Illegal Cuban Immigrants Busted in Belizean Waters

Pedro Lion

On Tuesday, five Cubans who were heading to the United States ended up in Belize when their vessel shipwrecked after they set sail from Honduras. They ended in Belizean waters and were rescued by a vessel that dropped them off in the area of the Supreme Court. This is where they walked directly into the hands of the police. When they were asked about their status, they could not produce their documents so they were taken into custody to be transferred to the Belize Immigration Department for further investigation. Two of them made a dash for freedom, but one of them, Pedro Lion, though he resisted arrest, was apprehended by the police. After a night in custody, the three others, Alexei Rodriguez Garcia, Alexander Alvarez Romero, and Luis Miguel Torres along with Lion were arraigned before Magistrate Deborah Rogers and deemed prohibited immigrants. The Immigration Department, however, made a request for their removal and that was granted by Magistrate Rogers. The four Cubans remain in custody at the Belize Central Prison until arrangement could be made by the Immigration Department in collaboration with the Cuban Embassy. The fifth Cuban remains at large.