MININT official linked to the Castros has been in Florida for months awaiting a green card

A former high-ranking official of Cuba's Ministry of the Interior (MININT) and a figure closely associated with brothers Fidel and Raúl Castro is currently living in Boca Raton, Florida.

Héctor Alejandro Hernández Morales, 46 years old, was a lieutenant colonel who served for years in the repressive apparatus of the regime.

He is now awaiting a response to his application for permanent residency in the United States under the Cuban Adjustment Act, after entering the country in August 2024 with a tourist visa.

The information was disclosed by journalist Mario J. Pentón on his website, where he unveiled the story of the individual in Cuba.

Raised in a family devoted to state security, Héctor Alejandro Hernández is the son of the late Lázaro Cirilo Hernández, who served as a personal bodyguard to the Castro brothers.

His own rise within the MININT led him to occupy strategic positions, such as the head of political police in Morón, Ciego de Ávila, and specific tasks within the bodyguard unit for high-ranking officials, including Fidel Castro himself.

Hernández publicly stated that he considered his work as a way to continue his father's legacy, "protecting the physical and moral integrity of the country's highest figures."

This proximity to the power elite on the Island was not improvised. His childhood was marked by a cult of personality surrounding the dictator. In 1991, at just 12 years old, he became the subject of a famous cover of the newspaper Juventud Rebelde, after being photographed with Fidel Castro during the first Pioneers' Congress.

Decades later, in interviews with state media, he reminisced with pride about his direct interactions with the Commander, whom he described as a "man of extraordinary political acumen."

Another of his jobs was in the northern cays of Ciego de Ávila, where for more than a decade he served as an officer of State Security in that important tourist area, which is also strategic from a military perspective.

Hernández Morales arrived in the United States with one of his daughters; his wife, Yisel Cabrera, and another daughter were already there, receiving medical treatment for cancer. The family was initially welcomed by a close relative, Rolando García, who has refrained from making any statements about the situation.

Since his arrival in the country, the former Cuban military officer has maintained a low profile: he has closed his social media accounts and avoids any public appearances.

Therefore, he has shown no sign of a break with the regime or any remorse for his role within MININT, especially in a context where many Cubans demand justice for the repression of the protests on July 11th, for which he may have had some level of responsibility given his background, although there is no evidence of his involvement in those events.

The former officer is not on the list of 100 Cuban repressors that Congressman Carlos Giménez provided to the Department of Homeland Security.

Concerns about the entry into the United States of individuals linked to the repressive apparatus of Havana have increased in recent years.

Organizations such as the Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba have warned about the presence of more than a hundred identified repressors living on U.S. soil. Some cases have ended in arrests, deportations, or even voluntary returns to the Island.

The case reopens the debate on the entry of former regime officials into the United States and the need to more rigorously review the backgrounds of those applying for immigration benefits.

Is the United States doing enough to prevent agents of authoritarianism from finding refuge in its territory? The question becomes more urgent as similar cases increase.

Frequently Asked Questions about the case of the former Cuban official in Florida and the repression in Cuba