Trans Parent and Partner Charged With Kidnapping Boy, Flying Him to Cuba for Sex Change Surgery

Utah Couple Faces Federal Kidnapping Charges After Allegedly Taking 10 Year Old Boy to Cuba for Gender Surgery

A Utah couple is facing federal kidnapping charges after allegedly taking a 10 year old boy to Cuba for what the child's family feared was gender reassignment surgery, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Eri Ethington, 42, who identifies as Rose Inessa Ethington, and Blue Inessa Ethington, 32, also known as Carly Ann Crosby, were deported from Cuba and taken into federal custody after the FBI located them on the island nation.

The couple, who resided in Cache County, Utah, had shared custody of the child with the boy's biological mother. On March 28, 2026, they told the mother they were traveling by car to Calgary, Alberta, Canada for a camping trip with the child.

However, the group never arrived at their planned hotel in Calgary or the campground reserved from March 29 through April 2. Instead, they crossed into Canada on March 29 and flew to Mexico City. On April 1, they took another flight from Merida, Mexico to Havana, Cuba.

The child's family raised alarm, expressing fears that the boy was being taken for gender reassignment surgery before puberty. The family stated the child was born male but had begun identifying as female, which they believe was due to influence from Ethington.

A Utah court granted the mother exclusive custody on April 13. Cuban law enforcement located the group on April 16, and by April 24 they were deported back to the United States with FBI assistance.

The pair were arraigned in Richmond, Virginia, but will be tried in Utah. They face charges of international parental kidnapping, a federal offense, as well as custodial interference, a third degree felony in Utah state court.

We are grateful to law enforcement for working swiftly to return the child to the mother.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak made that statement following the arrests.

Federal Authorities Rescue Boy From Cuba After Trans Parent Allegedly Plotted Gender Surgery

The case has drawn national attention as an example of how gender ideology disputes within families can escalate to criminal behavior. The Trump administration highlighted the FBI's role in recovering the child, with authorities deploying a U.S. government plane to Cuba to bring the boy home safely.

Both suspects remain in federal custody as they await trial. If convicted of international parental kidnapping, they face significant prison time under federal law.

The Crusader's Opinion

A 10 year old boy. Let that sink in. A child who should be playing outside, learning in school, and being protected by the adults in his life was instead allegedly spirited across international borders to a communist nation for irreversible bodily mutilation. This is not healthcare. This is not compassion. This is evil wearing the mask of progress. When a society tells parents they have the right to surgically alter a child's God given body based on an ideology that rejects biological reality, we have crossed a line from which there is no quiet return. Thank God the FBI acted. Thank God this child is home. But how many more children are in danger from adults who believe their ideology trumps a child's right to grow up whole?

Take Action

• Contact Congress: Reach out to your U.S. Senators and Representatives to support federal legislation protecting minors from irreversible gender procedures. Find your representatives at congress.gov.
• Support: Donate to organizations defending children and persecuted Christians at www.TheShepherdsShield.org.
• Pray: Pray for this child's healing and recovery. Share this story with your church community to raise awareness about the dangers children face from gender ideology.
• Report: If you suspect a child is being taken across borders without proper consent, contact the FBI at 1 800 CALL FBI (1 800 225 5324) or the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1 800 843 5678.
• Stay Informed: Follow organizations like the Heritage Foundation and Alliance Defending Freedom for updates on legislation protecting children from harmful medical interventions.