You know the thing that bothers me about this, is that we are the ones that
are suppose to be a free people, able to travel where ever we please. US
Citizens went to Iraq before the war, hell you can go to any other country
in the world and all you may get from the US government is a travel
advisory. However go to Cuba and go to jail? In over 30 years, the
embargo didn't work, now they expect to make it work.




"Chuck Baier" wrote in message
om...
From the Feb. 12, 2004 Key West Citizen:

Grand jury summons Cuba boaters

BY TRAVIS JAMES TRITTEN

keysnews.com


KEY WEST -- A federal grand jury subpoenaed at least three sailors who
traveled from Key West to Cuba in a regatta and humanitarian aid
mission in May, and some race participants suspect U.S. attorneys are
seeking criminal indictments for alleged travel violations to the
communist country.

A Feb. 9 subpoena obtained by The Citizen commanded a local boat
captain who sailed in the Conch Republic Cup to appear before the Key
West jury Feb. 18.

The captain and two other sailors who were subpoenaed asked to remain
anonymous out of fear identifying them would affect possible cases
against them. They said agents with the U.S. Department of Commerce
interviewed them Tuesday about the trip to Cuba and then handed them
the subpoena.

In May, agents with the U.S Bureau of Immigration and Customs
Enforcement and the Commerce Department searched boats when they
returned from the annual event and confiscated property such as global
positioning system records, cameras and event paperwork.

Regatta participants were licensed to carry medicine and medical
supplies to hospitals in Cuba.

"I got the impression from others I talked to that É it was likely
that everyone [in the regatta] was being subpoenaed," one boat captain
said.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Miami said it could neither confirm nor
deny the grand jury subpoenas, which were signed by Karen Gilbert,
Assistant U.S. Attorney in Miami. A spokesman with Customs Enforcement
was not immediately available.

The boat captain said he believes the grand jury activity is
politically motivated and part of a wider push to clamp down on travel
to Cuba.

"Our sailing organization is being singled out to become an example of
the Bush administration's stance on the [Cuban] embargo," he said.

Bush recently called for more stringent enforcement of laws that bar
most travel to Cuba. Spending money for Cuban travel is restricted to
licensed government officials, journalists, family members and a few
other select groups, according to the U.S. Department of State.

On May 21, the day before sailors departed Key West, Customs
Enforcement officers warned regatta participants not to take their
boats into Cuban waters. Zachary Mann, spokesman for the federal
agency, told The Citizen in May that the vessels were not approved by
the Commerce Department to travel to Cuba.

The federal Bureau of Export Administration sent a letter in late May
to Geslin Sailmakers, the organizer of the regatta, stating that the
sailors were required to get approval from the Commerce Department for
exporting to Cuba or Cuban waters "any vessel and its contents." The
letter also said unauthorized exports are subject to criminal
prosecution and administrative proceedings that could result in fines,
imprisonment, vessel forfeiture and denial of future export
privileges.

The Conch Republic Cup boaters sailed under the humanitarian aid
license of Concord Cayo Hueso, a Key West humanitarian group headed by
John Young that has been shipping food and medicine to Cuba since
1992.

"This year, being able to take humanitarian aid enabled us to, one,
legitimize our travels going under a license, but also to enhance the
purpose of it," a subpoenaed captain said. "We believed that we were
in compliance sailing under [Young's] license."

Young said regatta boaters were allowed to use the license on the
condition that they became members of his group.

"I know we had some members carrying food, and medicine primarily,"
Young said. "I don't know if [the grand jury activity] has anything to
do with Concord Cayo Hueso."

Young's humanitarian license was revoked following the May trip.

He said federal agents "bullied" the boaters at the docks when they
returned.

"There must have been 50 agents on those vessels coming back from that
race," Young said. "They took all kinds of stuff off those boats that
should not have been confiscated."