Names and Crimes of Migrants Held at Guantánamo Bay Revealed

The United States Department of Homeland Security (*DHS*) has taken the unprecedented step of disclosing the names and crimes of several migrants currently detained at the Guantánamo Bay Naval Base. This move aims to underscore a zero-tolerance policy towards crimes committed by foreigners on American soil.

In an official statement, DHS Deputy Secretary *Tricia McLaughlin* defended this disclosure, stating that these individuals are "the worst of the worst," posing a direct threat to public safety in the United States. "We are arresting criminal illegal aliens and removing them from American streets. Guantánamo Bay houses the most dangerous offenders, including child predators, rapists, and murderers," McLaughlin declared.

Whether in CECOT, Alligator Alcatraz, Guantánamo Bay, or any other detention facility, these dangerous criminals will not terrorize American citizens. President *Trump* and Secretary *Noem* are employing every available tool to rid our streets and nation of foreign criminals. Our message is clear: criminals are not welcome in the United States.

McLaughlin further noted that each detainee has been identified based on their history of violence, recidivism, or particularly heinous crimes. "This is not about arbitrary arrests, but a focused and systematic effort to eliminate those who, having entered illegally, have made their presence even more dangerous with criminal acts. We are fulfilling the expectations of the American people: protecting our communities, restoring the rule of law, and ensuring that those who abuse our hospitality face clear consequences."

This stance reinforces DHS's policy of prolonged detention and immediate deportation for foreign criminals, using extraterritorial facilities like Guantánamo to separate these individuals from the common prison system.

Guantánamo Bay Detainees by Country

The released list includes individuals from at least 12 countries, detained for serious offenses such as sexual assault, kidnapping, homicide, drug trafficking, and child abuse.

Vietnam: Five Vietnamese nationals are among those named, convicted of severe crimes like kidnapping and armed assault:

• Hung Vo – armed robbery.
• Quan Phung – aggravated assault with a weapon.
• Hieu Tran – robbery.
• Tien Minh Cao – kidnapping.
• Khang Huy Trang – kidnapping for ransom.

Honduras: Three Hondurans face sentences for sexual and physical assaults, including crimes against minors:

• Andis Noe Cortes Zepeda – sexual assault.
• Antonio Erazo-Ramos – assault.
• Franklin Almendarez-Alvarez – lewd acts with a minor.

China: Four Chinese citizens are detained for crimes including homicide, robbery, and kidnapping:

• Xiang Liu – robbery.
• Jin Feng Lu – homicide.
• Wen Lin – robbery.
• Yong Liang – kidnapping.

Colombia: Three Colombians were included for drug and armed violence-related crimes:

• Ramiro Villanueva – cocaine smuggling.
• Luis Fernando Ospina Tabarez – heroin smuggling.
• Brayan Vasquez-Montero – aggravated assault with a weapon.

El Salvador: Three Salvadorans are detained for sexual offenses, weapons, and assault:

• Carlos Olivo Orellana – lewd acts with a minor.
• Jose Diego Pereira Valdez – aggravated assault with a firearm.
• Victor Bonilla-Alvarez – arms trafficking.

Guatemala: Two Guatemalans were identified for domestic violence and assault:

• Olma Juarez-Mendez – domestic violence.
• Guillermo Gonzales-Tiul – assault.

Also included are citizens from India, Venezuela, Romania, Liberia, Jamaica, and the United Kingdom:

• Shubham Singh (India) – child pornography.
• Larry Medina (Venezuela) – sexual assault.
• Ilie Bogde (Romania) – robbery.
• Nathaniel Akeen (Liberia) – robbery.
• Eric Gresford Miller (Jamaica) – aggravated assault with a firearm.
• Nigel Tomlinson (United Kingdom) – child sexual abuse.

From Military Prison to Migrant Detention Center

Though historically associated with detaining terrorism suspects, the military base at Guantánamo Bay has been repurposed under the Trump Administration to house migrants with criminal convictions. This practice, causing concern among human rights groups, marks a new chapter in the use of extraterritorial facilities by the U.S. to address migration with a national security focus.

DHS did not specify if more names will be released in the future, nor the final legal immigration status of these detainees. However, they reiterated that deportation is underway, and these individuals will be "permanently removed from U.S. territory" once the necessary international legal procedures are completed.