Cubalex submitted comments to the United Nations Committee against Enforced Disappearances (CED) regarding the response sent by the Cuban State in the Urgent Actions concerning six survivors of the operation that took place on February 25, 2026 in the vicinity of Cayo Falcones, Villa Clara.
The organization maintains that the information provided by the State does not include the necessary documentation to verify its claims and leaves essential aspects of the fate, whereabouts, and legal status of the affected individuals unclear. Therefore, it requested that the Committee continue monitoring the Urgent Actions registered under files AU No. 2240/2026 to 2244/2026.
The incident occurred when a boat registered in the state of Florida was intercepted by Cuban troops near Falcones Cay. As a result of the operation, four people died* and six others survived with injuries of varying severity.
In its observations to the Committee, Cubalex recalls that the State characterized the events as an “armed aggression” and a “terrorist infiltration,” arguing that the case is unrelated to enforced disappearances. However, the organization warns thatNo criminal classification justifies the incommunicado detention of persons, the concealment of their whereabouts, the absence of official records, or the restriction of access to defense., lack of adequate medical care or a death in custody without an effective investigation.
Lack of verifiable documentation and contradictions
Cubalex points out that the State made categorical assertions without providing any supporting documentation. Among these assertions, it claimed that Roberto Álvarez Ávila died as a result of his injuries and was cremated with the consent of his family; that all injured individuals received comprehensive medical care; and that visits and communication with their relatives took place from the outset.
However, the State did not provide medical records, legal files, proof of alleged consent for cremation, records of visits or calls, or any other individualized documentation that would allow these claims to be verified.
The organization also states that Several of those statements contradict the information obtained directly from the families. by Conrado Galindo Sariol and Leordán Enrique Cruz Gómez, as well as the public complaints of relatives and close associates of Roberto Álvarez Ávila.
In particular, Álvarez Ávila's family members publicly denied having authorized the cremation of his body and reported that the police initially informed them that he would be transferred to Cienfuegos for the funeral services.
Cubalex also identified inconsistencies between the two responses submitted by the State to the Committee. While the first document indicated that only Amijail Sánchez González had been transferred to Combinado del Este on April 30, 2026, the additional information extended that transfer to José Manuel Rodríguez Castelló as well and stated that “the others remained in the Investigative Body,” without identifying which authority this was or specifying the exact place of detention of each person.
The organization points out that the State also failed to provide, for each survivor, the specific detention center, the authority responsible for their custody, their legal status, the arrest records, or the provisional detention orders that legally justified their imprisonment. Likewise, it omitted providing records of visits and calls that would have corroborated its claims regarding contact with family members.
The lack of verifiable documentation, coupled with the contradictions detected, makes it impossible to consider the fate and whereabouts of the people involved clarified and justifies the Committee keeping the Urgent Actions open.
Case context
In March 2026, Cubalex submitted requests for Urgent Action to the Committee against Enforced Disappearances in favor of Conrado Galindo Sariol, Cristian Ernesto Acosta Guevara, Leordán Enrique Cruz Gómez, Amijail Sánchez González, Roberto Álvarez Ávila and José Manuel Rodríguez Castelló.
The requests were filed after family members and legal representatives reported that for several days they tried to obtain information about the whereabouts of the survivors by inquiring at hospitals, police units and other state institutions, without receiving official confirmation about their location or health status.
Among the documented events is a call to the Arnaldo Milián Castro Hospital in Santa Clara, where it was initially indicated that one of the survivors might be in intensive care. Later, the hospital itself denied this information, and the call was abruptly disconnected, according to the documentation submitted to the Committee.
Additional requirements depending on each case
In its comments, Cubalex asked the Committee to request additional information from the Cuban State on specific situations.
In respect of Conrado Galindo Sariol (AU 2240), She requested that the State explain the alleged refusal to accept the habeas corpus petition her sister attempted to file on February 27, 2026, identify the officials involved, and report on the investigations conducted. She also requested the State provide the entry record, case number, proceedings, decision, and proof of notification of the complaint filed on March 3, 2026, with the President of the Supreme People's Court.
In the case of Leordán Enrique Cruz Gómez (AU 2242), Cubalex requested that the State provide the resolution that declared the file confidential, if it exists; report on the measures adopted to guarantee him effective legal assistance; hand over the medical documentation related to the surgical interventions, rehabilitation and pending treatment; facilitate a current medical evaluation of his physical and mental condition; submit the documentation relating to his isolation in prison; and report on the investigations initiated after the complaints of denial of medical care and threats made on July 9, 2026, as well as the measures adopted to protect him against possible reprisals.
The organization also clarified that José Manuel Rodríguez Castelló It is not part of the Urgent Actions, although it was mentioned because the State itself included it in its additional information when referring to its alleged transfer to the Combinado del Este.
Finally, Cubalex reiterated to the Committee its willingness to continue cooperating with the mechanism, provide additional information when necessary, and support the victims and their families in the search for truth, the protection of their rights, and the prevention of reprisals.
*Then died a fifth person, identified as Roberto Álvarez Ávila, a Cuban-American citizen.