miamiherald When immigration officials told the Florida men that they were being deported to Africa, they were incredulous. “We told them that we are not African,” said Carlos Rodriguez Lopez, a Cuban man from Miami who had been in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody since April 2025. Alongside other shackled detainees at the Alexandria International Airport in Louisiana, he wondered if the administration would actually send him to Mexico. But after a 15-hour flight on Aug. 19 with a layover in Senegal, it was clear to Rodriguez Lopez that their destination was not anywhere in North America. After landing in Liberia in West Africa, Rodriguez Lopez, along with others, refused to get off the plane, the men told the Miami Herald. “They carried us out handcuffed, twisting the cuffs, hurting our feet and hands,” Rodriguez Lopez said. “They removed me from the plane, and then four people jumped on top of me, pinning me against the floor.” The Liberian government refused to accept them, so they were returned to the aircraft, they said. #florida #miami #cubans #deportation #africa #immigration #politics #donaldtrump #equatorialguinea #liberia 🔗 You can read the full story at the link in our bio ✍️: Syra Ortiz Blanes 📸: @reuters View all 653 comments