Brazilian police rescue 108 Cuban migrants at the northern border and arrest 5 alleged smugglers

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SAO PAULO (AP) — More than 100 Cuban migrants attempting to enter Brazil on its northern border with Guyana were rescued from human smugglers, Brazilian police said.

The 108 migrants were in custody in Roraima state while authorities regularize their immigration status before referring them to social services workers, police said Tuesday.

Police also said they arrested five people on migrant smuggling charges. Known as “coyotes,” the smugglers charged abusive fees while promising a safe crossing to Brazil, police said.

“In reality, the route imposed by them ignores any standard of human dignity or road safety. Foreigners are subjected to exhausting journeys in vehicles that are not properly maintained,” police added.

The operation, carried out Monday, was the largest humanitarian rescue recorded in the state. Authorities said they have rescued 297 Cuban migrants attempting to enter Brazil illegally through Roraima since June 2024.

As Cuba’s economy collapses during a deepening economic crisis and escalating U.S. sanctions, a growing number of its citizens are migrating to Brazil. Cuban migration to Brazil has surged since 2022, according to official data.

In 2025, Cubans surpassed Venezuelans as the leading nationality seeking refugee status in Brazil, with more than 40,000 applications, the Ministry of Justice said in its annual migration report published in May.

“If geopolitical tensions between Cuba and the United States worsen, migration flows toward Brazil could increase,” the ministry said. It added that regularization through refugee status recognition could be an alternative.

According to officials, more affluent migrants tend to fly to Sao Paulo, the country’s largest city. Those in more fragile economic situations often travel overland, entering through the northern Amazon states of Amapa and Roraima, which together account for nearly 60% of migrants’ places of residence.