Overview:
Carel Pedre has been transferred to a South Florida ICE detention facility nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz” for its isolation and alleged mistreatment of detainees. One high-placed law enforcement source said he was placed on suicide watch. Meanwhile, Richelle Robinson, the woman involved in his domestic case, has posted a series of elusive videos.
Carel Pedre, the Haitian media personality arrested earlier this week on a domestic violence charge, has been transferred to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in South Florida dubbed by immigration officials as Alligator Alcatraz and criticized for its harsh conditions.
Pedre is now being held at Florida Soft Side South, according to updated ICE custody records reviewed by The Haitian Times on Thursday. The facility, located on the edge of the Everglades and accessible via Alligator Alley, is part of the administration’s plan to expedite deportations. Visited by President Donald Trump the day before detentions began, the jail is frequently criticized for its isolated location and history of reported mistreatment of immigrants awaiting deportation.
Florida Soft Side South, expanded as part of the federal government’s plans to carry out mass deportation, has been the subject of numerous complaints by families, immigration attorneys and human rights organizations. Past reports have cited poor mental health support, limited legal access and unsanitary conditions. Its remote geography — surrounded by marshland and wildlife — adds to the facility’s reputation among detainees.
Conditions there are so poor that many high-profile detainees or their families have tried to raise awareness. In August, the American Civil Liberties Union filed suit against the government, saying it was essentially using such facilities as state-run immigration jails.
“Alligator Alcatraz” [is] surrounded by alligators, snakes, mosquitoes and swampland at risk of dangerous flooding,” the ACLU said in its announcement of the suit.”
Pedre, 45, was initially arrested on Dec. 21 in Tamarac, Fla., after an incident involving his live-in girlfriend, Richelle Robinson, allegedly escalated into a physical confrontation that prompted neighbors to call 911. He was charged with misdemeanor battery and booked into the Broward County Main Jail that early Sunday morning.
Despite his legal team’s efforts to have him remain in the county jail while the domestic matter proceeds through the courts, ICE agents took Pedre into custody on Dec. 24, moments before a scheduled court appearance regarding the domestic charge. They then placed him at Krome Detention Center in Miami.
On Christmas, ICE apparently moved Pedre to the Everglades facility.
Earlier in the week, a law enforcement officer not authorized to speak publicly and who requested anonymity told The Haitian Times that Pedre had been placed on suicide watch the night of his arrest. Images circulating online — which have not been independently verified — appear to show Pedre wearing a green vest commonly associated with suicide watch protocols, further fueling speculation.
Screenshots from Richelle Robinson’s Instagram account
Girlfriend posts reflective captions on social media
Meanwhile, Robinson broke her public silence. Although she did not mention Pedre directly, she posted emotionally reflective messages on Instagram that reference grief, faith and spiritual endurance. In one caption, she wrote: “I am grieving three losses in one week.” Another post, shared on Christmas Day, read in part: “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted… His light orders every step.”
Despite not naming Pedre and deleting posts featuring him, scores of comments on Robinson’s posts beseech her to do all she can to help secure Pedre’s release. Many wrote #freecarel in response to her Instagram and TikTok posts.
Pedre is a prominent figure in Haitian media, known for founding Chokarella and hosting Digicel Stars. He is widely recognized for his influence across Haitian pop culture and diaspora communities.
No further court dates in his domestic case have been posted as of Thursday.
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