Duval Times

On May 22, 2024, members of the Cuban regime were invited by the Biden Administration to tour Transportation Security Administration (TSA) facilities at Miami International Airport (MIA), one of the busiest airports in the United States. The tour reportedly allowed these individuals access to sensitive screening areas.

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), U.S. Representative Carlos Giménez, and other Florida colleagues addressed a letter to U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and TSA Administrator David Pekoske, expressing their concerns about this incident.

“We write today to express our profound concern and outrage over the invitation and tour of Miami International Airport (MIA) to members of the Cuban regime,” stated Rubio and Giménez in their letter. “It has been reported that these operatives accessed secure areas and were able to view sensitive security protocols of the airport.”

The letter demanded an explanation from both officials on how such an incident could occur, requesting responses by Friday, May 24, 2024.

Joining Rubio and Giménez in signing the letter were Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) and U.S. Representatives María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) and Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL).

The full text of the letter outlined specific concerns:

“Secretary Mayorkas, this is now the second incident in which an agency that reports to you has invited members of Cuba’s Communist Party to tour United States facilities and have access to sensitive areas.” The letter referenced a similar visit by Cuban officials in February 2023 when they toured U.S. Coast Guard headquarters in Washington, D.C., and port facilities in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Addressing TSA Administrator Pekoske directly, the letter criticized his lack of transparency: “During your testimony on May 15, 2024...you made no mention of this visit.” It further questioned whether this omission was intentional or a lapse in judgment.

The letter also noted conflicting accounts regarding coordination for the visit: “An initial response from TSA indicated that the International Operations team coordinated with MIA...This response contradicts public testimony by Ralph Cutie.”

The lawmakers concluded with several pointed questions aimed at understanding how such tours are authorized and conducted under current security protocols.

They requested detailed information on statutory authority for inviting foreign operatives, areas accessed during tours, other U.S. airports visited by foreign entities designated as State Sponsors of Terrorism (SSOT), vetting processes for foreign visitors on TSA-hosted tours, authorization procedures followed for this particular incident, visas issued to Cuban operatives, and contact details for relevant personnel at MIA.

“We expect that you will take this incident as seriously as we do,” they emphasized.