CABRERA v. LONDON AFRICA LTD

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
VINCENT CABRERA,
Plaintiff,
v.
LONDON AFRICA LTD,
Defendant.
Civil Action No. 25 - 4032 (UNA)
MEMORANDUM OPINION
This matter is before the court on Plaintiff Vincent Cabrera’s application to proceed in
forma pauperis, ECF No. 2, and pro se complaint, ECF No. 1. For the reasons explained below,
the court will grant Mr. Cabrera’s application and dismiss the complaint without prejudice.
Complaints filed by pro se litigants are held to “less stringent standards” than those applied
to pleadings drafted by lawyers. Haines v. Kerner, 404 U.S. 519, 520 (1972) (per curiam). Still,
pro se litigants must comply with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Jarrell v. Tisch, 656 F.
Supp. 237, 239 (D.D.C. 1987). Rule 8(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure requires that a
complaint contain a short and plain statement of the grounds upon which the court’s jurisdiction
depends, a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief, and
a demand for judgment for the relief the pleader seeks. Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a).
Mr. Cabrera’s complaint contains only two factual allegations: “Slave trade through Puerto
[R]ico” and “Mental health issues,” ECF No. 1, at 4, and Mr. Cabrera fails to demand relief of any
kind, see id. at 4-5. As drafted, the complaint falls far short of Rule 8’s minimal pleading standard.
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Accordingly, the court will grant Mr. Cabrera’s application to proceed in forma pauperis, ECF
No. 2, and dismiss the complaint without prejudice, ECF No. 1. A contemporaneous order will
issue.
LOREN L. ALIKHAN
United States District Judge
Date: January 21, 2026
Case 1:25-cv-04032-UNA Document 3 Filed 01/21/26 Page 2 of 2