The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed on Monday the arrest of Adermis Wilson González, a Cuban national who spent nearly 20 years in a U.S. prison following his conviction for hijacking a plane from the Isle of Youth in 2003. Wilson, now 56, was detained by federal immigration agents in Houston, Texas, on Sunday, June 29, according to family sources reported by CaféFuerte. Facing deportation proceedings, Wilson might be sent to Mexico.
ICE revealed in an official statement that Wilson was among the 1,361 undocumented immigrants arrested during immigration enforcement operations in the Houston area in June. These individuals had entered the United States illegally and either faced criminal charges or had previous convictions. Among those apprehended by the Houston field office of Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) were 32 individuals convicted of sexual offenses against minors, nine convicted of homicide, and 16 identified as members of transnational gangs or drug cartels.
In addition to Wilson's arrest, the federal agency highlighted the cases of four other Mexican nationals who had illegally entered the U.S. multiple times and had convictions for drug trafficking and possession, attempted murder, sexual assault against minors, aggravated robbery, and illegal use of firearms.
ICE's Routine Immigration Control Operations
The report emphasized that these arrests are part of ERO Houston's daily operations, conducted in collaboration with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies throughout southeastern Texas. These efforts aim to enhance both national and border security.
The 2003 Plane Hijacking
On the night of March 31, 2003, Adermis Wilson González, who was then employed as a civil construction technician on the Isle of Youth, commandeered a commercial Cubana de Aviación flight bound for Havana from Nueva Gerona. Armed with two grenades, he instructed the Antonov-24 aircraft's pilot, carrying 46 passengers, to head towards Miami. Due to insufficient fuel, the plane made an emergency landing at Havana's José Martí International Airport.
After a tense 14-hour negotiation involving Fidel Castro and James Cason, then-chief of the U.S. Interests Section, 22 passengers, including women and children, were allowed to disembark, and the flight continued to Florida on April 1, with 25 passengers and six crew members. The Antonov-24 was escorted by two U.S. Air Force F-15 fighters and a Black Hawk helicopter during the 50-minute journey to Key West.
Upon landing in the U.S., Wilson surrendered with his hands up. Accompanied by his then-wife and her three-year-old son, whom he carried down the plane's stairs, no one was harmed during the hijacking. The grenades he used were fake, crafted with the help of a ceramist from the Isle of Youth, although he had left real grenades at home to convince Cuban authorities of their authenticity.
Months later, a U.S. federal court found Wilson guilty of air piracy, sentencing him to 20 years in prison. While incarcerated, he learned English, graduated as a civil engineer from the University of Pennsylvania in 2013, and earned a master's degree in Logistics from the University of North Carolina, as reported by CaféFuerte.
In April 2021, after serving his sentence in a South Carolina federal prison, Wilson was transferred to an ICE detention facility to begin deportation proceedings to Cuba, which were ultimately dropped for humanitarian reasons. He remained in ICE custody for nearly five months before being released on September 23, 2021, due to his poor health. Since 2017, Wilson has been paralyzed from the waist down, requiring a wheelchair, and suffers from hypertension and heart conditions. After his release, he resided in Houston.
Wilson's arrest by ICE and impending deportation come amid the Trump administration's intensified crackdown on illegal immigration, characterized by systematic raids, arrests nationwide, and mass deportations of undocumented migrants with criminal records.
Key Questions About Adermis Wilson's Case
What was Adermis Wilson González convicted of in the United States?
Adermis Wilson González was convicted of air piracy for hijacking a commercial flight from the Isle of Youth to Miami in 2003.
Why was Wilson's deportation to Cuba ultimately dropped?
Wilson's deportation to Cuba was dropped for humanitarian reasons due to his poor health, including paralysis from the waist down and heart conditions.
What educational achievements did Wilson accomplish while in prison?
During his incarceration, Wilson studied English, graduated as a civil engineer from the University of Pennsylvania, and obtained a master's degree in Logistics from the University of North Carolina.