A recent investigation by Diario Libre unveiled that Cuban security agents infiltrated the venues of the XXV Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo. Their mission was to monitor Cuban athletes and prevent any from defecting.
Dominican security forces identified the operation and swiftly removed several individuals from the sports facilities during the event.
One of the most serious incidents occurred at the Parque del Este. During an indoor competition, Dominican military personnel spotted Cuban agents pursuing athletes from their own team who were attempting to defect.
In response, the venue's security team temporarily sealed all entrances and initiated an identification process for everyone present, from ticket-holding spectators to credentialed staff.
Accreditations were cross-referenced with the event's database, which included over 7,000 athletes and an additional 3,000 technical staff and delegation members. As a result, several Cuban nationals were found without valid credentials for their purported roles and were subsequently removed.
Diario Libre noted that it could not confirm whether these agents were detained or faced Dominican justice.
That same day, a similar incident occurred at an open-air stadium, reinforcing initial suspicions of a systematic surveillance operation by Cuban authorities.
The investigation also uncovered that Cuban agents disguised themselves in uniforms of athletes from other delegations, allowing them to approach their targets without raising suspicion, a tactic that heightened the severity of the case.
By the conclusion of the Games, at least five Cuban athletes had defected: hockey goalkeeper Moisés David Torres Puig on July 24, rower Leah Daniela Almeida on July 28, fencers Adán Núñez and Hershey Daniela de la Cruz on August 12, and a fifth athlete identified as Yasmani Álvarez.
The defectors expressed fears of being sent back to Cuba and reported pressure from individuals linked to the Cuban embassy who were trying to locate them. "We are very afraid of being deported," one athlete shared in an interview with the sports outlet Swing Completo.
José Monegro, president of the organizing committee, denied receiving any information about infiltrations, asserting that daily incident reports contained "no mention of Cuban athletes or any extraordinary intervention by that delegation." Monegro added that prior meetings with the Cuban delegation regarding security were part of "normal protocols" available to any participating country.
The events are part of a larger diplomatic crisis: on August 13, the Dominican Republic ordered the departure of nine Cuban diplomats and their families — a total of 21 individuals — by August 16, invoking Article 9 of the Vienna Convention, which allows a country to declare diplomatic personnel persona non grata without public explanation.
The Cuban government accused the Dominican Republic of acting under U.S. pressure, claiming ten diplomats were affected, as opposed to the nine acknowledged by Santo Domingo. Cuban Ambassador Ángel Arzuaga Reyes left the country along with the expelled personnel.
Media reports directly link the diplomatic expulsions to the alleged espionage, coercion, and surveillance activities targeting athletes who chose not to return to Cuba.
Key Questions on Cuban Espionage at Central American Games
How were Cuban agents discovered at the Games?
Dominican security forces detected the operation and removed the involved individuals from the sports venues.
What tactics did Cuban agents use to monitor athletes?
The agents used disguises, wearing uniforms of athletes from other delegations, to approach the targeted athletes without drawing attention.
What was the response of the Dominican authorities?
Authorities closed venue entrances, verified accreditations, and removed unauthorized Cuban nationals from the premises.
What diplomatic actions followed the incidents?
The Dominican Republic expelled nine Cuban diplomats, citing the Vienna Convention, while Cuba accused the country of succumbing to U.S. pressure.