Published Saturday, 31 October, 11:01 a.m. ET (11:01 a.m. Havana) · Source: US Department of Justice, US Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida
A smuggling ring that sold Cubans a route into America for up to US$40,000 a head has reached a Florida courtroom. Five Cuban nationals and one US citizen were sentenced on Thursday, 29 October, as the latest chapter in the story we follow on our Cuba news hub, where we track Havana and Washington.
The US Department of Justice, which prosecutes federal crimes, says the group also filed more than 1,700 false asylum claims. It touches the wider Cuba and US tensions: how Cubans reach the United States, and who profits.
Key Facts
- What happened: A federal court in Florida sentenced six people on 29 October to two to four years in prison.
- The scheme: They charged Cubans US$1,500 to US$40,000 each and filed over 1,700 false asylum claims.
- The money: Prosecutors say the group laundered more than US$22 million between 2021 and 2025.
- What is next: Three co-defendants await sentencing, and two more are at large, meaning not in custody.
This story is part of our coverage of the cuba news. Dates, times and how to follow it are in our guide.
In plain English
Prosecutors say a group of Cubans and one American sold illegal trips to the United States, then sold fake asylum paperwork to the same customers. Asylum is protection for people who say they would be persecuted at home, and a false story in an application is a federal crime.
Six Sentences, Two to Four Years
All six had pleaded guilty to charges that include smuggling for money, asylum fraud and money laundering, meaning the hiding of illegal profits.
The longest term, four years, went to Liannys Yaiselys Vega-Perez, who managed the group’s immigration-services business. Prosecutors say she personally filed hundreds of fraudulent asylum applications.
Who got what
- Liannys Yaiselys Vega-Perez, 27: four years, for running the fake immigration-services business.
- Layra Libertad Treto Santos, 30: 30 months, plus US$95,000 forfeited.
- Luis Emmanuel Escalona-Marrero, 32: two years, plus US$2.9 million forfeited.
- Miguel Martinez Vasconcelos, 31: two years, plus US$150,000 forfeited.
- Walbis Pozo-Dutel, 32: two years.
- Emanuel Martinez Gonzalez, 29: two years.
Twelve people were charged in all. A seventh defendant, Erik Ventura-Castro, was sentenced to 30 months on 29 July.
How the Ring Worked
The group advertised on social media aimed at Cubans living on the island. It smuggled clients across the southern border and also used fake travel permits to bring them through airports.
The permit is called ESTA, the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, an online visa waiver for visitors from approved countries. Cuban residents are not eligible, so the ring claimed in its applications that clients had not been in Cuba since 2011.
Once clients were inside the United States, the group sold them asylum paperwork in exchange for a fee. It spent more than US$600,000 with one airline between July 2022 and November 2024.
What Washington Says About It
Joseph B. Edlow, director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services, the agency that handles visas and asylum claims, called the sentences “a clear warning to anyone seeking to profit by exploiting, abusing, or undermining America’s legal immigration system.” He added that his agency “will bring to bear all law enforcement resources at its disposal.”
The Justice Department filed the case under Operation Take Back America, a department initiative that, in its own words, aims to put more criminals behind bars and enforce the rule of law.
What It Means for US Readers
Prosecutors charged the paperwork side of the scheme alongside the border crossing, and the longest term went to Vega-Perez, who ran the asylum-filing business.
For Cuban-American families sending money to relatives, the case shows what prosecutors call a fraudulent immigration business that sold paperwork to Cubans. Our guide on whether Americans can travel to Cuba explains the travel rules.
What Is Not Known
The Justice Department speaks of “thousands” of smuggled Cubans but gives no exact figure. It does not say how many of the 1,700 asylum claims were approved.
The release also does not give the time of the hearings or a sentencing date for the three defendants still waiting. We have not seen a response from Havana or from the defendants’ lawyers.
More: Cuba news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did the ring charge Cuban migrants?
Prosecutors say it charged between US$1,500 and US$40,000 per person. Some groups travelled on private planes the conspirators chartered.
Who is still waiting for sentencing?
Yuniel Lima-Santos, Gisleivy Peralta Consuegra and Lazaro Alain Cabrera-Rodriguez await sentencing. Two other defendants, Marianny Lucia Lopez-Torres and Frandy Aragon-Diaz, are at large.
Sources: US Department of Justice press release of 29 October 2026 (justice.gov); US Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Florida (justice.gov/usao-mdfl); US Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error
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