The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) currently holds two Cuban nationals in custody, both with prior convictions for drug trafficking and other serious crimes, as authorities have reported.
Among those apprehended in Florida are Miguel González Toledo and Iván Michael Arias Pérez, Cuban immigrants residing illegally in the U.S.
Convicted for homicide and drug trafficking in the southern state, González Toledo was arrested during operations on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. According to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), he was named among “the worst illegal immigrant offenders.”
“On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, our ICE officers arrested gang members, murderers, drug traffickers, and violent thugs. We are grateful to our law enforcement officers who spend time away from their families and risk their lives to remove the worst of the worst,” stated DHS Deputy Secretary Tricia McLaughlin following the arrests.
Meanwhile, ICE announced on Saturday the arrest of Arias Pérez, describing him as a convicted cocaine trafficker from Cuba who entered the U.S. illegally.
Per a note on social media platform X, ICE special agents apprehended him during a targeted operation in Miami this past June, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Authorities have not provided further specifics regarding the arrests or the sentences the two Cubans served.
Instances like these are publicly highlighted by U.S. officials as part of their efforts to intensify immigration enforcement against foreign nationals with criminal backgrounds.
Over 1,150 Cuban nationals have been detained by ICE under their campaign labeled “Worst of the Worst,” which DHS promotes as part of its strategy to capture and deport undocumented immigrants with criminal records, deemed a threat to American safety.
The administration under Donald Trump has heightened its stringent approach to immigration, focusing not only on the arrest and deportation of foreign criminals but also targeting individuals at various stages of their immigration processes who have not committed any crimes.
Understanding ICE’s Operations Against Criminal Immigrants
What crimes were the Cuban immigrants convicted of?
The Cuban immigrants, Miguel González Toledo and Iván Michael Arias Pérez, were convicted of serious offenses such as homicide, drug trafficking, and cocaine trafficking.
What is the "Worst of the Worst" campaign?
The "Worst of the Worst" campaign is an initiative by the Department of Homeland Security aimed at capturing and deporting undocumented immigrants with criminal records whom the U.S. considers a threat to public safety.