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The identities of the Cuban officials who allegedly visited restricted areas of Miami International Airport (MIA) have now been revealed.
Among those involved is Carlos Radamés Pérez Andino, vice president of the Civil Aeronautics Institute of Cuba, along with four other high-ranking Cuban officials.
Martí Noticias consulted a document from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cuba, in which the island's government requests diplomatic visas for Pérez Andino and his companions.
These officials toured security and baggage areas not accessible to the general public at MIA. Ralph Cutié, the director of the Miami-Dade County Aviation Department, confirmed this information.
According to the MINREX document, the purpose of the trip was to participate in a working meeting with the United States Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
Cuban officials traveled to the northern country on March 3, 2024, arriving through John F. Kennedy Airport in New York and Washington Dulles. The expenses for the trip were covered by the Cuban government.
In addition to Pérez Andino, the delegation included Nestar María Rojas Álvarez, Lorenzo de la Rosa Garcés, Jossue Puigvert García, and Benedicto Nelson Gutiérrez Acosta, all holding A2 diplomatic visas.
The delegation represented several entities, including the Cuban Aviation Corporation and the General Customs of the Republic of Cuba.
The visit has sparked criticism in South Florida. Mayor Daniella Levine Cava issued a statement expressing her surprise upon learning about the presence of Cubans in strategic facilities of the city managed by her office.
Senator Rick Scott and Congress members Mario Díaz-Balart, Marco Rubio, and Carlos A. Giménez, the latter serving as the chair of the Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security, expressed their surprise at the Biden Administration's decision to grant access to these areas to representatives of a terrorism-sponsoring regime.
A TSA spokesperson explained that the visit was to showcase the agency's security operations and best practices in civil aviation security. The Cubans were taken to a terminal equipped with the most advanced technology, an area that requires thorough background checks to access.
The controversy intensified as the visit coincided with Cuba's Independence Day on May 20, fueling opposition among the Cuban community in Miami.
The official Cuban press has remained silent about this trip. In addition to the usual secrecy, there are few social media profiles of the officials, and their positions within state institutions have not been able to be verified.
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