MONTEGO BAY, St James — Two Cubans who confessed to entering Jamaica illegally were each fined $70,000 or 10 days in prison when they appeared in the St James Parish Court on Wednesday, but were not ordered deported.

The Cubans, Adrion Benites and Elier Reyes Novea made their second appearance before the St James Parish Court where they pleaded guilty to illegal entry before Judge Natiesha Fairclough-Hylton.

Attorney-at-law Michael Hemmings, who represented the two men, urged the judge to show leniency as he argued that the men have not been a drag on the society.

“Their plea of guilty at the first opportunity is an indication of them being remorseful. At no… time when they entered Jamaica, though illegally, were they engaged in any criminal activities at all or became a nuisance to our country. They were both working, though illegally, and contributing to our economy and the sustenance of themselves,” Hemmings said in his mitigation plea.

He urged the judge to impose a fine rather than a custodial sentence and stressed their wish to regularise their status in Jamaica.

“They have enjoyed the island for quite some time, being here for some time, and would love the benefit of returning legally and therefore I will ask that the court gives them that opportunity,” added Hemmings.

The attorney also told the court that family members were arranging for them to leave Jamaica within a week.

After considering the submission, Fairclough-Hylton handed down the fines without issuing a deportation order.

Court records show that the two men arrived in Jamaica by boat from Cuba in 2020, making their way to Falmouth, Trelawny, where Novea has reportedly lived and worked since.

The case against Novea followed a police operation on December 5 in the White House area, targeting what was reported as cocaine activity. While several Jamaican men were arrested for possession, Novea faced no drug charges, only the illegal entry allegation.

Information on Benites’ activities were less clear although it was confirmed that he also entered Jamaica illegally after travelling from Cuba by boat.