Brazilian authorities intercepted 108 Cuban nationals being smuggled into the country, marking the largest single‑day rescue of migrants in recent history.
Officials described the operation as a “rescue” aimed at disrupting human‑trafficking networks and irregular migration.
The Federal Highway Police (PRF) said the operation took place in Rorauma, a northern state that borders Guyana and Venezuela. The ministry noted that many Cubans are using Guyana as a gateway into Brazil, with more than half of the Cuban population in Brazil residing in Roraima or the neighboring state of Amapá.
Cuba is currently experiencing a severe humanitarian crisis following a de‑facto fuel blockade imposed by the United States. Since January, foreign oil shipments have been halted, except for a single Russian tanker, and the U.S. has threatened steep tariffs on any nation that supplies Cuba with fuel. The blockade has triggered widespread power outages and shortages of food and medicine, raising concerns about a new wave of emigration.
Since 2024, Brazil’s Federal Highway Police report having “rescued” roughly 297 migrants and asylum seekers in Roraima, most of them Cuban.
During the recent operation, five human‑smuggling operators were arrested as part of “Operation Safe Route,” an initiative launched in December 2024 to improve roadway security.
The arrests occurred in three separate incidents. In the first, a convoy of three vehicles was stopped after attempting to flee police; the vehicles contained 39 Cubans, including children, who had endured at least two days without food. In the second incident, police seized a vehicle that had crossed the border illegally and found eight Cuban migrants. In the third, authorities followed a suspect vehicle to a residence where 61 Cubans were discovered.
All 108 migrants were transferred to police custody for immigration regularisation and referral to Brazil’s social assistance network.
According to the ministry’s 2025 migration report, Cuban migration to Brazil had been stable or declining for a decade until the COVID‑19 pandemic, after which arrivals began to rise sharply. By 2025, Cuban refugee applications had overtaken those of Venezuelans, surpassing 40,000 requests.
The report warned that the upward trend could continue amid ongoing U.S.–Cuba tensions.