Former NYC Councilman Arrested at Miami Airport After Returning from Cuba

Daniel James Halloran, a former New York City councilman, was apprehended at Miami International Airport on charges of possessing and transporting child pornography. Halloran had arrived on a flight from Cuba, with New York as his final destination. According to Telemundo 51, agents from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) inspected Halloran's mobile phone, discovering a hidden folder containing at least 1,362 videos, many of which featured child exploitation material.

Further investigation revealed a conversation on the Telegram app, where Halloran allegedly negotiated the purchase of such content. During questioning, Halloran confessed that most of the files were indeed child pornography. The 53-year-old was immediately arrested and initially taken to Broward County Jail before being moved to a federal detention center in Miami, where he remains in custody.

Local 10 News reported that Halloran, now 54, resides in Floral Park, Long Island, New York, where he works as a diving instructor. Recent images on his public Instagram account show that his trip to Cuba was related to a diving expedition in the Jardines de la Reina National Park off the island's southern coast.

The case is currently proceeding in a Miami federal court. Halloran was registered with the same federal inmate number: 68384-054. A judge has ordered his detention without bail, and he is scheduled to appear at a bail hearing on April 4, with formal proceedings set for April 14.

Halloran, a Republican who represented a Queens district, served as a New York City councilman from 2009 to 2013. In 2015, he was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for his role in a bribery and corruption scheme, which involved attempting to secure a Democratic state senator's candidacy for New York City mayor as a Republican. The court determined that the bribes were part of an FBI undercover operation.

Between February and March of 2025, several high-profile cases involving Cuban nationals accused of serious crimes have emerged, highlighting a troubling trend within some diaspora communities. One of the most shocking cases involved Rubén Sánchez Martínez, who received a 13-year prison sentence in Arizona for immigrant smuggling and possession of child pornography. Having entered the U.S. under parole in 2022, he was arrested in 2023. Authorities revealed that the operation was a joint effort between the Border Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations.

Days later, Spanish National Police arrested adult film producer Ignacio Allende Fernández, known as "Torbe," at Madrid airport after his arrival from Havana. His arrest was prompted by a young woman's complaint that she had been deceived and detained in Spain, where she was allegedly sexually abused. Torbe had previously been convicted in 2023 for distributing sexual recordings involving minors.

In Miami, the Cuban community was shaken by the arrest of a little league coach accused of sexually abusing a minor. The arrest followed the child's mother's report of the abuse, which allegedly spanned several years. The suspect was caught attempting to flee and faces charges of aggravated sexual assault.

In another disturbing case, a Cuban couple in Texas was accused of sexually assaulting their one-year-old daughter. Both parents confessed to the crime during separate interrogations and were arrested. The child has been placed under state protection.