Roberto M.: Cuban and Yemeni men deported to Eswatini, imprisoned nine months without charges
A Cuban man and a Yemeni man, among five deported to Eswatini, have been imprisoned there without charges since July 2025, though a court recently granted them access to a lawyer.
Apr 10, 2026

Two migrants—one from Cuba and one from Yemen—were deported to Eswatini on July 16, 2025, as part of a group of five men sent to the country. Roberto Mosquera, the Cuban, was arrested by ICE at a routine immigration check-in in Florida on June 13, 2025, and deported without notice. Both men have been imprisoned in Eswatini's Matsapha Correctional Centre in isolation with no charges filed and initially no legal representation permitted. Their attorney states they have already served their U.S. sentences and are being held indefinitely while awaiting repatriation. In April 2026, after nine months of detention, Eswatini's Supreme Court ruled they have the right to meet with a local lawyer, a right previously denied. Civil society organizations have threatened legal action challenging the legality of their detention under Eswatini law.
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Sources
- Four men deported by US to Eswatini have right to see lawyer, court rules
The Guardian·Apr 10, 2026·archived copy
- US deportations to third countries shrouded in secrecy
El País·Sep 5, 2025·archived copy
- Third Country Deportation Watch
- American Immigration Council
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- Global Security
- TCD Tracker - USCRI
International Rescue Committee·Jul 21, 2026·archived copy
- U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee
- Deportation ruling in Eswatini gives four men a legal opening after 9 months
El Balad·Apr 13, 2026·archived copy
- Court Rules In Favor Of 4 Men Deported By U.S. To Eswatini Southern Africa And Denied Lawyer Meetings For 9 Months
Global Upfront·Apr 10, 2026·archived copy
- Three men deported by US file legal case against Eswatini over detention | The Guardian Mirror
The Fappening Newz·Mar 5, 2026·archived copy
- France 24
- CSOs Threaten Legal Action Over US Deportations to Eswatini
Southern Africa Litigation Centre·Jul 18, 2025·archived copy
- Civil society groups threaten court action over US deportations of criminals to Eswatini
Daily Maverick·Jul 21, 2025·archived copy
- RFI
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