In July, in a bold operation that Coast Guard officials admitted caught them by surprise, 19 Cubans were put ashore on posh Sanibel Island on Florida's southwestern coast, well north of the usual drop-off areas, including the Keys and Dry Tortugas, that are closer to Cuba. U.S. officials say an increasing number of Cubans have sailed for Mexico and Honduras, from which they then hope to journey overland to the United States.

"Of late, all the economic reforms have been stalled, if not backtracked," Fernandez said. "There's no electricity; the fans don't work; you can't cook." But along with the frequent power blackouts, he said the warm weather of summer and early autumn also brings calmer ocean conditions for anyone thinking of making the 90-mile crossing to the U.S.