On the recordMay 16, 2016
The U.S. Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security is currently in Cuba participating in bilateral meetings on law enforcement cooperation with the Castro regime. This will serve as another propaganda coup for the Castro brothers. In the past, the Obama administration and Cuba have held technical exchanges on counternarcotics. Yet, last month, Panamanian authorities intercepted over 400 kilos of cocaine in a shipment from--guess where-- Cuba en route to Belgium. This is not the first time that the Castro brothers tried to ship illicit materials. In 2013, Mr. Speaker, approximately 240 tons of illegal weapons were intercepted by Panamanians on a ship going from Cuba to North Korea. In fact, this shipment was the largest weapons cache ever intercepted going to North Korea in violation of several U.N. Security Council resolutions. So how does this happen, Mr. Speaker? Let's not forget that Cuba's military owns and operates Cuba's port facilities. So how does cocaine, how do shipments, and how do guns get onto these ships? I doubt that our deputy secretary will inquire about the complicity of the Castro regime in these illicit shipments when he meets with his Cuban counterparts. So shame on us, Mr. Speaker. ____________________