The Cuban musician Alejandro Infante, known as “El Pollo” and guitarist of 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 taken place two days earlier and that the musician was still in immigration custody.
"Alejandro, Alejandro Infante, better known to you as 'El Pollo', guitarist of Cuba Libre always, throughout his life, as well as guitarist for Chacal, for Gente de Zona... 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 try to bring the musician home and requested financial support to cover the expenses associated with his case.
"Unfortunately, two days ago he was arrested by ICE in Texas. He is currently being detained there. All possible measures are being taken to ensure El Pollo's return home," he stated.
After the news broke, a GoFundMe campaign was launched 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 helping hand," notes the campaign.
The organizers explained that the family is experiencing "moments of great uncertainty and distress" and that they need to act quickly due to the high attorney fees and other expenses related to their immigration defense.
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 singer Margarita Morales, known as Magui Blue. His arrival allowed Qva Libre to gather all its members again in Miami after a period of separation.
The arrest of "El Pollo" comes 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 later 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 nearly a month at the Processing Center for Advanced Placement in California. After his release, García Palacios stated that his process had not yet concluded.
Other cases of Cubans detained by ICE despite having pending immigration processes have also been reported in 2026.
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 remained in ICE custody for several months despite having entered with humanitarian parole and having an adjustment of status application in process.
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