Related videos:
Dozens of Cubans protested this Friday in front of the port in the Miami River to demand the return of vehicles that they had handed over months ago to shipping agencies destined for Cuba, but which never left Florida.
The conflict involves three companies: Lucero Services Corp, OK's Charter Services Inc., and OK Import and Export Corp. According to testimonies gathered at the site, the impoundment of the vehicles is due to a financial dispute between the exporter OK Charter and the port management: the company owes money to the port, which is withholding the vehicles as a form of payment.
Jesús, an employee of Lucero Services, explained to Telemundo51: "The company OK Charter owes money to the port... and so they want to collect in that manner... with the port being closed."
The port imposed storage fees of $120 per day on detained vehicles, forcing owners — who had already paid for the shipping service — to shell out thousands of additional dollars to recover their own cars or risk losing them in a public auction.
Jorge Luciano Ponce Medina recounted how he had to pay to retrieve his vehicle: "He told me that if I didn't bring the 5,500, I wouldn't be able to get it back... so I paid the 5,500 and came to get it out of here."
Kenny Soto, another one of the affected individuals, specified the magnitude of the problem: "I made a deal with an agency from Lucero, and then we paid for the shipping of the cars... the port was closed for almost three months... there are 131 individuals affected."
Adrián Alpízar questioned why the system allows such detentions against those who have already made their payments: "It is not possible for you to pay for a service in this country and eight months later the car is still held and on the verge of being lost... it seems unbelievable to me in this country."
The conflict escalated to an official level. The Miami-Dade County Tax Collector, Dariel Fernández, confirmed that his office is investigating the three companies for potential fraudulent practices, breach of contract, and violations of export regulations.
Fernández warned that the county will not tolerate these practices and could revoke the business licenses of the involved companies, while also coordinating with local, state, and federal authorities.
Yaumara Morales Blanco, representative of Lucero Services, acknowledged to those affected that the matter is in litigation: "I come on behalf of my clients from Lucero Services, presenting the claim here regarding the cars of our clients that have been here at the port for months... this is in a lawsuit with the company OK Charter."
For his part, Kenny Chávez, owner of OK's Charter Services, issued a written statement assuring that they have not ceased operations nor do they intend to default, attributing the issue to "logistical delays" and a "banking review process" that affected the company's availability of funds.
This case is not isolated. Since March 2026, Cubans in Miami have been reporting delays of several months in the shipment of automobiles to Cuba, with agencies promising deliveries in up to two months but failing to meet those commitments.
In addition, Fernández's office had already sent letters in October and November 2025 to 75 businesses suspected of illegal trade with Cuba, demanding licenses from the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the Treasury or the Bureau of Industry and Security, and revoking licenses from companies that did not demonstrate compliance.
While the agencies settle their financial disputes in court, 131 families fear losing everything if the auction hammer falls on the vehicles they bought with their savings.
Filed under: