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Two U.S. citizens with Hispanic surnames were convicted in Canada after admitting they attempted to help two Cubans cross the border illegally into Manitoba, amid what they described as increasing migration pressure and fear within the immigrant community in the United States.
According to a report by CBC News, Emanuel Trejo González, 29, and José Rafael Ramos Cartagena, around 50, were each sentenced to one year in prison after pleading guilty in a provincial court in Manitoba, Winnipeg, on January 30. With credit for time served, both will spend just over 70 additional days in custody.
The events took place on the night of July 21, 2025, when agents from the Canada Border Services Agency stopped both men's vehicle at the Emerson, Manitoba border crossing. The men claimed they were only going to spend the day in Canada, but a more thorough inspection revealed luggage and even items that did not belong to them, including identification documents and medication belonging to one of the Cubans, explained prosecutor Matthew Sinclair at the hearing.
Shortly thereafter, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) reported that two Cuban citizens had been intercepted while crossing the border irregularly.
According to the Prosecutor's Office, a review of the defendants' devices revealed conversations discussing potential entry points and the legal consequences, which reinforced the allegation that this was a deliberate plan.
Initially, Trejo González and Ramos Cartagena faced more serious charges related to trafficking and human smuggling, but these were eventually reduced to an offense associated with helping a foreign national evade border authorities.
"I just tried to help."
During the trial, Trejo González's lawyer stated that his client acted out of fear experienced by many immigrants due to the government's migration crackdown under Donald Trump and the increased presence of ICE agents in Minnesota.
"At the end of spring and the beginning of summer, ICE had set up in Minnesota... the community was very concerned about the way the agents were behaving," said attorney Danny Gunn in court.
The defense even claimed that one of the Cubans had stopped cancer treatment out of fear of being arrested due to his immigration status.
In a moment that reflected the human drama behind the case, Trejo González declared before the judge that he did not understand the magnitude of what he was doing.
"I just tried to help... I apologize to your country for not understanding what I was doing," he expressed.
Judge Denis Guénette replied that, although there may be a temptation to help, that is not the correct way.
"Unacceptable" Cubans in Canada
The prosecution stated that Cubans would not have been eligible to enter Canada legally due to previous convictions for serious crimes.
One of them had a record for heroin trafficking, while the other had been convicted of aggravated assault and the trafficking of marijuana and hashish in the United States, Sinclair explained.
Additionally, both Americans also had criminal records.
Ramos Cartagena was sentenced in 1998 on charges related to the theft of five million dollars from an armored vehicle depot in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Meanwhile, Trejo González had been convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine in Wisconsin, although the case documents remain sealed.
The court heard that Cuban citizens sought asylum in Canada but were returned to the United States in July, due to the Safe Third Country Agreement between the two countries, which requires asylum seekers to apply for protection in the first safe country they arrive in.
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