The Elian Gonzalez case began in 1999 when a five-year-old boy named Elian Gonzalez was found floating on an inner tube off the coast of Florida after fleeing Cuba with his mother, who tragically drowned during the journey. Elian was taken in by relatives in Miami, sparking a heated debate over his custody between his family in the U.S. and his father, Juan Miguel Gonzalez, who wanted him returned to Cuba. The case drew national attention, highlighting issues of immigration, family rights, and U.S.-Cuba relations. In April 2000, after a lengthy legal battle, federal agents forcibly removed Elian from his relatives' home and returned him to his father in Cuba, ending the controversy.