Federal Agency Intervenes in Case of Suspected Sexual Assault
Federal authorities are requesting that Florida officials detain an undocumented immigrant facing serious accusations, including the drugging and rape of a woman. The individual, identified as Yusel Keoma Perez-Leyva, a 42-year-old Cuban national, was taken into custody on June 18.
The woman involved alleges that Perez-Leyva, who was reportedly working as an Uber driver, drugged her during a night out. She later experienced physical soreness, leading her to suspect she had been sexually assaulted. Investigators have reviewed surveillance footage that appears to show Perez-Leyva carrying the woman, who seemed intoxicated, into his residence, according to local reports.
Immigration Detainer Lodged
Perez-Leyva is facing charges of kidnapping and sexual battery of an incapacitated victim. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has placed a detainer on Perez-Leyva with the Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department. This action seeks to ensure he is transferred to federal custody and not released into the community without federal notification.
An acting assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) commented on the situation, stating, “This sexual predator was released into our country by the Biden Administration. ICE has lodged a detainer against him, and because Florida cooperates with ICE, he will be turned over to ICE custody and never released into American communities again.”
Miami-Dade authorities, and Florida more broadly, have a history of cooperating with ICE and honoring federal detainers, a practice that contrasts with policies in some other states.
Background of Entry
DHS officials indicated that Perez-Leyva entered the United States illegally through Arizona in 2021. He was reportedly released into the U.S. by the current administration following his entry.
