The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is requesting that Florida authorities refrain from releasing an immigrant accused of drugging and raping a woman. Yusel Keoma Perez-Leyva, a 42-year-old Cuban citizen, was arrested on June 18, following a report of sexual assault. The victim alleged that Perez-Leyva, who was operating as an Uber driver at the time, had drugged her.
Surveillance video reviewed by investigators showed Perez-Leyva carrying the victim, who appeared inebriated, into his apartment. A day after the alleged assault, the victim noticed soreness in her vaginal area, leading her to believe she had been raped. Perez-Leyva is charged with kidnapping and sexual battery while a victim was physically incapacitated, according to jail records.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has lodged a detainer against Perez-Leyva, requesting that he be held without release until federal authorities can take custody. The Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department has received a request from ICE not to release Perez-Leyva without notification. Florida generally cooperates with ICE and honors the agency's detainers, unlike some sanctuary jurisdictions in other states.
Perez-Leyva entered the United States illegally through Arizona in 2021 and was released by the Biden administration. He is now facing charges and will be turned over to ICE custody, where he will not be released into American communities without federal notification.
