Federal authorities took extraordinary measures this week by dispatching a government aircraft to Cuba to retrieve a 10-year-old Utah child caught in the middle of a complex international custody dispute centered around gender identity issues.
Rose Inessa-Ethington, a transgender woman, stands accused of taking her child to Cuba without authorization from the biological mother. Government officials worked to bring the child home after a family member raised concerns that Inessa-Ethington had traveled to Havana seeking gender transition procedures for the minor.
Both Rose Inessa-Ethington and her partner Blue Inessa-Ethington face arrest and federal charges for international parental kidnapping.
The pair departed with the child to Canada in late March, claiming they were taking a camping vacation along with Blue’s 3-year-old. However, after notifying the older child’s mother of their Canadian arrival, the adults disabled their phones. Court documents filed Monday in Utah federal court reveal they flew from Vancouver through Mexico before reaching Cuba on April 1.
Federal charges do not specify whether the couple actually intended to pursue gender-affirming procedures for the child in Cuba, nor do they explain how such treatment would be obtained since Cuban law prohibits these surgeries for minors.
FBI investigators discovered that Blue Inessa-Ethington had withdrawn $10,000 from her bank account prior to departure. Federal agents also located a note at their residence containing guidance from a Washington, D.C. mental health professional “to send the therapist the $10,000.00 and instructions on gender affirming medical care for children.” The note made no reference to Cuba.
The deployment of a Department of Justice aircraft for this parental kidnapping case occurs as the Trump administration has worked to restrict access to gender-affirming treatments for minors and has pressured healthcare providers on this matter.
The Associated Press contacted court-appointed lawyers representing both Blue and Rose Inessa-Ethington in Virginia. Court records indicate the defendants will be transported to Utah to face individual charges of international parental kidnapping.
The search effort commenced April 3 when the child failed to return to the mother in Utah as planned, according to court filings. The 10-year-old’s mother, who had divorced Rose Inessa-Ethington and maintained joint custody, contacted Logan City police about 70 miles north of Salt Lake City to report the child missing.
Logan City Police Chief Jeff Simmons explained his department initially concentrated on the custodial interference aspects of the case, noting investigators only learned later about the gender-affirming surgery concerns.
Logan police spokesperson Sgt. Brandon Bevan confirmed those concerns came from one family member, though he refused to identify the individual.
“They just had the concern about it, no actual physical evidence” Bevan stated.
A Utah state court judge mandated the 10-year-old’s return to the biological mother on April 13. Three days following, a federal magistrate judge issued arrest warrants for the Inessa-Ethingtons. That same day, Cuban law enforcement found the group. They were expelled to the United States via government plane Monday and appeared in Richmond, Virginia federal court.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak in Utah confirmed in a statement that the 10-year-old was reunited with the biological mother. FBI representatives and Utah U.S. attorneys declined to reveal what occurred with the 3-year-old who had accompanied the group.
The parental custody battle appears to be an ongoing issue. An online fundraising campaign established five years ago by Blue Inessa-Ethington titled “Help a Trans Mother Keep Custody of Her Child” collected $9,766.
“Last week, Rose’s ex relocated several counties away, negatively impacting Rose’s parent-time with the child,” she explained in the fundraiser. She indicated the funds would help obtain a court order keeping the child “safe and stable throughout this process.”
Anyone familiar with Rose understands “how much care and thought she puts into parenting her gender open child,” she stated.
She added, “While her ex is not making an issue of Rose’s gender, as a trans woman, Rose is at a disadvantage against her cishet ex-wife. Rose also lacks the family resources and connections to face this litigation on her own.”
Family members claimed the child was born male but identifies as female due to what they considered “manipulation” by Rose Inessa-Ethington, according to an April 16 sworn statement from FBI Special Agent Jennifer Waterfield.
The Trump administration implemented restrictions on gender-affirming care for minors in December, leading one-third of states to file lawsuits.
This represents the most recent confrontation between an administration claiming transgender healthcare can harm children and advocates arguing it constitutes medically necessary treatment.
Research indicates gender-affirming surgery remains uncommon among American children. Additionally, fewer than 1 in 1,000 U.S. teenagers receive gender-affirming medications.
In February, the country’s largest professional plastic surgery organization advised postponing gender-affirming surgeries until patients reach age 19, departing from guidance provided by several other prominent medical organizations.
Cuban law prohibits gender-affirming surgeries for minors and only permits them for adults through the public healthcare system under strict oversight in designated public hospitals for Cuban nationals. Medical commission authorization is required following comprehensive patient file review. This process frequently requires years due to extensive medical and psychological evaluations needed.
