Leobel has been unable to sleep or eat for a week. From Mexico, where he is employed in construction to reunite with his family, this Cuban father anxiously awaits a call confirming the safety of his two-year-old twin sons, Leosdel and Leosniel, a call that has yet to come.
The young twins went missing along with 17 others, including their mother and five other minors, after their boat departed from Pinar del Río on Tuesday, August 11, and lost all contact hours later.
Journalist Mario Vallejo shared the distressing situation and conducted an exclusive interview with Leobel, highlighting the profound despair of a father met with silence from the authorities.
Last Known Contact: Tuesday Afternoon
The Mexican-origin vessel set sail around 2 PM from the Cuyo area in Pinar del Río, carrying 12 adults and seven children bound for Mexico.
The last communication Leobel had with those aboard was at 5:30 PM on that Tuesday. In the interview, Leobel disclosed that the engine was already malfunctioning before they lost contact, and the boat had run out of fuel.
Provisions were minimal: two boxes of water, some cookies, a box of soda, two boxes of juice, and two boxes of milk.
Enduring an Agonizing Wait
Leobel has been in Mexico for nearly a year, working long hours from seven in the morning to six in the evening to eventually join his family. This relentless effort turned into an unbearable wait.
"I don't know. Without life... I don't even know what to do here in Puerto Loco. The most important thing in life is your children. Family in such a situation doesn't know what to do. Desperate, not knowing where to go or who to turn to," he expressed.
He recounts how the anxiety prevents him from resting or eating. "I can't sleep or eat. All I have is soda. I can't sleep. I sleep with the phone next to me, always awake. No one can fall asleep thinking, and you can't eat knowing your children have nothing to eat there," he added.
When Vallejo asked if they attempted to return to Cuba, Leobel was definitive, explaining they were already too far from the island. "No, no, no. We're too far from Cuba."
Among the missing are also the twins' mother, Yusimy Garrobo Leiva, 35 years old. The family hails from the municipality of Vertientes in Camagüey.
Authorities' Inaction and Plea to U.S. Coast Guard
Leobel has visited the Mexican Coast Guard and Border offices in search of answers, to no avail.
"I've been everywhere here. I went to the Border and Coast Guard. They called those people, and all they've told me is to wait. To be patient, but put yourself in my shoes and see who can be patient," he recounted.
Feeling ignored as a foreigner has also been a persistent issue. "You go to one place, they tell you one thing, and when you go elsewhere, they send you back. They never give you news, no answers, nothing. Because I'm not from this country, they seem to deny me the same, I don't know," he lamented.
Due to the lack of results from Mexican authorities, Leobel made a direct appeal to the U.S. Coast Guard, which operates in the Gulf area.
"If they could help me in any way, to at least reunite me with my family, because if they put themselves in my place to see how it feels, to see that no human can bear that weight," he pleaded.
He summarized his anguish in one sentence: "I don't care if they send them back, I just want them to be safe."
Additional Testimonies and Official Responses
Another testimony from a relative of other missing individuals was provided to Martí Noticias, confirming details of the incident.
Yunaidy Martínez Ramírez, a Havana native residing in Cancún whose husband and three young children are among the missing, explained that one of the engines broke down, and they lost the remaining fuel due to an accidental spill after having covered more than half the journey.
"My whole family is on the boat. It was a good vessel, but one engine broke and then they ran out of gasoline because it spilled. The boatman said they would try to sail... They had food, but after so many days I'm afraid there's nothing left," Martínez Ramírez stated.
Her account aligns with Leobel's frustrations. The woman mentioned that during the initial days, she was sent from one place to another, and the families had to personally insist with the authorities for information.
"The Navy always tells me the same: they're searching with no results. The first days they passed me from one side to another. The twins' father and I had to go into the main base; if we don't call, they don't tell us anything," she declared to the media.
"They have helicopters and boats to search by air and sea; they should conduct the search faster. I'm desperate, going crazy, about to search for them myself," she added.
The Mexican Navy admitted it hasn't located the boat. The Permanent Guard of the V Naval Region of the Secretariat of the Navy of Mexico (SEMAR), based in Isla Mujeres, confirmed to Martí Noticias that naval authorities are aware of the case but have yet to locate the vessel.
"Naval search and rescue stations in the jurisdiction have been alerted by RN 5, hoping to gather more information about the case. The captains and all naval search and rescue stations are aware of the vessel," an official from the entity told the media.
The official added that vessels operating in the area have attempted to locate the missing persons, but so far, have not succeeded in finding them.
A particularly concerning detail is that, according to the response provided to Martí Noticias, helicopters from the Search, Rescue, and Maritime Surveillance Stations (ENSAR) have not been deployed to locate the Cubans.
"They haven't been deployed; that's determined by naval command," the official answered when asked specifically about the use of these aerial resources.
As of the closure of this article, no additional information about the case is available.
Key Questions about the Missing Cuban Boat Incident
What happened to the boat carrying the missing Cubans?
The boat, departing from Pinar del Río, Cuba, lost contact after its engine malfunctioned and it ran out of fuel. It was carrying 12 adults and seven children, including two-year-old twins.
What efforts have been made to locate the missing boat?
Mexican naval authorities are aware of the situation but have not yet located the vessel. There have been no helicopter deployments for the search, and families have had to personally insist with authorities for information.
How has the lack of information impacted the families of the missing?
Families, including the father of the missing twins, are experiencing extreme distress and frustration due to the silence and inefficiency of authorities. They have actively sought answers but have been met with limited responses.