An investigative report published by The New York Times reveals how Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, nicknamed "El Cangrejo," transitioned from being his grandfather's bodyguard to becoming the main informal channel between Havana and Washington, all while his name is linked—though without formal charges—to a transnational smuggling network being investigated by the FBI.
The report, authored by David C. Adams and Frances Robles, draws on court documents and interviews with nearly a dozen sources.
Rodríguez Castro, a 42-year-old colonel in the Ministry of the Interior (MININT) who has never held a public office, met this year with the CIA director, John Ratcliffe, and the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, as part of secret conversations between Cuba and the Trump administration.
Luxury in the midst of scarcity
Rodríguez Castro's profile stands in stark contrast to the crisis facing the Cuban people.
He is the son of Déborah Castro Espín -the eldest daughter of Raúl Castro- and the late general Luis Alberto Rodríguez López-Calleja, founder of the military conglomerate GAESA.
Known for his fondness for designer clothing and private jet travel -a joint journalistic investigation documented at least 23 trips to Panama between 2024 and the end of 2025 for luxury shopping - Rodríguez Castro justified his lifestyle by stating that "wealthy friends and admirers" covered those expenses for him.
In response to the question about inequality, a few months ago he said: "It hurts me deeply that people cannot live like I do. But I get up every day to change that situation."
The "Cuban Mafia in Quintana Roo"
The most explosive part of the report links Rodríguez Castro to a criminal organization known as the "Cuban Mafia in Quintana Roo," based in southeastern Mexico, which used stolen boats from Florida to smuggle Cubans into that country, where they were held and tortured if they did not pay the required fees.
Two defendants who pleaded guilty identified him as a collaborator.
José Miguel González Vidal, sentenced to 25 years in prison, told prosecutors that Rodríguez Castro organized the safe passage of the group to and from Cuba, and that - in exchange for allowing goods purchased with stolen cards to cross Cuban customs - he received a Fountain 38 boat, a Rolex watch, a Suzuki motorcycle, and Louis Vuitton clothing.
The FBI extracted text and voice messages from the phones of the members of the network that supported those testimonies.
The investigation culminated in the conviction of at least 21 people.
Rodríguez Castro has not been formally charged, and the Department of Justice declined to confirm whether he is the subject of an active investigation.
From bodyguard to negotiator
A decade ago, during a state visit by Raúl Castro to Paris, an unknown escort caught attention by photo-bombing the official pictures at the Élysée Palace, to the extent that President François Hollande himself signaled for him to step back.
Today, that same man is described by sources close to the negotiations as a possible interlocutor that the Trump administration might find acceptable to lead Cuba in the future, although the NYT warns that it is unclear whether he has the necessary internal support.
Tim Rieser, foreign policy advisor to former Senator Patrick Leahy, who met with Rodríguez Castro on several occasions, described him candidly:
"He exemplifies how that government operates. It is much like a family business, and thus, someone we were told a decade ago was President Castro's bodyguard has become, for whatever reason and by whatever means, much more than that."
In his with a U.S. media outlet, granted to USA Today in July, Rodríguez Castro did not hide his ambitions: "I can negotiate with anyone appointed by the U.S. If given the opportunity, of course, with Trump."
The regime's response
The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carlos Fernández de Cossío, described the allegations as "slander" in an interview with the NYT in Havana:
"I have no doubt that there are organizations in Mexico, in Central America, and in other parts of Latin America, involving Cubans who have been getting rich. But I can assure you that there is no connection to the Cuban government."
Juan Juan Almeida, the exiled son of the late historic commander Juan Almeida Bosque, who had a close relationship with the Castro family, was more straightforward:
"It is better known outside of Cuba than within. Cangrejo and all the Castros know that their power will only last until the day their grandfather dies."
The name Rodríguez Castro does not appear on any list of U.S. sanctions, something analysts interpret as a deliberate signal from Washington regarding its willingness to consider him a negotiator.
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