The Trump administration deployed a Department of Justice aircraft to retrieve a 10-year-old Utah child from Cuba this week, marking an unprecedented federal response in a parental kidnapping case involving disputed gender-related medical procedures.
Custody Fight Turns International
Rose Inessa-Ethington, a transgender woman, and her partner Blue Inessa-Ethington face federal charges for allegedly taking the child to Cuba without permission from the biological mother. Federal authorities launched the search after a family member raised concerns about potential gender transition surgery for the child. The couple left Utah in late March, claiming they were taking the children camping in Canada. They turned off their phones after reaching Vancouver, then traveled through Mexico before arriving in Havana on April 1.
Federal Investigation Unfolds
FBI agents discovered Blue Inessa-Ethington withdrew $10,000 from her checking account before departure. Investigators found a note at their residence containing instructions from a Washington therapist regarding payment and gender-affirming medical care for children. The criminal complaint does not specify whether the couple actually sought such procedures in Cuba, where gender surgery for children remains illegal. Logan City Police Chief Jeff Simmons confirmed his department initially focused on custodial interference before learning about concerns over medical procedures. The biological mother filed a missing-person report on April 3 when the child failed to return as scheduled.
Swift Government Action
A Utah state judge ordered the child’s return on April 13. Three days later, a federal magistrate issued arrest warrants for both adults. Cuban law enforcement located the group the same day and deported them aboard the government plane on Monday. The couple appeared in federal court in Richmond, Virginia, where they were arraigned on international parental kidnapping charges. Each faces one count under federal law. The 10-year-old has been returned to the biological mother in Logan, Utah, a college town 70 miles north of Salt Lake City. Federal officials declined to comment on what happened to the 3-year-old child who accompanied the group.
Custody History Emerges
The custody dispute between Rose Inessa-Ethington and the biological mother appears longstanding. An online fundraiser created five years ago by Blue Inessa-Ethington titled “Help a Trans Mother Keep Custody of Her Child” raised nearly $10,000. The fundraiser mentioned that the biological mother had relocated several counties away, negatively affecting custody arrangements. Rose Inessa-Ethington previously ran a popular Utah political blog during the 2010s. The use of federal resources in this case comes as the administration has taken positions opposing gender-affirming medical procedures for minors. Representatives for the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s office in Utah have not provided additional details about the investigation or the circumstances that prompted the family member to contact authorities.