Families of Italian nationals held in Alligator Alcatraz plead for their release

CNN

6 days ago

Two Italian nationals living in the United States are among the inmates currently being held at the ICE detention center known as 'Alligator Alcatraz' in Florida, according to Italy's foreign ministry.
Fernando Eduardo Artese, 63, and Gaetano Cateno Mirabella Costa, 45, were both sent to the facility, said to be surrounded by alligators, on immigration violations. Italy's foreign ministry confirmed to CNN that the two men were being detained in the US, but would not give any further details, citing privacy reasons.
The Italian government, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, has not publicly commented on the case or the conditions people are being kept in at the controversial facility. In 2024, Italy built migrant deportation centers in Albania, which were ultimately blocked by the courts because of questions over human rights issues.
Italian opposition politician and former speaker of the house Laura Boldrini has been leading calls for intervention by Meloni and her Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. 'Is all this normal and acceptable for Giorgia Meloni? What does she intend to do to get the two Italians out of that hell? If they don't have the right to remain in the US, they will be repatriated, but subjecting them to these brutal conditions is Unacceptable,' Boldrini posted on X Monday. Questions during a parliamentary session regarding potential intervention also went unanswered.
The US Department of Homeland Security confirmed both men were detained in the makeshift facility in the Florida Everglades. 'Both of these criminal illegal aliens are being detained in Alligator Alcatraz. Under President (Donald) Trump and Secretary (Kristi) Noem, if you break the law, you will face the consequences. Criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the US,' DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in the statement.
Artese's daughter Carla Artese says her father, who is a dual Italian-Argentinian citizen who worked as a security camera technician, had been living legally in the US since 2018 under the Visa Waiver Program.
Fearful that a new clampdown would lead to his arrest, Artese decided to repatriate to Europe later this year, his daughter said.
Artese was stopped on June 25 while driving with his family in a camper van. He had the intention of leaving the US and driving to Argentina. The family had planned to document the journey on a YouTube channel called 'Argentinomades' according to Carla Artese, who is planning to start university in Spain, where she was born, in the fall.
But her father was stopped during a routine traffic stop and officers found an outstanding warrant for failing to appear in court for a driving violation, Carla Artese said. He was then detained and sent to 'Alligator Alcatraz' a week later.
DHS said Artese overstayed his visa by 10 years. 'He entered the US (on) the Visa Waiver Program on February 8, 2015, and was authorized to remain in the country until May 7, 2015. On June 26, 2025, Martin County Sheriff's Office arrested Artese for having an outstanding warrant relating for failure to appear in court for a criminal offense,' McLaughlin said in the statement.
'This year, we were trying to leave the USA, and ICE got him and sent him to Alligator Alcatraz, where they treat them like criminals and have no rights,' Carla Artese wrote on a fundraising page. 'They haven't given him any information about his case or any right to an attorney. Not to mention, they haven't added him to the system yet, so he doesn't even appear like an inmate anywhere. He wants to self-deport when they let him, which he also would have to pay for the ticket.'
The money raised is for an attorney to help free her father.
'He is a loving husband and dad. He has provided for all of us since day one. He is a father figure to me and many of my friends. He is a hard worker who only wanted to leave the country with his family after paying taxes and working hard the whole time he's been here!'
Artese described 'Alligator Alcatraz' as 'a concentration camp' in an interview earlier this month with the Tampa Bay Times. 'They treat us like criminals, it's a pursuit of humiliation. We're all workers and people fighting for our families.'
Meanwhile, Mirabla Costa spoke with Italy's state broadcaster RAI by phone over the weekend, describing the dire situation.
'We are literally caged, like a chicken coop. There are 32 of us in a cage, the bathrooms are open and everyone sees you,' he said. 'I don't even have the chance to speak to a lawyer, or a judge. Get us out of this nightmare.'
Mirabella Costa served six months in jail for domestic violence against his American ex-wife and for possession of prescription drugs and was arrested upon his release by ICE officials for violating immigration laws, he told the Italian outlet.
DHS says Costa overstayed his B2 visa by nearly 7 years, adding in a statement that his 'criminal history includes arrests for battery on a person 65 years or older, possession of a controlled substance, and marijuana possession. Osceola County Sheriff's office arrested him on February 26, 2025.'
His mother, Rosanna Mirabella Costa, told RAI that her son was taken to a preliminary hearing 'with shackles on his feet and shackles on his hands, like a dog. The only positive thing is that he can talk on the phone,' she added.
The Italian Consulate in Miami confirmed to CNN that they are working with the foreign ministry in Italy, which is in contact with the families of the detained, but could not share any details.