After completing about two decades in prison, Morales was taken into ICE custody in December 2025.
A Cuban national convicted of hijacking a plane and assaulting crew members in 2003 has been released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody after a federal judge ruled that he could not be held indefinitely while the government struggled to complete his deportation, The New York Post reports.
Maikel Guerra Morales was among a group of Cuban nationals who hijacked a commuter aircraft in 2003, forcing the pilot to divert the flight from Cuba to Key West, Florida. During the incident, Morales assaulted members of the flight crew before being arrested by U.S. authorities. He was later convicted of aircraft piracy and conspiracy to interfere with a flight crew and sentenced to 22 years in federal prison.
After completing about two decades in prison, Morales was taken into ICE custody in December 2025 as officials prepared to deport him. However, Clinton appointed U.S. District Judge John E. Steele ordered his release on July 8, ruling that the government had not provided a transparent enough timeline for removing him from the country. Morales was released under supervision with electronic monitoring while ICE continues to determine his final destination.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin slammed the decision.
“This activist judge forced ICE to release a criminal illegal alien who was convicted and sentenced to 22 years for hijacking a plane back into American communities,” McLaughlin said. “This is yet another example of an activist judge trying to thwart President Trump’s mandate from the American people to remove criminal illegal aliens from our country. Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, DHS will continue to fight for the detention and removal of criminal illegal aliens who have no right to be in our country.”
The New York Post reports that Morales was originally scheduled to be deported to Mexico, though court documents indicate he could eventually be returned to Cuba. He is believed to be living in the Miami area while under immigration supervision.
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