative arrest on a former member of Cuban intelligence for fraudulently obtaining his legal permanent resident status,” the institution said through its account in X.
“HSI and its partners will continue their efforts to identify and arrest people who represent a threat to our national security”
“HSI and its partners will continue their efforts to identify and arrest people who pose a threat to our national security,” the text concludes.
The arrest took place in Broward County, in a neighborhood near Weston, sources from the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) told the independent Cuban media CaféFuerte. According to this testimony, the identity of the detainee will be revealed this Thursday.
“It is important to note that this is an administrative arrest and that the arrested person will be subjected to a legal process to determine if there were irregularities in his case,” the source added. This individual resided with a green card allegedly obtained illegally, but there are no other charges against him.
Among the hundreds of reactions to the HSI post, that of the Republican Congressman of Cuban origin Carlos Giménez stands out, who applauded the measure. “There are hundreds of agents of the murderous Castro dictatorship who now live in our community of victims and survivors who fled the regime. These thugs must be arrested and deported for violating our laws!” he said, and thanked the US security forces for spreading the news and not letting it go unnoticed.
Many other comments were from Cubans and migrants from other countries such as Venezuela or Nicaragua who provided images, names and data of possible repressors who reside in the United States.
Many other comments were from Cubans and migrants from other countries such as Venezuela or Nicaragua who provided images, names and data of possible repressors residing in the United States
During the past year, the independent press and the Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba reported numerous cases of former regime officials who arrived in the United States in 2024 or earlier. Among them is
was Judge Melody González Pedraza, who arrived at Tampa Airport with a Humanitarian Parole Order, although in this case the airport authorities immediately denied her entry into the country, at which time she decided to request political asylum. The official, who is on the Foundation’s “list of repressors,” is now detained, pending a decision by the US authorities.
Other cases include former prosecutor Rosabel Roca Sampedro, who pronounced sentences against demonstrators on 11 July 2021; the president of the Municipal Assembly of Popular Power on the Island of Youth between 2019 and 2022, Liván Fuentes Álvarez, to whom the immigration authorities denied entry by revoking the Humanitarian Parole that was granted to him; and Manuel Menéndez Castellanos, former first secretary of the Communist Party in Cienfuegos, formerly part of the “Coordination and Support Team of Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro.”
Translated by Regina Anavy
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