The conviction, this Tuesday, May 21, sponsored by Commissioner Anthony Rodríguez, is the response to the information about the visit of officials of the Cuban regime revealed in an exclusive scoop by DIARIO LAS AMÉRICAS the day before.
“I have a motion to propose. “You read in the media that there was an incident at the MIA TSA,” Rodríguez, who is also the vice president of the Commission, began his intervention.
We found out from the press
Ralph Cutie, director of MIA, present at the meeting of the legislative body, assured that neither he, nor Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, nor anyone from the MIA administration were aware of the controversial visit. They found out after it appeared in the press, published first by this newspaper.
Cutie indicated that, when asking for explanations, the TSA had told him that on Monday, May 20, five members of a delegation of Cuban officials, with occupations equivalent to the TSA, took a tour of the transportation security agency’s facilities in the airport, they visited their staff and the baggage control areas of the terminal.
“I am horrified by what happened,” Oliver D. Gilbert III, president of the Commission, said when he took the floor. “This can never be repeated. It is a national security issue. “This is not a matter for Cuban Americans, this issue concerns security,” he insisted.
The mayor, who is in the middle of her re-election campaign, also expressed her astonishment at the visit of Castro’s officials to MIA. She stated that she had contacted the State Department to inform her on future decisions.
“The decision to allow Cuban officials to tour secure areas at MIA was made without the knowledge of the Miami-Dade Aviation Department (MDAD) and occurred during the celebration of Cuban Independence Day, a date on which we reaffirmed our commitment to freedom and democracy in Cuba in the face of a brutal dictatorship.”
“Miami-Dade County strongly supports the Cuban people here in our community and on the island as the fight to bring freedom to Cuba continues, and we are committed to ensuring the safety of our community and all those who travel through our airport,” said Cava.
“This visit exposes our potential vulnerabilities,” observed the mayor.
Sentence
The Miami-Dade Board of Commissioners condemned the TSA officials who allowed the Cuban representatives to travel through sensitive MIA areas. He also condemned President Joe Biden’s Administration for removing the Cuban regime from the State Department’s list of countries that do not cooperate in the US fight against terrorism and urged the State Department to reinstate it to that registry.
The wolf guarding the sheep
“It makes no sense to invite a country that sponsors terrorism to tour our security system. “It is an absurd decision and makes no sense,” he said. Kevin Marino Cabreracommissioner for District 6.
“Cuba is a country that has been linked to drug trafficking. It is as if you show a thief how to commit his misdeeds,” Cabrera said.
Threat to national security
“What else is happening in other parts of the United States behind our backs?” asked the commissioner for District 13. Rene Garcia. “This was known here because of the special sensitivity that our community has in Miami, but what is happening in other areas?”
“It is a lack of respect from the Biden Administration, especially since May 20 happened. Nothing related to Cuba is coincidental. This event is a slap in the face to the security systems of this country that allowed Cuban agents, who we still do not know who they are, to walk behind the security line of one of the most important airports in the country. The question to ask is if this happened here, how many other airports or ports of entry is the same thing happening right now?”
They wanted to cause pain
“The TSA owes us an apology,” he said. Rachel Regaladowho considered that the TSA did not report the visit “because they knew it was a thorny issue that would not have our support.”
Regalado considered the date on which the tour took place, May 20, Cuban Independence Day, to be an aggravating factor.
“The way they did it, the day they did it, they simply wanted to hurt the Cuban community,” stressed the person who represents District 7 in the legislative body.
Furthermore, he indicated that the regime’s agents “wanted to demonstrate that they have access to places that we cannot access.”
“TSA is our partner and partners don’t act that way. “They owe us an apology,” Regalado requested.
Who authorized it
The commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins He went further and said that explanations must be given. The representative of District 8 stated that there is no point in regretting and saying that “we didn’t know anything and that she took us by surprise.”
“Those of us who occupy this position are in charge of security, not only of MIA, but also of the Port of Miami.”
“We have to find a way for a TSA representative to come to the Commission and explain to everyone what happened and who is responsible for what happened. Because saying here that we have no idea is insufficient to guarantee the safety of our community. We deserve an explanation. “I don’t know if we have jurisdiction to achieve this, but I am convinced that we deserve an explanation,” she insisted.
The commissioner Roberto Gonzalez He said that the visit was not only a slap in the face to the Cuban people, “it is a slap in the face to all the victims of terrorism and communism. “It’s a slap in the face to Miami-Dade County.”
The tour of Cuban officials through MIA “is a threat to national security. Now who is going to stop China, Syria or Iran from visiting our airports and taking advantage of what they observe about our security measures? “That is unacceptable.”
For his part, the commissioner Juan Carlos Bermudez He recalled that the Havana regime, for 20 years, had an American ambassador, who lived in our community, spying for them. “The security of the Cuban state has always benefited from having people in positions of power who help them achieve their objectives.” For this reason, the commissioner for District 12 urged Mayor Levine Cava to request an explanation from the White House about what happened.
TSA Position
The TSA stated through a spokesperson that they regularly work with all countries with direct flights to the US.
“TSA hosts government officials and members of the aviation community at US airports to foster a strong global aviation security posture.”
He later explained that “the US and Cuban authorities jointly manage the airspace between Cuba and the US and guarantee the safety of travelers who use our airports.”
“The Republic of Cuba has six last point of departure airports with direct flights to the United States, so the TSA continually works to strengthen the security framework with Cuba and other Caribbean nations.”
“This involves the TSA inspecting Cuban airports to certify their ability to accommodate flights to the US and occasional reciprocal visits by the Cuban Ministry of Transportation to US airports to demonstrate best practices.”
He clarified that “Cuban officials did not have access to sensitive technology or systems. They received an overview of TSA security operations, including equipment that anyone screened at the checkpoint can see, demonstrating best practices in civil aviation security, for Cuba to consider implementing similar measures. with similar systems.
The spokesperson indicated that “TSA has cooperated with Cuba on civil aviation security for many years, including during the previous Administration. “The TSA shares US best practices in civil aviation security so that Cuban airports can meet US security criteria for international travel.”
“TSA officers at MIA also welcomed dignitaries from Antigua, Barbados, Spain and Brazil on similar visits recently.”
It is good to note that none of the countries mentioned are on the list of government sponsors of terrorism.
Also add that the source that exclusively provided the information to DIARIO LAS AMÉRICAS assured that the aviation officials of the Cuban regime who visited MIA on Monday, May 20, had access to the areas that show the technology with which TSA personnel operate in Miami airport terminal.
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