Many people have probably thought of running away and starting a new life. I’m sure most people did not follow through with that but you’d be surprised how many have. There have been many reports of people leaving Cuba to come to America to escape their current situation which I wrote a whole article about on this website. But this story is about a man who left his home in Florida to go BACK to Cuba!
Unfortunately the current situation for people living in Cuba is not so great so it makes sense why so many Cubans would like to move to Florida or other parts of the United States. In the past years the amount of people immigrating from Cuba to Florida has skyrocketed.
Latest theft in the Keys is making rounds on Social media
A Miami man was jailed on Monday in Key West after stealing a commercial fishing boat out of a dock in Key West in an attempt to sail it back to Cuba.
According to police, 30-year-old Cristian Torres Perez was arrested by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office after he stole a 40-foot fishing boat and tried to sail to Cuba.
Police received a call early Monday morning from a Marathon man reporting that his fishing boat stolen and that one of his former employees, identified as Torres Perez, recently quit his job “and had been talking about returning to Cuba as he disliked living in the U.S.”
Hours after the vessel was reported stolen, the U.S. Coast Guard identified the vessel’s emergency beacon as being activated 50 miles south of Key West.
Coast Guard crews spotted the stranded vessel disabled in the water, with Torres Perez waving his arms for help. A tanker picked up Torres Perez and he was taken to Key West on charges of larceny and burglary.
He is set to be arraigned on November 18th.
This one did not get as far as Luskey did. In 2015 Luskey hitchhiked from Miami to Key West and once he was there launched his boat and set sail for Cuba! He successfully landed in Cuba and lived happily ever after with his family right? Wrong.
There are two other cases in the past of politicians fleeing the United States to seek refuge in Cuba. They were welcomed by the Cuban government. They say that their race and political status would stop them from receiving a fair trial in the United States.
It is unknown why Luskey did this. Was it because of his political affiliation? Or maybe he was just tired of Florida. Either way it did not seem to work out for him. He faced grand theft charges and his bail was set at $45,000 U$D.
It is common for Cubans to stay in Florida but have you ever heard of one going back?
In late October early November of 2015 a 30 year old Miami man from Cuba decided he was tired of living in Miami.
Not the first case of people fleeing the US
The recent case did not get as far as Luskey did in 2015. He hitchhiked from Miami to Key West and once he was there launched his boat and set sail for Cuba! He successfully landed in Cuba and lived happily ever after with his family right? Wrong.
Also in 2015, the U.S. Marshals Service touted the return of Shawn Wegmann, wanted in Iowa on firearms charges, as “the first fugitive who has been returned to the United States by the Cuban government after fleeing to Cuba since diplomatic relations began nearly a year ago.”
Neither of the two men successfully made it to their end goal and both men ended up with a hefty fine or prison sentence. If you live in Florida or any other part of the United States then it is good to appreciate what you have because many people don’t have those opportunities.
Sources: https://www.local10.com/news/local/2022/11/08/sheriff-man-tired-of-living-in-us-steals-boat-to-go-back-to-cuba-gets-arrested-on-way/
https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/deputies-man-steals-boat-heads-to-cuba/
