The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Thursday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has issued an immigration detainer for Yusel Keoma Pérez-Leyva, a 42-year-old Cuban national. DHS has requested that Florida authorities ensure he remains in custody following the legal proceedings he faces for alleged kidnapping and sexual assault of a woman in Miami, as reported by Fox News.
Pérez-Leyva was taken into custody on June 18 in Doral after a woman reported being drugged and sexually assaulted after leaving a Miami Beach nightclub in the early hours of June 4.
According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office, the victim woke up hours later in the emergency room of HCA Florida Palm Lakes in Hialeah, with no memory of how she arrived there.
"She believes she was drugged... as a result, she lost consciousness and only remembers leaving the nightclub... She believes she was raped," the police report states.
Investigations have included surveillance footage that authorities say shows Pérez-Leyva carrying the seemingly unconscious woman to an apartment near Miami Lakes.
During questioning, detectives from the Special Victims Bureau reported that Pérez-Leyva admitted to picking up the woman while working as an Uber driver and acknowledged engaging in sexual activities with her while she was intoxicated.
The Cuban national faces two first-degree felony charges: kidnapping, which carries a potential life sentence, and sexual assault on a physically incapacitated victim, which could result in up to 30 years in prison.
On June 20, a judge denied bail for Pérez-Leyva, mandating that he remain in custody as the judicial process continues. A formal arraignment is scheduled for July 9 before Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Alberto Milian.
In a statement, DHS Acting Deputy Secretary Lauren Bis noted that Pérez-Leyva entered the U.S. illegally through Arizona in 2021 and criticized former President Joe Biden's administration for allowing him to remain in the country.
"This illegal Cuban immigrant is accused of raping and kidnapping a woman in Miami. ICE has issued a detainer against him, and thanks to Florida's cooperation with ICE, he will be transferred to federal custody and will not be released back into American communities," she asserted.
DHS stated that ICE has formally requested the Miami-Dade Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to inform immigration authorities prior to any potential release of the accused, allowing for federal custody transfer.
Florida, unlike some "sanctuary cities," maintains cooperation agreements with ICE and typically complies with the federal agency's immigration detainers.
This case is part of a troubling trend in South Florida, where rideshare drivers have been accused of sexual crimes against passengers. Other notable incidents involve Yaroslandys Elozegui Romero, Yadir Alejandro Góngora, and Wilder Ariel Sosa Olivero, all of whom were arrested in separate investigations.
FAQs about the Cuban Man Accused in Miami
What charges is Yusel Keoma Pérez-Leyva facing?
Yusel Keoma Pérez-Leyva is facing two first-degree felony charges: kidnapping, which could lead to a life sentence, and sexual assault on a physically incapacitated victim, punishable by up to 30 years in prison.
When is the formal arraignment scheduled?
The formal arraignment is set for July 9 before Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Alberto Milian.
What action has DHS taken against Pérez-Leyva?
DHS has requested that Florida authorities keep Pérez-Leyva in custody and has issued an immigration detainer through ICE to prevent his release into the community.