hialeah

A group of almost 30 Cuban rafters, which arrived in the Florida Keys at the beginning of 2024, was released by the US authorities, and they are receiving accommodation in a church in Hialeah.

According to the media Telemundo 51these Cubans belong to a Christian congregation, and spent five months building a rustic boat with all the materials they could find to make the dangerous journey.

The statements of three of the rafters indicated that it was not easy, so they were grateful to God for having made it out of the trip alive. They indicated that the group was guided by Pastor Fernando Meirelles, who lived in Eastern Havana, who convinced them to escape the misery on the Island.

“Cubans cannot feel free in their country of birth,” said Meirelles when asked about the reasons why he left the island.

The aforementioned media indicates that the group arrived in Marquesas Keys, where they surrendered to the US Border Patrol (USBP), after having spent the end of the year on the high seas.

The group was transferred to the Krome Detention Center, where they remained until they were recently released.

Meirelles indicated that, even after being detained for entering the country illegally, the treatment they received was much better than what they would have been given on the Island if they had been detained.

“They treat us like sir around here. They give us medicine, good food, they take care of you,” he declared.

Images shared by the aforementioned media show that the group traveled to Florida with a baby in their arms. Her grandfather, Raidel Castillo, indicated that he was separated from her while the authorities carry out the relevant investigations, but that they let her see her through video calls.

Although the group is still waiting to receive a work permit, and that their accommodation in Hialeah is temporary, they all say they feel grateful to God for having received the opportunity to start a life of freedom in the United States.

The arrival of the Cubans to Florida was reported by the press, and although the aforementioned media indicates that this occurred on January 1, On that occasion it was reported that it had occurred on January 3. It is known that this is the same case because the publication shared by the USBP included a photograph of the rustic boat, which coincides with the one that was shown in the videos of Telemundo 51.

Miami-Dade County authorities arrested a couple accused of being connected to a shooting that occurred last week in the city of Hialeah.

According to the media Local 10 Newsthe detainees were identified as Thais Lemos Busqueriollo, 30 years old, and Manuel Alejandro Vázquez, 35, who now face charges of attempted murder and violent robbery.

The incident occurred last Thursday, February 15, in the 3300 block of West 14th Avenue, and left a 31-year-old man with a gunshot wound.

The police report indicates that the couple arrived at the scene in search of some objects that allegedly belonged to the woman, but when the victim left his house, Vázquez took out a firearm and shot him, wounding him in the arm. Following this, both suspects fled the scene before police could arrive.

The officers were alerted by an emergency call to 911 made by one of the residents of the area, who heard the gunshots.

The victim was rushed to the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital, where he had to undergo surgery. After an investigation, the police managed to identify Buscariollo and Vázquez as those responsible for the attack.

According to Miami-Dade County jail records, the couple was sent to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where they remain without bail.

After a hearing before the judge, the couple was charged with attempted second-degree murder and robbery with a deadly weapon.

If found guilty, both could be sent to prison for up to 15 years, since Florida law establishes attempted murder as a felony. Likewise, they could receive a fine of up to $10,000.

Regarding attempted robbery, the penalties vary depending on the severity of the crime and other factors such as the amount of money that was stolen or the amount of violence that was used during the event. In the orange state, penalties can include prison, fines, probation, community service and rehabilitation programs.

An elderly couple living in the city of Hialeah were arrested for making fraudulent claims to the GEICO insurance company. According to the authorities’ report, those arrested were identified as Pedro Orlando López, 76 years old, and his wife Tobías Herrada, 75.

The elderly pair, who appeared in court this week, were in a crash without major damage in mid-2022, when they were driving on 49th Street and 17th Avenue, west of Hialeah.

While both were traveling in the same vehicle, with Herrada at the wheel and López as a passenger, both filed separate claims with the insurance company, alleging that they suffered injuries after the incident.

As a result, the company paid $10,000 to each of them, this to pay for alleged medical treatments that were performed. However, a subsequent investigation revealed that the couple had committed a scam to keep these large amounts of money.

At this time, no further details about the case have been revealed, such as the exact charges the elderly face.

Cubans are recruited to defraud insurance companies

In 2023, it was learned of a criminal network that hired migrants recently arrived in Florida to fabricate fake accidents and be able to claim money from various insurance companies. As was learned on that occasion, many of these migrants were of Cuban origin, and were looking for a way to start earning money, which facilitated their recruitment.

Criminal lawyer Albert Quirantes told the local media America TeVé that the organizers of this type of scam offered up to $500 to those interested in participating in the fake accidents, which resulted in thousands of dollars in profits.

“These fictitious accidents often begin in private pain clinics, and people rarely go to the emergency room,” the expert said.

Four of these Cubans were arrested after they tried to fraud an insurance company. On that occasion, it was learned that they were traveling aboard a Toyota Corolla and a Chevy truck when they had an “accident” at the intersection of 43rd Street and 9th Lane.

After being interrogated by the authorities, they noticed inconsistencies in their stories, so an exhaustive investigation began in which those involved ended up confessing to having been recruited by this network of scammers.