Two elderly Cuban nationals are being held in a Miami jail on armed drug-trafficking charges after an undercover sting operation uncovered cocaine, marijuana, stolen firearms and thousands in cash at their shared residence.
Cesar Valdes, 89, and Magdaleno Medina, 73, both entered the United States without inspection near Key West, Florida, in May 1980, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The men arrived on separate days during the Mariel boatlift era, more than 45 years ago, and have remained in the country illegally ever since.
Their latest legal troubles began Aug. 19 when an undercover Miami police officer purchased $60 worth of cocaine from Medina at the home the two men share, the Miami Herald reported. The transaction set in motion a weeks-long investigation that culminated in a SWAT-assisted raid.
On Sept. 9, police returned to the residence armed with a search warrant and backed by SWAT team members. Valdes was present during the raid. Inside, officers discovered ammunition, stolen firearms, more than $4,800 in cash, and dozens of clear plastic bags containing 141 grams of cocaine and 1,278 grams of marijuana.
Both men were charged with multiple felony counts including armed cocaine trafficking and grand theft of a firearm. They pleaded not guilty and remain in custody subject to ICE detainers, which typically signal federal intent to assume custody for deportation proceedings regardless of the outcome of state criminal cases.
Medina’s criminal history in the United States includes four prior felony convictions for cocaine smuggling, drug possession and drug trafficking, according to an ICE spokesman. Records detailing whether Medina served prison time for those convictions were unavailable.
Valdes’ Miami-Dade County record dates back to the 1980s and 1990s, with charges including cocaine possession and probation violation. It was similarly unclear from available records whether he ever served jail time for those earlier offenses.
The case has drawn attention from federal immigration authorities, who highlighted the arrests as part of broader enforcement priorities.
“Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, if you break the law, you will face the consequences,” an ICE spokesman said.
The spokesman continued with a direct warning: “Criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the U.S. We will find you; we will arrest you, and we will deport you.”
The men’s legal representation through the Miami-Dade County Public Defender’s Office declined to comment on the pending charges.
The 1980 Mariel boatlift brought approximately 125,000 Cuban refugees to South Florida over a six-month period, with many arriving without documentation at Key West. The mass migration occurred during the final year of the Carter administration and reshaped Miami’s demographic and political landscape for decades.
Valdes and Medina’s cases represent a small but striking footnote in that ongoing history—two men who arrived as part of that exodus, remained in the country for nearly half a century, and now face the possibility of deportation in their advanced age following felony charges that could carry substantial prison time under Florida’s stringent drug laws.
Both men are scheduled to appear in Miami-Dade court for further proceedings on their armed trafficking and firearms charges.