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.
