The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has in its custody two Cuban nationals who have convictions for drug trafficking and other serious crimes, authorities reported.
Miguel González Toledo and Iván Michael Arias Pérez, two Cuban immigrants with irregular status in the U.S., were detained in Florida.
González Toledo, convicted of homicide and drug trafficking in the southern state, was arrested during operations on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, according to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which listed him among "the worst illegal immigrant criminals."
"On Christmas Eve and Christmas, our ICE officers arrested gang members, murderers, drug traffickers, and violent thugs. We thank our law enforcement agents who dedicate time to their families and risk their lives to eliminate the worst of the worst," stated DHS Deputy Secretary Tricia McLaughlin following the arrests.
Meanwhile, ICE announced this Saturday the arrest of Arias Pérez, whom they identified as a convicted cocaine trafficker from Cuba who entered the U.S. illegally.
According to a note on the social network X, special agents from ICE captured him in June during a specific operation in Miami, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The authorities did not provide further details regarding the respective arrests and the sentences served by both Cubans.
Cases like these are publicly presented by U.S. authorities as examples of the tightening of immigration actions against foreigners with a criminal record.
More than 1,150 Cuban citizens are among those detained by ICE in its campaign called "Worst of the Worst," which the DHS presents as part of its offensive to capture and expel undocumented immigrants with criminal backgrounds, whom it considers a threat to the safety of Americans.
The Donald Trump administration has further raised the stakes in its aggressive crusade against immigration, which is not only focused on the arrest and deportation of foreign criminals but also targets individuals at various stages of their immigration processes who have not committed any crimes.
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