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| Cuban Coast Guard members flee to Key West |
| 2003-02-07 |
| 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. Officers searching their 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. Good thing this was Florida. They bring those things into Californicate and they would have been arrested. The AKs, Cuban flags are on sale at all California universities. ``They were happy to be here and were compliant with all of our requests,'' said Officer Tara Koenig, a Spanish-speaking officer Dorgan called for assistance. "Welcome to Key West, please check your machine guns at the door" 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.'' Heh, heh, heh. So much for the People's Paradise. 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. An INS spokesman did not immediately return a call Friday. 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. Safe! The men's patrol boat has been turned over to the U.S. Coast Guard. A Coast Guard spokeswoman had no immediate comment and it could not be determined if the U.S. military had been tracking the men before they arrived at Key West. No one answered the phone at the Cuban Interests Section in Washington on Friday morning. Well, so much for Border Security. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #2 But wait!, dont they realize that Cuba has the best health care anywhere? Dont they realize that 'el jefe' is just trying to make their lives better? Why those ungrateful peasants!, we'll see how good they do in the evil yankee-land. You know what happens when you let people feed themselves, and think for themselves, next thing you know they'll begin to think that they're in charge! and then you know what happens? the hang you by your feet upside down in a gas station with your best girlie by your side. You watch! they'll be swimming back to the socialist paradise in no time, you'll see. ( somebody call the whaaaaaaaabulance for el jefe!) |
| Posted by: Frank Martin 2003-02-07 15:50:19 |
| #1 Maybe going from Yellow to Orange today may help this lapse in security procedures with the Coasties. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2003-02-07 12:40:05 |