As a young child, he was at the center of a high-profile international custody dispute between family members and involving Cuba and the United States. Coast Guard. This led to a high-profile and protracted custody battle involving his father, his Miami relatives, and U. They returned to Cuba when the legal dispute concluded on June 28, He told her he tried to help get the water out and his mother's boyfriend placed him in an inner tube for safety.
He said, "I think she drowned too because she didn't know how to swim". As they encountered bad weather, the boat's engine failed and the craft began to fill with water. After it went under, the passengers clung to the inner tubes in cold water, with waves reaching heights of three to four meters 10 to 13 feet. The U. Under the act, Cuban refugees without visas entering the United States were paroled, and after a year could apply for permanent resident status.
Coast Guard were sent back to Cuba. Also, Armando Gutierrez , a local Cuban-American businessman, became a spokesman.
On January 28, the Spanish foreign minister Abel Matutes called for the boy's return to Cuba, stating that international law dictated the return.
Chicago-based fathers' rights attorney Jeffery M. Penelas indicated that the municipality would not cooperate with Federal authorities on any repatriation of the boy, and would not lend police assets or any other assistance in taking the boy. Negotiations continued for several days as the house was surrounded by protesters as well as police.
