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The U.S. government's crackdown on illegal immigration in recent days included the arrests of five more Cuban citizens, convicted of serious crimes, who are facing imminent deportation, according to reports from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
At the peak of the intensified and strict immigration policy pushed by the Trump administration since 2025, the federal agency announced more detentions of undocumented immigrants—including several Cubans—who are considered among the most dangerous foreign criminals in the country for offenses such as murder, manslaughter, assault, armed robbery, and drug trafficking, among others.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has insisted that they represent a threat to public safety and are being sought and captured for their final expulsion from the country.
Cubans arrested in Florida, Colorado, Minnesota, Texas, and New York
ICE in Miami "took off the streets" the Cuban Roberto Cámara Sánchez, who was convicted of second-degree murder in 2005 and has pending charges for another homicide.
"Floridians can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that the illegal immigrant Cuban criminal is no longer on the streets," the agency stated in a post on social media platform X this Saturday.
Agents from ICE Denver, in the state of Colorado, arrested Pedro Enrique Zayas Rodríguez, who has convictions for dangerous drug possession, attempted homicide during a robbery, and second-degree assault on a law enforcement officer.
According to the official statement, in 2014 he was ordered deported from the United States. He is currently in ICE custody awaiting his removal.
On February 5, officers from the Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) of ICE captured 67-year-old Osvaldo Rivero Ledesma in Houston, Texas, who had been convicted of murder and robbery in Rusk County, in the southern state. Authorities stated that Rivero is a former member of the gang Brotherhood of Latin Pistoleros.
It was also confirmed that the arrest of Andrés Linares Cárdenas, who has a criminal record for assault in New York, has taken place.
During the operation Metro Surge conducted in the state of Minnesota, Erasmo Díaz de la Luz was arrested, having convictions for drug trafficking and charges for possession of dangerous drugs. The Cuban migrant has a final removal order from 2011, ICE revealed.
The agency announced on Tuesday the arrest in Florida of two more Cuban citizens with extensive criminal records.
On the eve, 170 Cuban migrants were returned to the island from the U.S. on the first deportation flight of 2026, as reported by the Ministry of the Interior (MININT) of Cuba.
According to data from the DHS cited by the portal Café Fuerte, with the air operation on February 9, the administration of Donald Trump has returned 1,668 Cubans since January 2025. This figure brings the total number of Cuban citizens expelled during the two terms of the Republican president to 5,053, the highest number in U.S. history.
The president's strategy to curb illegal immigration includes raids and large-scale operations by ICE, the Border Patrol, and other agencies under the auspices of the DHS, as well as state and local law enforcement, aimed at locating and arresting undocumented immigrants, including those who have served prison time or have pending criminal charges, with the goal of deporting them from the country.
The DHS has reiterated that around 70% of those arrested are convicted criminals or are facing criminal charges. However, human rights organizations, community leaders, legal experts, and citizens have reported that among the detained are also workers with no criminal records, who have lived in the country for years, paid taxes, and supported their families.
Citizen complaints and protests are also common regarding the violent operations led by ICE in various cities, as well as the precarious conditions, abuse, lack of medical attention, and other human rights violations within migrant detention centers.
During the first weeks of 2026, the city of Minneapolis became the epicenter of rising social outrage following aggressive ICE raids that led to multiple confrontations and protests, particularly after immigration agents shot American citizens Renée Nicole Good on January 7 and Alex Jeffrey Pretti on the 24th, resulting in their instant deaths.
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