Released foreign offenders beg to go home

| 09/03/2021 | 20 Comments
Customs and Border Control officer

(CNS) Two Venezuelan men and one Colombian man who have served their time for drug smuggling convictions are desperate to go home and, after at least four failed attempts, they don’t understand why there are so many barriers to their deportation. Lesme Ruiz (54), Jose Leonardo Ferrini (35) and Jose Moloina (26) are facing a fifth possible date to go home on Thursday, but even today, Tuesday, they are still not sure that will happen.

The three men are actually staying at Harbour View, a small apartment complex on the shore by Dixie Cemetery, and not directly on Seven Mile Beach, as sources had previously indicated to CNS. The men have also confirmed that they are receiving $160 in food vouchers per month.

They were all released from their sentences in the summer, but despite paying for tickets, every attempt to leave has been thwarted.

The men told CNS that they are getting different explanations each time, such as trouble with travel documents, problems transiting through other countries and a shortage of immigration officers to escort them, given the need for officers to quarantine here for 14 days on return.

CNS first asked officials about the situation regarding the deportation problems several weeks ago, and on Friday we finally received an acknowledgment of the inquiry. However, so far there have been no answers about the issues surrounding released prisoners awaiting deportation.

One Venezuelan man who was involved in the gold smuggling case recently left on a charter flight and it is not clear why the other three men were unable to accompany him.

Meanwhile, the men all said that they do not want to be a burden to the Cayman people and they are extremely eager to leave. Ferrini, whose wife is very ill and needs him with her, said they were all in limbo, just waiting to be able to go home and be with their families.


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Category: Crime

Comments (20)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    We need to take a proactive approach and send these criminals home. Just look at the Jamacian criminals we continue to harbor in our jails – we need to deal with them. Deport them and make their mother country deal with them.

    At the same time a sweep from East End to West Bay / Cayman is full of illegals. You all trying to attract investors … well heads up they are not going to come to crime infested island,

  2. Anonymous says:

    The mothership ought to have been intensely involved in this felon repatriation foreign diplomacy years ago, via our dedicated London office. There should be some awkward questions posed to André Ebanks on why that didn’t happen. Time to end the free pass mentality. The mountains of gross errors cost each and every one of us in lost capital and opportunities over the long run. Ineptitude matters almost as much as performance (where it may exist).

  3. Anonymous says:

    There’s a down side to crime.

  4. Anonymous says:

    We get to keep the plane (YV2317) though and auction it off. The US Marshalls and US CBP would’ve dealt with this from so long ago.

    • Anonymous says:

      That’s because the US has robust processes in place. And those who oversee these processes are actually qualified and well trained. They don’t get the top jobs simply because they’re members of a tribe.

  5. Anonymous says:

    Are the barriers because they are wanted for political roles? Beating a woman is one thing but these men will take it to a whole new level!

    • Anonymous says:

      Put them on the ballot. They will definitely win. All it takes is a few microwave giveaways and they’ll win over the majority.

  6. Anonymous says:

    Hand them off to their diplomats in Miami. Should have been lined up the day they were booked into prison…years ago.

    • Anonymous says:

      Good idea. Now just show up at Miami Airport and see what US Immigration does with them, the person(s) who accompany them, the aircraft they arrived on, and anyone else who thought they had the authority to send a non(US)citizen into the country without written permission being given beforehand.

      • Anonymous says:

        …or Havana or Jamaican consulate offices and officials…let the felons take their pick. There’s no excuse that they are still here. Their consulates must pay the repatriation costs too! What is the point in having all our high-expense diplomats and far-flung outposts if, over the course of years, they are unwilling to coordinate simple delivery of a handful of priority deportees? Choose another career please!

      • Anonymous says:

        The aircraft is ours and should have been sold while it’s airworthiness certificate (if it had one) was in good order. Another predictable blunder from our banana-grade judiciary.

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