Utah Couple Charged with International Parental Kidnapping

A Utah couple faces federal charges of international parental kidnapping after allegedly taking a 10-year-old child to Cuba in violation of a shared custody agreement, prompting a multinational search and raising family concerns over the child's welfare.

Rose Inessa-Ethington, 42, the child's biological father who identifies as a transgender woman, and her partner, Blue Inessa-Ethington, 32, were arrested following their deportation from Cuba on April 21. The child, assigned male at birth but identifying as female, was reunited with the biological mother, who had shared custody with Rose Inessa-Ethington. The incident began on March 28, when the group left Utah for what was described as a camping trip to Calgary, Alberta, Canada, with the child and Blue's 3-year-old. Under the custody arrangement, the child was due to return to the mother on April 3.

Instead of heading to the reserved hotel and campground, the group crossed into Canada from Washington state and flew from Vancouver to Mexico City on March 29. They then traveled to Merida, Mexico, before arriving in Havana, Cuba, on April 1, according to court documents and Mexican immigration records. The adults turned off their...