The Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Department of State, and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have reportedly issued apologies following a clandestine tour of Miami International Airport granted to representatives of Cuba's communist regime on May 20.
This event has sparked controversy due to Cuba's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism by the U.S.
The tour, which lasted approximately five hours, was attended by five officials from the Castro regime. They were granted access to high-security areas of the airport, including TSA control facilities housing sensitive computer systems. The local administration of Miami-Dade County and airport personnel claimed ignorance of the visit, leading to immediate condemnation from them and the Cuban diaspora in Florida.
The choice of May 20, Cuban Independence Day, as the date for the tour has been met with significant backlash. The Castro regime has spent over six decades attempting to suppress celebrations of this day, seeking to replace it with July 26, the anniversary of Fidel Castro's 1953 terrorist attack on the Moncada military garrison.
Daniella Levine Cava, Mayor of Miami-Dade County, expressed the local community's "deep frustration" over the visit in a social media post on Thursday. She stated that she had met with representatives from the DHS, TSA, and Department of State, who apologized and pledged to alter their protocols to ensure local officials are informed of future foreign delegations' airport tours.
The U.S.-based Mart Noticias reported on Friday that the TSA had issued an apology for failing to coordinate and communicate the visit in advance with airport and county officials. The TSA stated that it "routinely works with all countries with direct flights to the United States" and that "occasional reciprocal visits" from the Cuban Ministry of Transportation occurred in 2018.
In response to the controversy surrounding the recent visit, an anonymous State Department official told Mart Noticias that TSA has been conducting regular airport screenings in Cuba since 2003. The official also stated that Cuba began sending reciprocal visits to the U.S. in 2011, a practice that continued throughout President Donald Trump's administration.
The official emphasized the importance of aviation security as a matter of national interest. Given the proximity of Cuba and the existence of direct flights between the two countries, the official suggested that U.S. and Cuban authorities should collaborate to ensure airport safety.
On Friday, Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) and Representatives Mario Daz-Balart (R-FL) and Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) announced their intention to request official information about the Castro regime officials' visit to Miami airport. Rep. Gimnez, who served as Mayor of Miami-Dade County from 2011 to 2020, expressed his displeasure at not being informed of similar visits during his tenure.
Rep. Gimnez also criticized the Castro regime for knowingly choosing May 20 for the tour, stating, "They knew it consciously and used the date to hit the Cuban exile doubly in the face."
Earlier in the week, Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Rick Scott (R-FL), and Representatives Carlos Gimenez (R-FL), Mara Elvira Salazar (R-FL), and Mario Daz-Balart (R-FL) penned a letter to Homeland Security chief Alejandro Mayorkas and TSA administrator David Pekoske. They expressed their "deep concern and indignation" over the visit and requested clarification on the legal authority under which the Cuban officials were invited, the areas they accessed, and the TSA's security protocols for screening foreign visitors on U.S. airport tours.
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