Although he broke a host of U.S. laws when he whisked his family out of Cuba and into Florida over the weekend, pilot Orestes Lorenzo Perez probably will not face charges, federal officials said on Monday.
“We’re looking at unusual circumstances when someone flies to Cuba,” said Customs Service spokesman Cliff Stallings.
Lorenzo’s feat — flying in and out of the United States without permission and bringing undocumented foreigners into the country — did violate immigration laws.
“It would serve no purpose to prosecute these people,” said INS spokesman Duke Austin. “There’s no avenue to return them to Cuba.”
Lorenzo became an overnight sensation in the Cuban-American community when he flew into the northern province of Matanzas on Saturday, plucked his family off a rural road and escaped undetected.
Whatever their legal situation, the family continued to enjoy celebrity status on Monday.
Lorenzo, 37, his wife, Vicky, 35; and sons, Reyniel, 11, and Alejandro, 6, appeared on the Good Morning America television show on Monday morning. They answered more questions in a news conference later.
In between appearances, they shoped for Alejandro, who lost his shoes while running toward his father’s plane in Cuba.
“They are very tired and are trying to have some quiet time for themselves,” said Brandon Scheid, a member of the Valladares Foundation, the Virginia-based human rights group that bought the 1961 Cessna 310 for the rescue flight.
The reunited family arrived in Washington, D.C. on Sunday night to the cheers of a small group of Cuban Americans gathered at the airport.
Lorenzo has been living in the Washington area since moving from Miami about eight months ago. Scheid said the former Cuban military pilot is under federal protection and works as a consultant for an aerospace company.
Lorenzo said he received no help from the U.S. government for his recent Cuba flight.
The Defense Department said Lorenzo’s plane was tracked on Saturday by the North American Aerospace Defense Command, which watches for drug smugglers.
The aircraft was determined to be friendly. The Defense Department also said the pilot was in contact with the FAA at some point during the Saturday flight.
An FAA spokeswoman in Atlanta declined to comment, saying the agency is investigating Lorenzo’s actions.
Anyone entering the United States is required to notify Customs at least an hour in advance and land at a designated airport.
Customs spokesman Stallings said the agency had no advance notice of the Lorenzos’ arrival. Violation of customs laws can lead to prison fines of up to $5,000 per charge.
Lorenzo also may have violated U.S. air space. Pilots leaving or entering the United States must file a flight plan, which he apparently did not do.
In each case, the agencies have the power to weigh special circumstances to make exceptions, federal officials said.
