The Pentagon confirmed on Wednesday, February 5 that ten “high-threat illegal aliens” have been brought to the Guantanamo Bay detention center in Cuba.
The details of their alleged offences have not been disclosed. President Donald Trump had ordered preparations last week for a 30,000-person “migrant facility” at the base, which, while primarily known for holding suspects accused of terrorism-related offences, has a history of housing migrants. According to the Pentagon, the ten individuals are being housed in vacant detention facilities, with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) overseeing their secure detention until they can be transported to their home countries or other suitable destinations.
This development follows the start of flights to the base, as part of the Trump administration’s broader efforts to address illegal migration, which include immigration raids, arrests, and deportations using military aircraft. On the international stage, the president has made this issue a priority, even threatening Colombia with sanctions and large tariffs for refusing two planeloads of deportees.
The Guantanamo Bay prison, established following the September 11, 2001 attacks, has been used to hold detainees captured during the wars and other operations that followed. The conditions at the facility have sparked widespread condemnation from rights groups, and UN experts have labelled it a site of “unparalleled notoriety.”
