Cuba Archive - Case 134

Case ID: 134

Title: N/A

First name: Yunier Felipe

Last name: Díaz

Suffix: N/A

Aliases: N/A

Name also reported as: N/A

Age: N/A

Gender: Male

Date of Birth: N/A

Civil Status: Unknown

Date of death/disappearance: Month:8 / Year:2014

Citizenship: N/A

Last known address: N/A

Last known city: N/A

Last known province-TOD: N/A

Last known province current: N/A

Last known country: Cuba

Location death-address: At sea

Location of death - city: N/A

Location of death province - at TOD: N/A

Location of death province - current: N/A

Location of death - country: N/A

Trial held?: No

Docket Number: N/A

Sentence details: N/A

Arrest or detention at time of death: No

Date of arrest: N/A

Imprisoned/Detained: Location: N/A

How long imprisoned/detained: N/A

Death attributed to: Castro regime

Death attribution detail: N/A

Associated Event: N/A

Case description:

Was missing at sea. He had been part of a group from San Antonio de los Baños of nine rafters (eight men, one woman) that left in a rustic vessel from the northern coast of La Herradura, Cuba, (near Mariel) August 19, 2014, attempting to reach the United States. Four decomposed bodies were found by US Coast Guard on August 24, 2014 after a private fishing boat reported two bodies floating 20 nautical miles west of Hollywood, Florida. The identities of the bodies (Guillermo Enrique Buitrago Milanés, José Ramón Acosta, Alberto González Mesa, and Yunier Fernández Hernández) was confirmed in an October 2, 2014 communiqué by the US Coast Guard; they had been identified by Broward Country, Florida, forensic authorities (in a report of September 2, 2014) through DNA samples provided by the families. Despite a 24-hour sea and air search by the US Coast Guard, no other bodies were found and five members of the group were missing (Yunier Felipe Díaz, Ahmed Vargas Roa, Jorge Lázaro Lazo Vega, Lester Martínez y Yudersy Lean Gaínza). Family members reported that the group left Cuba in desperation believing they could not expect a better future there for themselves and their children.
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Desapareció en el mar. Formaba parte de un grupo de nueve balseros (ocho hombres, una mujer) de San Antonio de los Baños que partieron en una rústica embarcación desde la costa norte de La Herradura, Cuba (cerca de Mariel) el 19 de agosto de 2014, intentando Llegar a los Estados Unidos. La Guardia Costera de Estados Unidos encontró cuatro cuerpos en estado de descomposición el 24 de agosto de 2014 después de que un barco pesquero privado informara que dos cuerpos estaban flotando 20 millas náuticas al oeste de Hollywood, Florida. La identidad de los cuerpos (Guillermo Enrique Buitrago Milanés, José Ramón Acosta, Alberto González Mesa y Yunier Fernández Hernández) fue confirmada en un comunicado del 2 de octubre de 2014 por la Guardia Costera de EEUU. Fueron identificados por las autoridades forenses de Broward Country, Florida gracias a muestras de ADN proporcionadas por las familias. A pesar de una búsqueda marítima y aérea de 24 horas por la Guardia Costera de EEUU, no se encontraron otros cuerpos y cinco miembros del grupo continuaron desaparecidos (Yunier Felipe Díaz, Ahmed Vargas Roa, Jorge Lázaro Lazo Vega, Lester Martínez y Yudersy Lean Gaínza). Miembros de la familia informaron que el grupo abandonó Cuba  porque no podían esperar un futuro mejor para ellos y sus hijos.

Sources: Conflict of Evidence:

Violation Status: Reported: Highly likely / Highly reliable source(s)

Cause of Death: - Disappearance: in exit attempt

Occupations: - N/A

External Files: N/A

Relatives in Archive: N/A

Victim Type: - Attempting exit

Affiliations: N/A

Other Victims Same Event: - Case 1601: Yunier Fernández Hernández - Case 1595: Enrique Buitrago Milanés - Case 1393: José Ramón Acosta - Case 1281: Alberto González Mesa - Case 1763: Ahmed Vargas Roa - Case 204: Lester Martínez - Case 308: Jorge Lázaro Lazo Vega - Case 1645: Félix Morell Cárdenas

Case Record - Yunier Felipe Díaz