“They’re Trafficking With My Life”: Cuban Man Describes Deportation From the U.S. to Africa (VIDEO)
Carlos Rodríguez was set to be deported to Liberia, but he ended up being detained in Equatorial Guinea. His wife and daughter, who are U.S. citizens, are…
Carlos Rodríguez was supposed to be deported to Liberia, but he ended up being held in Equatorial Guinea. His wife and daughter, both U.S. citizens, are seeking help to bring him back.
The Cuban national left the United States on a deportation flight bound for Liberia. But, according to what he told EFE, he unexpectedly ended up in Equatorial Guinea.
- Why it matters: His case highlights the uncertainty surrounding third-country deportations, in which immigrants can be sent to nations with which they do not necessarily have any ties.
Liberia Refused to Take Them, and They Ended Up in Equatorial Guinea
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Rodríguez, a 35-year-old Cuban, was traveling with three other Cubans and a Brazilian on the first deportation flight sent by the United States to Liberia.
Liberia had announced that it would accept up to 1,200 third-country deportees transferred from the United States, according to EFE.
Rodríguez said the five men resisted being taken off the plane and were restrained by agents. Liberian authorities ultimately refused to accept them.
- The turn: Rodríguez says they were told they would be returned to the United States, but about three hours later they landed in Equatorial Guinea.
“They were trafficking with my life. That’s what I felt,” Rodríguez told EFE as he described the fear he experienced during the transfer.
He is currently being held with Darwin Hernández, Emilio Destrade, Leonardo Sánchez and Brazilian national Pietro Graza de Lima at a hotel being used as a detention center.
Carlos Rodríguez’s Wife Says a Court Order Was Supposed to Protect Him
Rodríguez arrived in the United States in 2013. His wife, Igrayne Ribot, said he was detained in Tennessee in April 2025.
Ribot says there was an old 2019 deportation order, but she maintains that Rodríguez had judicial protection through a writ of habeas corpus.
That legal remedy allows a person to ask a judge to review the legality of a detention. EFE does not report that a court confirmed that the protection specifically barred this removal.
- The dispute: Rodríguez and his wife say the order should have prevented his deportation, and they are relying on that argument as they seek legal assistance.
Wife and Daughter of the Cuban Man Deported to Africa Remain in the United States
The family says they did not know where Rodríguez was until he was able to communicate from Africa. Ribot lives in Florida, and his young daughter is also a U.S. citizen.
Rodríguez said he fears for his safety and asked for help returning to the United States or being transferred to another country in the Americas.
- Family impact: His wife says the deportation separated the family without any indication of when or how he might return.
Third-country deportations allow immigrants to be transferred to countries other than their nation of origin, even when they have no personal ties to the destination.
Five Men Seek a Way Out of Africa
Relatives are organizing a campaign to obtain resources and assistance from immigration attorneys who may be able to intervene in the case.
Rodríguez says he remains detained and fears what could happen while his situation is being resolved.
- What comes next: The five men remain in Equatorial Guinea while seeking legal assistance to leave the country, according to information provided by EFE.
The uncertainty surrounding his future keeps the Cuban deported to Africa separated from his family with no known date for leaving Equatorial Guinea.
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SOURCE: EFE / Facebook