Five Cuban Lives Cut Short: The Victims of the Amazon Cargo Plane Crash in Miami

Five Cuban immigrants who had rebuilt their lives in the United States tragically lost their lives on Sunday when an Amazon cargo plane veered off the runway at Miami International Airport, crashing into the van they were traveling in after finishing their work shift.

Behind each victim's name was a story of parents, grandparents, and dedicated workers supporting their families both in the U.S. and back in Cuba. According to The New York Times, they were employed by Professional Ocean Service Corporation, a company specializing in airport cleaning services.

The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office identified the deceased as Javierky Reyes Quevedo, 47; Carlos Acosta Fajardo, 53; Rolando Alemán León, 55; Yoel Rodríguez Naranjo, 53; and Julio C. Pineda, 75.

The five were traveling with two other colleagues in a van after completing an eight-hour shift when the Boeing 767-300, operated by 21 Air for Amazon, tore through a perimeter fence and a road before colliding with their vehicle.

Personal Stories and Dreams

Javierky Reyes Quevedo had arrived in Miami from Guanabacoa, Havana in 2019. He was saving up for a trip to Cuba in December to celebrate his daughter's 15th birthday, whom he hadn't seen in eight years. He was also financially supporting his 69-year-old mother who was hospitalized in Cuba. His friend Emilio Varó fondly remembered him as "my best friend, the only one I have in this country."

Rolando Alemán León, originally from Cienfuegos, had been with the company since January. He was planning to move with his partner to a new home they had purchased in the Tampa area. "He was very family-oriented; he loved his family dearly," his sister shared with Telemundo 51 from Cienfuegos. His partner, Yameli Mora, expressed the profound grief they are experiencing: "We have no words to explain such pain."

Julio C. Pineda, aged 75 and the eldest among those who perished, came to the United States from Cuba in May 2001 and had two children. Neighbors remember him as a cheerful man who loved telling jokes and performing magic tricks. "They called him the magician," said one neighbor.

Yoel Rodríguez Naranjo arrived in the U.S. in 2011 and worked in various jobs for 14 years to support his family. He was supposed to return home after his shift started at six in the morning. When he didn't come back, his wife, Yaraisi Santiso Morejón, began sending him messages. Upon getting no response, she found the first reports of the accident on the news. This Wednesday, Santiso filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Amazon, 21 Air, and the plane's two pilots, seeking damages exceeding $50,000.

The family of Carlos Acosta Fajardo described him in a statement released by their attorneys as "an extraordinary human being, a loving husband, devoted son, cherished friend, and valued coworker."

Voices Calling for Recognition

Janette Suárez, president of Professional Ocean Service, emphasized that the victims shouldn't only be remembered for the tragedy. "When you sit on a plane, you don't realize the work they do. They have lives. They are people: fathers, grandparents, uncles," she stated.

Survivors and Investigation

The two other workers in the van, Ridoel Averhoff Díaz, 32, and Roosevelt Sebastián Perdomo Torres, 36, survived the crash but remain hospitalized, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office. Díaz is in critical condition, while Torres is stable. Eugenio Corredor, 79, who was in a Toyota struck during the accident, is also hospitalized in critical condition.

The Miami Herald identified the pilots of the Boeing 767-300 as Joseph Carroll, 55, and Jaime Filipe Silva Molina, 37, after matching names provided by the Sheriff's Office with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) pilot records. Carroll is noted as a pilot and captain with 21 Air, while Silva Molina is listed as the airline's first officer. His professional profile, cited by the newspaper, mentions his background in aeronautical engineering studied in Colombia and his roles in flying both national and international routes for the company.

The National Transportation Safety Board has retrieved the aircraft's black boxes and began interviewing the crew this Wednesday as part of the investigation to determine what caused the plane to leave the runway.