The family members of Enrique René Reyes Martínez, the Cuban rescued on Monday aboard an improvised raft about 16 miles east of Key Biscayne, provided conflicting accounts regarding the circumstances that led him to drift in the Florida Strait, according to journalist Javier Díaz for Univision.
Yelsa Reyes Fabelo, the Cuban's aunt, stated that her nephew wanted to leave the island, but she denied that he had gone out to sea with the intention of emigrating.
Other family members agreed that Enrique had been expressing his desire to leave Cuba for some time, although a cousin maintained that the journey was indeed intentional and that he concealed his plans to avoid worrying his loved ones.
Family members claim that he went out to fish, but they admit that he wanted to leave Cuba
“He was crazy to leave Cuba, but that was not intentional”, stated via telephone Yelsa Reyes Fabelo, the aunt of the Cuban found by U.S. authorities.
According to several family members interviewed by journalist Javier Díaz, Enrique went fishing from the beach of Cojímar in Havana on Thursday, October 8, and has been missing ever since.
Four days later, on Monday, October 12, he was found adrift off the coast of Florida.
One of the family members explained that the weather conditions would have caused the man to drift away from the shore without being able to return.
“There was bad weather, a very strong breeze that started to push him away. Other fishermen went out, but he stayed behind, very troubled, because he is a person who has many problems here,” the woman, whose identity was not disclosed, reported.
Another relative acknowledged that Enrique frequently expressed his desire to leave Cuba, although he also denied that he had deliberately embarked on a migration journey.
“I believe that he really wanted to leave and was stubborn about it, constantly saying: ‘I wish I could leave, I wish I could leave’ […] but he didn’t leave with the intention to go.”, she stated.
However, a cousin offered a different version.
According to what he explained to the journalist from Univision, Enrique had indeed left with intentions to migrate, but he decided to keep it a secret from his family to avoid worrying them.
The testimonies thus reflect the discrepancies among the relatives regarding what happened: while some attribute the journey to an accident during a fishing trip, another family member claims that the man had planned to leave the island.
A couple traveling from the Bahamas found him adrift
Family members also provided details about the circumstances in which Enrique was found at sea, after being missing for several days.
"It is a couple who left from the Bahamas, where they were vacationing. As they were departing the Bahamas for Miami, they noticed something in the distance and decided to get a little closer, realizing that it was a person on a raft," explained a source close to Univision.
The Cuban was spotted about 16 miles east of Key Biscayne, on a makeshift raft made of foam blocks, wooden planks, and ropes.
A sailor alerted the authorities via the maritime emergency channel VHF 16, which enabled the activation of the rescue operation.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue paramedics initially assessed him and determined that he did not need emergency medical attention.
He was subsequently transferred to the coast guard vessel USCGC Melvin Bell for his immigration processing.
Who is Enrique René Reyes Martínez?
U.S. authorities have not publicly confirmed his identity, but his relatives specified that he is named Enrique René Reyes Martínez, 38 years old.
Originally from the Los Cangrejitos neighborhood in Santiago de Cuba, Reyes Martínez had been living in Havana for several years and is the father of a young girl who remains in Cuba.
At the time of the reports, Enrique was in a hospital recovering.
What will happen to him?: The voice of an immigration attorney
Regarding the legal future of Reyes Martínez, immigration attorney José Guerrero, consulted by Univision, explained that the Cuban could face removal proceedings from the United States.
"He will be transferred to a detention center and placed in an expedited removal process because he is a foreigner arriving in the United States, in this case by sea," he pointed out.
The specialist clarified, however, that this does not necessarily mean that all migrants intercepted under these circumstances will end up being deported.
"The wet foot/dry foot policy was eliminated in January 2017, but depending on the case, not everyone is deported. The fact that you are not granted parole does not eliminate the possibility of coming to the United States and applying for asylum," he explained.
A rescue that reflects a larger crisis
Enrique's case arises at a time when legal avenues for emigration for Cubans have been progressively closing. The Cuban Family Reunification Program closed to new applications in December 2025, and by the end of September, Washington announced additional restrictions on visa categories for Cubans.
Days before the rescue, the U.S. Embassy in Havana issued a discouraging message with the slogan "Don't risk your life, it's not worth it," which triggered a flood of critical responses from Cubans who pointed out that they cannot emigrate through legal channels either.
That same week, the Coast Guard repatriated six Cubans after two separate operations in the Florida Straits. Between 2021 and 2026, over 1.79 million Cubans left the island in the largest exodus in its history.
CBP Air and Marine Operations summarized the seriousness of these ventures in their official statement: "The open sea is unforgiving, and these journeys can turn deadly quickly."
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