The police rescued 108 Cuban migrants on Brazil’s northern border and arrested five people accused of human trafficking. The operation, which began on Monday afternoon in the state of Roraima, was the largest of its kind recorded so far in the region. Authorities intercepted the migrants at various points near Boa Vista after they crossed the land border from Guyana with the promise of being transported to the south of the country.
Agents surprised the migrants in vehicles without safety conditions. According to the authorities, the routes imposed by the traffickers disregarded the safety and dignity of the migrants, who were subjected to grueling journeys in cars without proper maintenance.
Among those rescued, minors and elderly individuals were identified. Several reported that they had gone days without receiving food. After the operation, the 108 Cubans were taken to a Federal Police station in Boa Vista, where they completed immigration procedures before being released.
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Agents detected the migrants at several points near Boa Vista after their irregular entry into the country
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A spokesperson for the Highway Police explained to EFE that the migrants were given instructions to head to the Operation Welcome (Operación Acogida) care centers, the national immigrant assistance program that coordinates relocation and access to basic services.
The flow of Cuban migrants in Brazil grew during the last year. A joint report by the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) revealed that between January and November 2025, nearly 18,000 citizens of Cuba requested asylum in Roraima alone, an increase of 400% compared to the previous year.
According to the annual report of the Ministry of Justice, since 2022 the number of asylum applications from Cubans exceeded that of Venezuelans for the first time, with more than 40,000 requests registered in 2025.
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Cuban migrants usually arrive first in Guyana, which does not require a visa for citizens of the island, and then cross into Brazil through the border between Lethem and Bomfim. Those with more resources choose to fly to large cities like Sao Paulo, while those who lack the means travel by land routes and settle temporarily in the Amazonian states of Amapá and Roraima. The number of Cubans who requested asylum in Brazil quadrupled in 2025 (AP)
These two regions concentrate almost 60% of the places of residence for newly arrived migrants.
Cuba’s migration crisis intensified due to the worsening economic situation on the island. Since the beginning of the year, the shortage of hydrocarbons exacerbated the humanitarian emergency, especially after the U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, a key crude oil supplier for the Cuban regime.
The impact of this crisis was reflected in daily life: hospitals, water supply centers, and schools modified their services due to logistical difficulties. The total collapse of the national electrical system deepened the population’s vulnerability.
