DATE=9/14/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-238661
TITLE=CUBAN SPY ARRESTS (L)
BYLINE=JIM TEEPLE
DATELINE=MIAMI
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION SAYS IT HAS BROKEN UP
A SPY RING IN MIAMI, FLORIDA RUN BY THE CUBAN GOVERNMENT.
V-O-A'S JIM TEEPLE REPORTS TEN INDIVIDUALS HAVE BEEN ARRESTED AND
CHARGED WITH ESPIONAGE IN WHAT FEDERAL AGENTS ARE CALLING AN
UNPRECEDENTED EFFORT BY THE CUBAN GOVERNMENT TO GATHER
INTELLIGENCE IN THE UNITED STATES.
TEXT: THE F-B-I SAYS THE EIGHT MEN AND TWO WOMEN, CHARGED WITH
ESPIONAGE, ALLEGEDLY WORKED TO PENETRATE THE U-S SOUTHERN COMMAND
WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR U-S MILITARY ACTIVITIES IN LATIN AMERICA
AND THE CARIBBEAN AS WELL AS TO DISRUPT THE ACTIVITIES OF CUBAN-
EXILE GROUPS IN MIAMI.
ACCORDING TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITIES ONE OF THE AGENTS WAS
EMPLOYED AT THE BOCA CHICA KEY WEST NAVAL BASE AND ANOTHER
ATTEMPTED TO GET HIRED AT SOUTHERN COMMAND HEADQUARTERS IN MIAMI.
TWO OTHERS SUCCESSFULLY PENETRATED AT LEAST TWO CUBAN EXILE
GROUPS IN MIAMI.
THOMAS SCOTT THE U-S ATTORNEY FOR SOUTH FLORIDA SAYS THE
ESPIONAGE ACTIVITIES ARE UNPRECEDENTED.
// SCOTT ACTUALITY //
IN SCOPE AND IN DEPTH THIS CASE IS REALLY UNPARALLELED
IN RECENT YEARS. THIS SPY RING WAS TASKED BY THE CUBAN
GOVERNMENT TO STRIKE AT THE VERY HEART OF OUR NATIONAL
SECURITY SYSTEM AND OUR VERY DEMOCRATIC PROCESS.
// END ACTUALITY //
THE AGENTS ALLEGEDLY RECEIVED THEIR INSTRUCTIONS THROUGH HIGH-
FREQUENCY RADIO COMMUNICATIONS FROM CUBA. ACCORDING TO THE F-B-I
THE SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS WERE TO GET INFORMATION ON THE COMBAT
READINESS OF U-S TROOPS AND MILITARY MANUEVERS IN THE REGION.
THE F-B-I SAYS THE OPERATION WAS SOPHISTICATED AND WAS RUN BY
THREE CUBAN INTELLIGENCE OFFICERS AND LED BY A CAPTAIN IN CUBA'S
MILITARY INTELLIGENCE SERVICE.
OTHER MEMBERS OF THE GROUP PENETRATED CUBAN EXILE GROUPS IN MIAMI
INCLUDING BROTHERS TO THE RESCUE AND THE DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT.
JOSE BASULTO THE HEAD OF BROTHERS TO THE RESCUE SAYS HE'S NOT
SURPRISED BY THE ALLEGATIONS.
// BASULTO ACTUALITY //
WE KNOW THAT CASTRO HAS A LARGE NUMBER OF SPIES WORKING
HERE IN SOUTH FLORIDA AND WE UNDERSTAND THE OTHER SIDE
TRIES TO DO US IN AND WE ACTUALLY HAD REMOVED THE ONE
PERSON THAT I KNEW FROM THAT GROUP FROM BROTHERS TO THE
RESCUE BECAUSE I HAD SUSPICIONS THAT HE MIGHT BE
INVOLVED IN OTHER THINGS.
// END ACTUALITY //
LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITIES WON'T SAY WHETHER MEMBERS OF THE SPY
RING WERE INVOLVED IN THE SHOOT DOWN OF TWO PLANES BELONGING TO
BROTHERS TO THE RESCUE IN 1996. THE PLANES WERE SHOT DOWN BY
CUBAN JETS SHORTLY AFTER A MEMBER OF BROTHERS TO THE RESCUE LATER
IDENTIFIED AS A CUBAN SPY RETURNED TO THE ISLAND.
// OPT // LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITIES ALSO WON'T SAY HOW THEY
BECAME AWARE OF THE SPY RING OR HOW THEIR INVESTIGATION
PROCEEDED. HECTOR PESQUERA THE F-B-I AGENT IN CHARGE DOES SAY
CUBAN INTELLIGENCE ACTIVITIES IN THE UNITED STATES HAVE BEEN
THOUGH ROUGHLY DISRUPTED.
// PESQUERA ACTUALITY //
THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT BLOW TO THE CUBAN GOVERNMENT AND
THEIR EFFORTS TO COME INTO THIS COUNTRY AND CONDUCT
INTELLIGENCE ACTIVITIES.
// END ACTUALITY -- END OPT ////
AMONG THE TEN SUSPECTS, TWO ARE U-S CITIZENS AND ONE HOLDS U-S
RESIDENCY. IF CONVICTED SOME OF THE DEFENDANTS COULD FACE LIFE
IMPRISONMENT.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE CUBAN INTERESTS SECTION IN WASHINGTON SAYS
THE CUBAN GOVERNMENT WILL WITHHOLD COMMENT ON THE MATTER UNTIL IT
HEARS FROM THE U-S STATE DEPARTMENT. (SIGNED)
NEB/JLT/PT
14-Sep-98 8:04 PM EDT (0004 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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