By Alric Lindsay
According to a legal documents stamp dated November 5, 2025 by the Grand Court, Juan Carlos Gonzalez Infante, a 64-year-old Venezuelan pilot imprisoned in the Cayman Islands, has filed a claim of unlawful detention against the Director Of His Majesty’s Prison, the Governor Of The Cayman Islands, the Attorney General of the Cayman Islands, Magistrate Kirsty-Ann Gunn and the Government of the United States Of America. Infante was arrested in 2019 for suspected smuggling and money laundering, but was subsequently acquitted. He says his “detention persists on extradition grounds alone, a stark testament to procedural abuse.”
Background
Based on the claim, Infante entered the Cayman Islands on May 30, 2019, as a pilot.
He was arrested on June 4, 2019, for suspected smuggling and money laundering, but remained in custody without bail.
Subsequently, Infante was acquitted of money laundering (Grand Court, March 20, 2020) and smuggling (Summary Court, September 8, 2020).
The claim argues that the following systemic flaws led to his continued, unlawful detention:
(1) 12 November 2019: US diplomatic note invokes the repealed 1972 UK-US Treaty and the revoked 1976 Order for provisional arrest.
(2) 21 November 2019: Chief Magistrate Foldats issues first provisional warrant; executed 25 November 2019.
(3) 29 January 2020: Warrant expires for US failure to submit formal request within 60 days (2016 Order s.74(11}; 2003 Treaty Art.12(4)).
(4) 8 April 2020: Magistrate Foldats vacates warrant due to expiration.
(5) 14 April 2020: Magistrate Gunn issues second ex parte warrant on identical void documents- an abuse compounded by the same flawed treaty reliance.
(6) 9 April 2020: US formal request certified 31 March 2020 (US DOJ) and sealed 16 April 2020 (US State Dept.), erroneously invoked the 1972 Treaty1976 Order.
Governor receives on 16 June 2020; issued a certificate and certified under s.70 of the EA despite invalidity.
(7) 15-18 November 2022: Extradition hearing before Magistrate Gunn; reserved Judgment 27 January 2023 judgment commits Plaintiff to Governor.
(8) 23 March 2023: Governor orders extradition (s.92).
(9) 7-15 October 2024: Appeal heard by Justice Marlene Carter, including amended abuse of process ground (wrong treaty (fundamentally flawed Extradition Request).
(10) As of 29 October 2025: No judgment—379 days of silence, entrenching arbitrariness.
The claim says that this sequence of unfortunate events unveils a cascade of errors: invalid treaty invocations, expired warrants revived ex parte, and interminable delays.
The claim adds that his dementia diagnosis further underscores the oppression, impairing recall and defence, rendering custody inhuman.
Infante now seeks the following relief:
CONSTITUTIONAL CLAIM declaration procedural delays by government (Incompatibility s. 23) with ss.5 and 7; demands release.
STATUTORY CLAIM Breaches of Extradition Treaty 2003 and the Extradition Act 2003 (Overseas Territories) Order 2016 and Habeas Acts; compel discharge.
COSTS AND INCIDENTAL RELIEF Award costs and fees upon success.
Note to readers
The case reference for this claim is G2025-0277.
