The Cuban musician Alejandro Infante, known as “El Pollo” and guitarist for the group Qva Libre, was detained by agents of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Texas, as confirmed this Thursday by Carlos Díaz Soto, the band's director.
Díaz reported the arrest in a video posted on Instagram, where he explained that the arrest had occurred two days prior and that the musician was in immigration custody.
"Alejandro, Alejandro Infante, better known to you as 'El Pollo', has always been the guitarist for Cuba Libre, throughout his entire life, and is also the guitarist for Chacal, for Gente de Zona... he has played with countless artists here in the city of Miami and in Cuba throughout his career," Díaz pointed out.
The director of Qva Libre explained that family and friends are already taking steps to help the musician return home and requested financial support to cover the expenses related to his case.
“Unfortunately, he was arrested by ICE two days ago in Texas. And right now he is being held there. All possible arrangements are being made to ensure El Pollo's return home,” he stated.
Upon learning the news, a campaign was launched on GoFundMe to raise funds primarily for Infante's legal representation.
"For years, Alejandro has shared his talent and music with so many people. Today, it is us who need that community to lend a hand," the campaign states.
The organizers explained that the family is going through "times of great uncertainty and anguish" and needs to act quickly due to the high attorney fees and other expenses related to their immigration defense.
The immigration advisor Giselle Paret stated while sharing the collection that Infante entered the United States legally under humanitarian parole and was awaiting his residency process under the Cuban Adjustment Act.
Infante has a long history in Cuban alternative music. An interview published years ago by OnCuba already identified him as one of the guitarists of Qva Libre and noted that he joined the band in 2010, after having been a student of Carlos Díaz.
The guitarist arrived in the United States in March 2023 alongside the singer Margarita Morales, known as Magui Blue. His arrival allowed Qva Libre to reunite all its members in Miami after a period of separation.
The arrest of "El Pollo" occurs weeks after two other cases that raised concerns within the Cuban music community.
Pianist Andy García Palacios was arrested by ICE on August 15 at Los Angeles International Airport, while the percussionist Degnis Bofill, a Latin Grammy winner, was detained a few days later at Miami International Airport.
Both musicians were subsequently released on bail, although their immigration proceedings remain ongoing.
Bofill was released from custody on September 3 after more than two weeks of detention, and García Palacios was freed days later after spending almost a month at the Processing Center for Advance in California. After his release, García Palacios stated that his process was still not concluded.
In 2026, other cases of Cubans detained by ICE have also been reported, despite having pending immigration proceedings.
In October, a Cuban who had entered with humanitarian parole and applied for residency under the Cuban Adjustment Act was arrested while working as an Uber driver.
Months earlier, another Cuban resident in Texas was held for several months in ICE custody despite entering with humanitarian parole and having a pending status adjustment application.
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