Cuban Intelligence Asset Donated Thousands to Republicans Salazar and Díaz-Balart

Fernando Armando Valdés Pérez, a Cuban-Guatemalan recently deported by the United States after being identified as an asset of Cuban intelligence, had for years made political donations to Republican congress members María Elvira Salazar and Mario Díaz-Balart. These two Cuban-American politicians are among the most outspoken critics of Havana's regime.

The donations are listed in Federal Election Commission (FEC) records, which were referenced in an investigation by journalist Nora Gámez Torres for the Miami Herald. This report unveils new details about Valdés's activities and connections during his time in South Florida.

According to these records, Valdés contributed $2,900 to María Elvira Salazar's re-election campaign in 2022 and an additional $1,000 in 2024, the latter through a company registered under his name, Sr. Valdes Cigars. He also donated to Mario Díaz-Balart’s campaigns, giving $1,000 in 2018 and another $2,000 in 2024.

Overall, the amounts highlighted by the Miami Herald total $6,900. These contributions have gained particular significance since Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) publicly identified Valdés as a Cuban intelligence asset who had been tasked with infiltrating exile organizations since at least the 1990s.

Political Connections and Espionage Allegations

Both Salazar and Díaz-Balart represent districts in South Florida and have consistently taken a strong stance against the Cuban regime. The report does not present evidence suggesting that Salazar or Díaz-Balart were aware of Valdés's alleged ties to Havana's intelligence or that the political donations were part of a spy operation.

Valdés's political contributions exemplify the level of integration he achieved within circles openly opposed to Cuba's government. U.S. authorities claim that the 61-year-old, who resided for years in Kendall, was a Cuban intelligence asset tasked with infiltrating among Cuban exiles.

Deep Infiltration in Anti-Castro Circles

One of Valdés's significant achievements was his proximity to Luis Posada Carriles, a notable and controversial figure in the anti-Castro exile community. Posada, a Bay of Pigs veteran and former CIA collaborator, was a long-standing adversary of Fidel Castro's regime. Although linked by Cuba and Venezuela to the 1976 bombing of a Cubana de Aviación flight, resulting in 73 deaths, Posada was never convicted of terrorism in the U.S.

Valdés managed to become one of Posada's most trusted associates. According to testimonies gathered by Gámez Torres, he accompanied Posada to medical appointments, managed his medications, and hosted him for over a year in Guatemala.

Orlando González, a close friend of Posada and director of Rescate Jurídico, told the Miami Herald that Valdés successfully infiltrated to a level that allowed him to navigate exile organizations and engage with congress members and senators.

Deportation and Legal Proceedings

Valdés was apprehended on July 10 at Miami International Airport in a joint operation by ICE, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). U.S. authorities determined that he had fraudulently obtained permanent residency by concealing his ties to Cuban intelligence.

Ultimately, he was deported to Guatemala on August 7. ICE has not publicly disclosed what information Valdés may have gathered during his years in the U.S., to whom he might have reported, nor his specific activities for Havana's intelligence services. No criminal charges have been announced against him for espionage or acting as an agent of a foreign government.

This case now casts a new spotlight on how Valdés was able to navigate the Cuban exile community in Miami and connect with figures politically opposed to the regime for which he allegedly worked, according to U.S. authorities.