Yasmany Moreno de Armas, a 31-year-old Cuban deported to the Central African Republic, has reached out to the Cuban-American community for help and issued a stark warning to immigrants still residing in the United States. From Bangui, he shared his message through an Instagram reel.
"They claim they’re deporting to a third country. This is not a third country; they're deporting us to a second continent," Moreno de Armas expressed in his video.
"I appreciate the Cuban community's support. All I'm asking is for you to share this video so that the U.S. stops sending people to Africa. They're destroying us, sending all Latinos to Africa," he stated.
Recorded under dire conditions in the Central African capital, the video circulated widely among Cuban, Venezuelan, and Mexican communities on social media platforms.
Harsh Realities of Deportation
"We are suffering here, far from our families. Venezuelans are also being sent here, to a second continent, well away from our loved ones," he added.
Uncertainty and Harsh Realities Behind Deportation
Why was this Cuban sent to Africa? Yasmany Moreno de Armas arrived in Florida by raft in September 2016 and was granted entry under the "Wet Foot, Dry Foot" policy, which was abolished in January 2017 by the Obama administration.
He attempted to adjust his status through the Cuban Adjustment Act, but his application for permanent residency was denied due to late submission beyond his parole period. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained him in May 2025, and after nearly a year in custody, he was deported on August 1, 2026.
The severity of his case lies in the fact that he was never informed of his destination. He only learned he would land in Bangui after five hours into the flight as the plane descended. Before his deportation, he had never heard of the Central African Republic.
In Bangui, he was held in a building alongside deportees from Ecuador, Honduras, Nepal, Russia, Vietnam, and other nations, none with any ties to the RCA.
Moreno de Armas claims he has no criminal record, although Cuban government documents indicate he was imprisoned on the island for "illegal departure from national territory" during an earlier emigration attempt.
The Broader Impact of Third-Country Deportations
On August 20, the U.S. executed its first deportation flight to Liberia under an agreement that allows for up to 1,200 migrants from third countries to be received over 12 months.
Four Cubans on that flight—Carlos Rodríguez López, Leandro Sánchez, Emilio Destrade Correoso, and Darwin Hernández Calvo—refused to disembark in Monrovia and were taken to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, where they remain detained.
These migrants are housed in a hotel converted into a detention center under a $7.5 million agreement with the Trump administration. One of them survives with a colostomy bag and lacks access to medical care.
By early August, approximately 22,000 people had been sent to at least 26 countries under the third-country deportation scheme promoted by the Trump administration, which has secured agreements with at least 35 nations.
Between October 2025 and June 2026, over 4,000 Cubans received deportation orders in Florida alone.
Frequently Asked Questions on Cuban Deportations to Africa
Why was Yasmany Moreno de Armas deported to Africa?
Yasmany Moreno de Armas was deported to the Central African Republic after failing to regularize his status in the U.S. His application for permanent residency under the Cuban Adjustment Act was denied, and he was detained by ICE before being deported.
What challenges do deportees face in Africa?
Deportees, like Moreno de Armas, face significant challenges, including being far from their families, living in precarious conditions, and coping with the absence of support networks or familiarity with their new surroundings.