A Cuban national, whose asylum request was previously denied by the United States, has been taken into custody near Benson, Arizona, for attempting to smuggle three Mexican migrants.
The Tucson Sector of the Border Patrol stated, "A Cuban citizen, whose asylum case was terminated by an immigration judge last month, was apprehended for trying to smuggle three Mexican immigrants near Benson, Arizona." The statement further revealed that "two of the three smuggled individuals had prior deportation records from the United States," though no additional details were disclosed.
Sean McGuffin, head of the Tucson Sector Border Patrol, remarked to Mexican media, "This arrest underscores the ongoing battle against illegal migration in the region." Authorities are still investigating the incident and have pledged to take appropriate actions.
As of this report's conclusion, further information about the arrest, including the identity of the Cuban detainee, has not been released.
Increasing Incidents Involving Cubans in Migrant Smuggling
In recent months, several cases have emerged involving Cubans in migrant smuggling operations. In July, Texas authorities arrested two Florida-based Cubans near a border crossing for smuggling immigrants. Chris Olivarez, spokesperson for the state's Department of Public Safety, reported that officials stopped a Chevrolet Malibu on US-277 in Kinney County. The vehicle was driven by Diojany Carrillo Rodríguez, with passenger Dariel Ibáñez Hernández—both Cubans. Ibáñez Hernández, who has a pending citizenship hearing in U.S. court, was involved in smuggling two illegal immigrants from Mexico. Rodríguez confessed to having a GPS location set for Houston and picking up the migrants in Eagle Pass. They now face charges of human trafficking, and the two undocumented immigrants were handed over to U.S. Border Patrol, though their nationalities were not specified.
Legal Troubles for Cuban Nationals
On June 20, Texas authorities also detained a Cuban illegal immigrant, Raysel Carrion-Tamayo, 34, accused of multiple offenses, including trafficking and sexual assault. Carrion-Tamayo’s criminal record includes past arrests for commercial sex trafficking, aggravated sexual assault, aggravated promotion of prostitution, human trafficking, and continuous sexual assault.
Furthermore, Glendale police in Los Angeles arrested Cuban Emmanuel Garcia Guzman for allegedly smuggling Cuban immigrants for prostitution. Guzman was apprehended in late June during an undercover operation in California, part of broader U.S. actions against human trafficking involving Cuban nationals in cities such as Houston, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Miami.
Additionally, in March, two Cubans were arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents in New Mexico while attempting to traffic 23 undocumented individuals.