The son of Adys Lastres Morera —sister of the executive president of GAESA arrested this Thursday in Miami— reacted with shock to his mother's detention and publicly questioned the legality of the action taken by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Ernesto Carvajal Lastres, a U.S. citizen who requested his mother's entry into the country in January 2023, stated to journalist Alexis Boentes from Telemundo 51 that he has been unable to contact her since her arrest.
"I haven't even been able to talk to my mom. She's completely cut off from communication. I don't know if she's okay, because they have her isolated," he said.
Carvajal Lastres stated that he has been in the United States for 12 years fulfilling all his obligations and expressed surprise at the decision of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in this case.
"We have been here for many years doing everything right, the claim period, residency, like all Cubans. I have been here for 12 years working and paying taxes," he noted.
His strongest words pointed directly to the decision to revoke his mother's permanent residency without judicial intervention. "I thought I had come to a country where institutions are respected, and apparently that is not the case," he said.
The young man also expressed his bewilderment at the legal mechanism used. "I’m not quite sure how Marco Rubio has the power to revoke a residency without going through a court process," he stated.
The young man said he is already seeking advice from an international law attorney to "understand exactly what law we violated."
Adys Lastres Morera was arrested on Thursday by agents of the National Security Investigations Office of ICE in Miami.
The arrest took place a day after the State Department determined that his presence in the country violated the Immigration and Nationality Act under Section 237(a)(4)(C), which allows for the deportation of permanent residents whose presence has "serious adverse consequences for the foreign policy" of the U.S.
The U.S. government considers her "deportable for posing a threat to the interests of U.S. foreign policy." No criminal charges have been filed against her.
Adys is the older sister of Ania Guillermina Lastres Morera, brigade general of the Revolutionary Armed Forces and executive president of GAESA, the Cuban military-business conglomerate that controls between 40% and 70% of the island's economy and manages up to 20 billion dollars in illicit assets according to U.S. authorities.
Since arriving in the U.S. on January 13, 2023, Adys has been listed as a manager or registered agent for at least two real estate companies in Florida: REMAS Investments LLC and Santa Elena Investments LLC, based in Boca Raton. Before emigrating, she managed tourist rentals in Havana through Airbnb.
The arrest is part of a coordinated offensive by the Trump administration against the Cuban regime. On May 7, Rubio directly sanctioned GAESA and Ania Guillermina Lastres Morera.
The U.S. set June 5 as the deadline for foreign companies to sever ties with GAESA under the threat of secondary sanctions.
Rubio was emphatic in confirming the arrest: "There will be no place on this Earth — and even less in our country — where foreigners who threaten our national security can live in luxury."
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