Yep, just kind of eased on up to town, AK's ready, sidearms on and flying the Cuban flag, in Cuban uniforms. Just strolled right on in.
Now don't you feel safe?
http://ap.tbo.com/ap/florida/MGANV6XEWBD.html
Four Cuban Coast Guardsman Defect in Key West
By Terry Spencer Associated Press Writer
Published: Feb 7, 2003
MIAMI (AP) - Four Cuban coast guardsman defected Friday, docking their patrol boat at a Key West resort, walking into town and surrendering to a police officer.
The men, dressed in their military uniforms, approached Officer Matt Dorgan at about 4 a.m. and told him they wanted to surrender, Key West police spokeswoman Cynthia Edwards said. One man had a Chinese handgun holstered to his side, which he allowed Dorgan to take.
Police officers searching the boat docked at the Hyatt Marina Resort found two loaded AK-47 machine guns along with ammunition. The boat was still flying a Cuban flag.
"They were happy to be here and were compliant with all of our requests," said Officer Tara Koenig, a Spanish-speaking colleague Dorgan called for assistance.
She said the men told her they had been on patrol about 1 a.m. when they decided to defect.
"My impression is that it was a last-minute decision," Koenig said. "They were patrolling, talking about living at the poverty line when they said 'You know what, the United States is only 90 miles that way.' So they set the heading on their boat, terminated communication with Cuba and headed straight here."
Edwards said the men were taken to the Monroe County jail, where they will be turned over to the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. INS spokeswoman Barbara Gonzalez referred calls to U.S. Border Patrol officials, who did not respond to messages left on a pager.
Cubans who make it to U.S. soil are usually allowed to remain in the country, while those intercepted at sea are generally returned to Cuba.
The men's patrol boat has been turned over to the U.S. Coast Guard. Coast Guard spokesman Luis Diaz declined to comment because the agency is conducting an investigation. He would not say if the U.S. military had been tracking the boat before it arrived at Key West.
Juan Hernandez, a spokesman at the Cuban Interests Section in Washington, did not return a phone message. Government officials in Havana also had no immediate response.
In November, eight defectors flew a Cuban government biplane from the island nation to Key West. Local authorities seized the plane, which a judge ordered auctioned to partially pay a $27.1 million settlement Cuba owes the ex-wife of a Cuban spy. The Cuban government had demanded that the aircraft be returned.
Twice since Cuba's 1959 Communist revolution, pilots of Soviet-built MiGs have flown to Florida.
One landed at Key West Naval Air Station on March 19, 1991, carrying a defecting Cuban major who later made a covert flight back to Cuba in a private plane and flew his family back out.
The first landed at Homestead Air Force Base in 1969, flying in under air-defense radar and landing before it was spotted by U.S. officials.
Sorry, just saw this in general- tried to delete it but was too late.
Now don't you feel safe?
http://ap.tbo.com/ap/florida/MGANV6XEWBD.html
Four Cuban Coast Guardsman Defect in Key West
By Terry Spencer Associated Press Writer
Published: Feb 7, 2003
MIAMI (AP) - Four Cuban coast guardsman defected Friday, docking their patrol boat at a Key West resort, walking into town and surrendering to a police officer.
The men, dressed in their military uniforms, approached Officer Matt Dorgan at about 4 a.m. and told him they wanted to surrender, Key West police spokeswoman Cynthia Edwards said. One man had a Chinese handgun holstered to his side, which he allowed Dorgan to take.
Police officers searching the boat docked at the Hyatt Marina Resort found two loaded AK-47 machine guns along with ammunition. The boat was still flying a Cuban flag.
"They were happy to be here and were compliant with all of our requests," said Officer Tara Koenig, a Spanish-speaking colleague Dorgan called for assistance.
She said the men told her they had been on patrol about 1 a.m. when they decided to defect.
"My impression is that it was a last-minute decision," Koenig said. "They were patrolling, talking about living at the poverty line when they said 'You know what, the United States is only 90 miles that way.' So they set the heading on their boat, terminated communication with Cuba and headed straight here."
Edwards said the men were taken to the Monroe County jail, where they will be turned over to the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. INS spokeswoman Barbara Gonzalez referred calls to U.S. Border Patrol officials, who did not respond to messages left on a pager.
Cubans who make it to U.S. soil are usually allowed to remain in the country, while those intercepted at sea are generally returned to Cuba.
The men's patrol boat has been turned over to the U.S. Coast Guard. Coast Guard spokesman Luis Diaz declined to comment because the agency is conducting an investigation. He would not say if the U.S. military had been tracking the boat before it arrived at Key West.
Juan Hernandez, a spokesman at the Cuban Interests Section in Washington, did not return a phone message. Government officials in Havana also had no immediate response.
In November, eight defectors flew a Cuban government biplane from the island nation to Key West. Local authorities seized the plane, which a judge ordered auctioned to partially pay a $27.1 million settlement Cuba owes the ex-wife of a Cuban spy. The Cuban government had demanded that the aircraft be returned.
Twice since Cuba's 1959 Communist revolution, pilots of Soviet-built MiGs have flown to Florida.
One landed at Key West Naval Air Station on March 19, 1991, carrying a defecting Cuban major who later made a covert flight back to Cuba in a private plane and flew his family back out.
The first landed at Homestead Air Force Base in 1969, flying in under air-defense radar and landing before it was spotted by U.S. officials.
Sorry, just saw this in general- tried to delete it but was too late.
