A U.S. government plane made an unusual flight to Havana this week as part of a rare FBI operation to retrieve a 10-year-old child from Utah in an international parental abduction case. Agents believe the children were taken abroad by the transgender parents and their partners, allegedly to undergo gender reassignment surgery, according to reports in The New York Times and federal court documents.Authorities charged Rose Inesa-Ethington, 42, and Blue Inessa-Ethington, 32, both of Cache County, Utah, with international kidnapping and aiding and abetting. Court documents identify Ross as the child’s biological father, who transitioned into a woman after the child was born. Ross co-parents the child with his biological mother, who is referred to only as “LB” in the documents.The child, a 10-year-old boy who was assigned male at birth but identifies as female, was living with both parents before the incident, the documents said.
How the FBI tracked a child’s journey from the U.S. to Cuba
According to an affidavit filed by FBI agents in federal court in Utah, the two men allegedly misled the child’s mother by claiming they were taking the child on a camping trip to Calgary, Canada, on March 28, 2026. Investigators said the group never reached their destination.Instead, authorities believe they entered Canada from Washington state, flew from British Columbia to Mexico City and then to Merida before flying to Cuba on April 1 using U.S. passports. The child was scheduled to be returned to his mother on April 3, but was not returned, violating the custody agreement.A search of the suspect’s residence turned up items that investigators said indicated advance planning. They included approximately $10,000 in cash, a handwritten “to-do” list that listed tasks such as learning Spanish, emptying bank accounts and organizing travel logistics, as well as notes related to the child’s gender-affirming medical care.Federal agents said in court documents that there was no indication the pair planned to return to the United States with their children.
Family members describe ongoing dispute
Family members told investigators that there had been ongoing disagreements about possible treatment for the child. Rose Inessa-Essington’s brother, Steven Essington, told The New York Times that his sister had been a strong advocate for transition-related medical care for years.Tess Davis, an attorney representing the child’s biological mother, said the issue had been a bone of contention in the parents’ divorce proceedings, adding that the mother feared she might never see the child again.
Rare federal response draws attention
Legal experts said the government’s response was highly unusual. While international parental abduction cases are often complex, the use of Justice Department aircraft to retrieve children from another country is rare.“It’s very unusual,” said Jay Groob, president of a firm that specializes in child rehabilitation cases, noting that such deployments are uncommon in custody disputes.The plane, a Boeing 757 operated by the U.S. Department of Justice, flew directly from Virginia to Cuba. Cuban authorities assisted in the search for the men, who were arrested on 16 April. They were then sent back to the United States.On April 13, a Utah court granted the biological mother exclusive custody and ordered the immediate return of the child. Through coordination between U.S. and Cuban authorities, the child was found and safely returned to her mother.Cuba officially joined the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction in 2018, but cooperation between countries may differ in practice. The case also comes amid broader political tensions and an ongoing policy debate in the United States surrounding the gender-related care of minors.
The case is still under review
Both defendants remain in federal custody and face charges that, if proven, could have significant legal consequences. Officials stressed that the case remains an allegation at this stage. “In every case of parental abduction, our first priority is the safety and welfare of the child,” an FBI official said, adding that the operation demonstrated coordination among agencies to ensure the child’s safe return.As the case makes its way through the courts, its legal, international and political dimensions continue to draw attention.
