The former lieutenant colonel of the Ministry of the Interior of Cuba (MININT), Jorge Luis Vega García was arrested this Tuesday in the United States, reported the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Vega, known among political prisoners as "Veguita," faces allegations regarding his alleged role in repressive acts in Cuban prisons.
The man legally entered the country on January 20, 2024, through Tampa International Airport, Florida, under the Humanitarian Parole program, as noted by journalist Mario J. Pentón.
His presence on U.S. territory sparked controversy after it was revealed that he led the feared Agüica and Canaleta penitentiaries in the province of Matanzas during the toughest years of repression against opponents.
The arrest comes after a report by Pentón that gathered testimonies from multiple former political prisoners such as Benito Ortega Suárez, Pablo Pacheco Ávila, Blas Giraldo Reyes, and Fidel Suárez Cruz, who accuse Vega of having ordered physical and psychological torture, prolonged confinement, and beatings during the Black Spring of 2003, when 75 opposition members were arrested by Fidel Castro's regime.
Documents signed by Vega García himself, both in Cuba and the United States, helped to confirm his identity.
A former official of the Cuban prison system, Lainersy Ávila Castro, also confirmed that Vega was promoted before retiring from MININT, dismissing any attempts to sever ties with his repressive past.
The case had also received political attention: the Cuban-American congressman Carlos Giménez formally requested his deportation through a letter to then-Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, accompanied by evidence linking the former officer to human rights violations.
So far, U.S. authorities have not disclosed the formal charges under which Vega was arrested.
However, exile organizations and direct victims have demanded a thorough investigation and have insisted that the response should not be limited to a simple deportation.
According to the platform Cuban Repressors - Stop the Violence!, Vega García violated international rules such as the Mandela Rules and Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by denying medical attention, orchestrating systematic beatings, and directly advising on mechanisms of prison repression.
Cuban repressors in the U.S.
According to reports from the Cuban exile community, at least 100 repressors and frontmen of the regime have settled in the U.S. in recent years.
In July, the deportation of Daniel Morejón García, a former official of the Cuban Ministry of the Interior, involved in the repression of the protests on July 11, 2021, became known.
He was deported from the United States after concealing his ties to the Cuban regime and his role in repressive acts, as confirmed during an investigation by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Morejón García was directly involved in the repression of protesters during the demonstrations on July 11, 2021, in Cuba, as a member of the Rapid Response Brigades. There is graphic and documentary evidence of his involvement in violent acts against those demanding freedom in the streets.
Frequently asked questions about the detention of the former Cuban lieutenant colonel in the U.S.
Who is Jorge Luis Vega García and why was he detained in the United States?
Jorge Luis Vega García is a former lieutenant colonel of the Ministry of the Interior of Cuba who was arrested in the United States for his alleged role in repressive acts in Cuban prisons. He is known for his involvement in the management of the Agüica and Canaleta penitentiaries, where he is accused of having ordered physical and psychological torture against political opponents, especially during the Black Spring of 2003.
How did Jorge Luis Vega García manage to enter the United States?
Vega García legally entered the United States on January 20, 2024 through Tampa International Airport, Florida, under the Humanitarian Parole program. This program allows entry to individuals seeking humanitarian protection, but it has been criticized for permitting the entry of individuals with repressive backgrounds without thorough vetting.
What measures are being taken in the United States against Cuban repressors?
U.S. authorities, along with Cuban-American congressmen such as Carlos Giménez, are ramping up efforts to identify and deport Cuban repressors who have entered the country. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been investigating and apprehending individuals accused of human rights violations, while the platform RepresoresCubanos.com has been set up to facilitate the reporting of these cases.
What is the reaction of Cuban exile organizations to these cases?
Cuban exile organizations demand stronger actions against the regime's repressors who have managed to settle in the United States. They denounce that these individuals, who have participated in repressive acts in Cuba, should not benefit from U.S. immigration laws, and they call for thorough investigations to ensure that residency or asylum rights are not granted to them in the country.
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