Cuban National Added to ICE's "Worst of the Worst" List: A Look at His Crimes

A Cuban national named Abel Alejandro Pérez-Beltrán was placed on the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) "Worst of the Worst" list this Wednesday. This list was updated following a new statement from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) detailing recent arrests of undocumented immigrants with severe criminal backgrounds.

Pérez-Beltrán faced conviction for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Lee County, Florida, a region located in the southwestern part of the state that encompasses Fort Myers.

Under Florida law, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon is a serious felony offense, involving the actual use or threat of using a weapon capable of causing death or significant injury.

Other Notorious Cases Highlighted

The Cuban is the sole individual of his nationality among the five cases spotlighted in the recent statement. The list also features a Salvadoran convicted on two counts of child sexual abuse, a Honduran found guilty of rape in Goshen, New York, a Mexican convicted of domestic violence and aggravated burglary in Dallas, and a Salvadoran woman sentenced for drug possession with intent to distribute in Maryland.

Lauren Bis, the DHS's deputy secretary, issued an official statement regarding these arrests: "Just yesterday, ICE apprehended child abusers, rapists, domestic aggressors, and other illegal criminals deemed the worst of the worst. While sanctuary city politicians continue releasing dangerous criminals into their communities, our brave law enforcement officers will persist in risking their lives to detain these offenders and make America safer."

ICE's Continual Efforts Against Criminal Immigrants

The statement notes that since its inception in December 2025, the DHS has documented over 40,000 arrests of immigrants with criminal records.

Cubans have frequently appeared on this list since its creation. Just this Monday, ICE deported a Cuban citizen with an extensive criminal history as part of a new operation targeting undocumented immigrants convicted of serious offenses.

This individual, Francisco Matos Izquierdo, had a record including assault, cocaine distribution, and aggravated assault, along with prior arrests for domestic violence and drug possession, according to released details.

Increasing Deportations and the Changing Migration Landscape

The migration situation for Cubans in the United States has progressively tightened. In the first half of 2026, ICE set a record for detentions in June, with nearly 39,000 immigrants apprehended, and over 1,600 Cubans were issued deportation orders that month.

Overall, during the first six months of the year, the United States deported 740 Cubans on 25 repatriation flights, a figure reflecting the Trump administration's intensified operations against immigrants with criminal records.

Since the "Worst of the Worst" platform launch, Cuban nationals with severe criminal histories detained by ICE have included cases ranging from homicide and child sexual abuse to drug trafficking and aggravated assault, maintaining a steady presence on the DHS list of the most dangerous criminals apprehended in the United States.

Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security continues a public campaign to encourage the voluntary departure of undocumented immigrants.

This Tuesday, the agency posted on its social media: "Don’t hesitate to repatriate!"

This initiative aims to decrease the number of individuals subject to deportation proceedings through voluntary self-deportation.