A Cuban citizen was rescued alive this Monday after being found adrift, completely alone, on an improvised raft off the southeastern coast of Florida.
The discovery took place specifically about 26 kilometers east of Key Biscayne, according to the official X account of CBP Air and Marine Operations.
The alert reached the authorities thanks to an anonymous witness who saw the man adrift and reported the sighting on channel 16 of VHF, the international maritime distress frequency designated for emergencies at sea.
After receiving the report, the maritime units of CBP AMO, based in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, along with the United States Coast Guard (USCG), responded to the call, located the individual, and provided emergency assistance on site.
The man was evaluated by emergency medical services and was discharged by the Miami-Dade Fire and Rescue Department.
Subsequently, he was transferred to the Coast Guard cutter USCGC Melvin Bell for his immigration processing.
A raft made of foam and wood in the open sea
The photograph released by CBP AMO along with the statement shows the extreme precariousness of the vessel: constructed from blocks of white polystyrene foam, reinforced with wooden planks tied together with ropes, barely large enough to keep a single person afloat.
In the image, there is an adult man with a beard, wearing a gray t-shirt and a black cap, hunched over the raft in the middle of the open ocean, with some objects or supplies tied to the structure.
He could be a fisherman who was swept away by the current, but the official information does not specify.
CBP AMO emphasized in their publication that “the Cuban citizen is fortunate to be alive,” and warned that “the open sea is relentless and these journeys can become fatal quickly.”
The closure of legal pathways drives more Cubans to the sea
The rescue occurs against a backdrop of sustained maritime migration despite the tightening of immigration policies under the Trump administration.
The family reunification categories F1, F2A, F2B, F3, and F4 have been blocked, and the Cuban Family Reunification Program closed to new applications in December 2025.
At the end of September, Washington announced additional restrictions that affected more categories of visas for Cubans.
Only 10 days before this rescue, the U.S. Embassy in Havana published a deterrent graphic with the message "Don't risk your life, it's not worth it," which triggered a flood of responses from Cubans who pointed out that they are also unable to emigrate through legal channels.
«It is also not possible to enter legally,» commented one user. Another user was more direct: «Living inside Cuba, that is truly risking your life; the sea seems small in comparison to so much danger.»
"This country is so tough that it's worth risking your life adrift at sea, even knowing that arriving is difficult and if you make it, you could be sent back. Still, Cubans keep trying because freedom is priceless," concluded another Cuban in response to the deterrent campaign from the U.S. Embassy.
The deadly risks of these crossings were once again highlighted last August when two young Cuban rafters drowned in the waters of Sandino, Pinar del Río. Leodannis Sánchez (17 years old) and his partner Osmaikel (19) lost their lives during an attempt to leave irregularly for Mexico.
In September, the Coast Guard returned 14 out of 15 rafters to Cuba intercepted near Elbow Cay, in the Bahamas; one was evacuated for medical reasons.
Between 2021 and 2026, more than 1.79 million Cubans left the country in what is described as the largest exodus in its history, driven by the economic crisis, blackouts, shortages, and the political repression of the dictatorship.
As of the time of this report, there is no additional information about the Cuban who was rescued off the coast of Florida this Monday.
Este rescate forma parte de una realidad migratoria que cambia día a día. Sigue toda la actualidad sobre los cubanos que llegan a EE.UU. y las operaciones de las autoridades en nuestra sección de
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