Former Florida detention guards charged in assault of Cuban migrant

Two former guards of a controversial Florida migrant detention center, colloquially known as ‘Alligator Alcatraz’, face first-degree misdemeanor battery charges following an alleged assault on a Cuban immigrant.

Stephen Trejos and Andre Seenaraine have both pleaded not guilty to the charges. The incident reportedly occurred on January 25 against 42-year-old Rigoberto Rodríguez Arce, who had been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in December.

A witness, Frank Rivera, testified that the altercation began during a protest where detainees were striking metal benches to demand food and water. Rivera alleged that Trejos threw Rodríguez to the ground and struck him, while Seenaraine allegedly punched him in the face. Attorney Yaritssa Plasencia stated that Rodríguez arrived at a subsequent detention facility in Texas with a bloodstained uniform, a bandaged hand, and a bruised eye.

Defense attorneys for Trejos have filed a petition to dismiss the case, arguing that security footage shows the guard using a standard control maneuver after Rodríguez allegedly spat at him.