Young Cuban deported from the U.S. dies after armed attack at the barbershop where he worked in Mexico

A young man of Cuban nationality died Tuesday night after being shot at the barbershop where he worked, in the state of Tabasco, Mexico, according to preliminary reports.

The victim was identified by acquaintances as José Miguel Costafreda Román, 29 years old and originally from Santiago de Cuba, who had settled in Mexico after being deported from the United States, according to the Facebook page Nio reportando un crimen.

Mexican media reported that at the time of the crime, the Cuban was inside the barbershop where he worked, located on the corner of Hermenegildo Galeana and Ignacio Zaragoza streets, in the city of Tecolutilla, municipality of Comalcalco.

Witnesses reported that two men arrived at the scene on a motorcycle, entered the establishment, and shot the Cuban in the back at least three times, causing injuries that led to his death. The assailants immediately fled the scene, and their whereabouts remain unknown.

According to the newspaper El Heraldo de Tabasco, municipal agents from the Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC) arrived at the scene along with paramedics, who shortly thereafter certified the victim's death.

The information indicates that forensic experts from the State Attorney General's Office (FGE) conducted an investigation at the scene, and the body was transferred to the Forensic Medical Service, awaiting a family member to come forward to carry out the necessary procedures for legal identification and disposition of the body.

The homicide of Costafreda is under investigation. As of the time of publishing this report, the authorities in the state of Tabasco have not provided official information regarding the incident or the arrest of possible suspects.

María Albert Hernández, a reporter from Tabasco, told the Cuban newspaper 14ymedio that the attack may have been motivated by the young Cuban's refusal to pay the "piso derecho," money demanded by criminal gangs in exchange for the right to work. This type of extortion is a very common crime in the Mexican state, she noted.

According to close sources, Costafreda previously lived in the United States. Police records from the state of Florida indicate that he had a criminal history for offenses committed in Tampa in January and November 2024. After being deported to Mexico, he settled in Tabasco, where he had been working as a barber for several months.

The crime has had a significant impact on the Cuban community and highlights the vulnerable situation of hundreds of migrants from the island in Mexico, trapped between economic hardship and criminal violence.