Related videos:
Ten Cuban men, allegedly from the province of Pinar del Río, arrived on Sunday at Isla Mujeres, in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, aboard a small fishing boat with which they are said to have crossed the Caribbean Sea for several days, according to the local media Noticaribe.
After landing, the migrants walked through various areas of the urban zone on the island without attempting to hide. Their presence drew the attention of residents and tourists until they were located by Municipal Police agents while resting at a taxi stand.
Due to the evident physical exhaustion caused by the journey, the authorities transferred them to a clinic for medical attention and food.
Once stabilized, the ten Cubans were placed under the custody of the National Migration Institute (INM) and were transferred on a vessel from the Secretary of the Navy to Cancun, where authorities will determine their immigration status.
According to unofficial sources cited by Quinta Fuerza, the group could be deported to Cuba in the next few hours or days for entering Mexican territory without the required documentation.
The case has once again brought attention to the migration routes leading to Isla Mujeres and the possible operation of networks dedicated to the illicit trafficking of people in northern Quintana Roo. According to a report by the media Cambio 22, these organizations often attempt to quickly transport migrants to the mainland to avoid them staying on the island and being detected by authorities.
Maritime security specialists indicate that the eastern coast of Isla Mujeres is one of the areas where improvised vessels frequently run aground due to ocean currents and the geography of the region. The Naval Search, Rescue and Maritime Surveillance Station (ENSAR) conducts ongoing patrols with the support of local fishermen, although migrant arrivals continue to be recorded periodically.
This is not the first time such an incident has occurred. In May 2024, the Secretary of the Navy rescued 51 Cuban rafters who were traveling in two vessels about four nautical miles north of Isla Mujeres. In January 2025, a raft with 26 migrants capsized near its shores with no fatalities reported. Months later, in October of the same year, a Royal Caribbean cruise rescued another ten Cubans who were adrift in the same area.
This new arrival occurs amid the largest migration exodus recorded in Cuba's recent history. Since mid-2021, more than one million Cubans have left the island, while the International Organization for Migration (IOM) classified the country's migration risk as "extreme" in April 2026.
Just a week earlier, on June 22, the United States Coast Guard repatriated 27 Cubans rescued in the Yucatán Channel after their boat ran out of fuel and began to sink. This new case highlights that, despite the risks of the journey and the tightening of immigration controls in the region, many Cubans continue to venture out to sea in search of opportunities outside the island.
Filed under: