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."

Customs tore apart a friend's airplane a few years back when he landed
for Customs inspection after a fishing trip to Canada, a hotbed of
drug activity.

Upon searching his camping gear they came across a large jar half
filled with brown "crystals" labeled Ovaltine. They confiscated the
jar and, determined to find more, tore apart his airplane all over the
tarmac, finding nothing.

Because a Customs employee is a complete idiot, is it the President of
the United States' fault? Did the President know about this
overzealous inspection so we can blame him for it?

You don't REALLY believe POTUS knew anything about this incident any
more than my friend's Ovaltine bust, do you? They broke the law and
law enforcement did its job.



Larry W4CSC

No, no, Scotty! I said, "Beam me a wrench.", not a WENCH!
Kirk Out.....

Customs tore apart a friend's airplane a few years back when he landed
for Customs inspection after a fishing trip to Canada, a hotbed of
drug activity.

Upon searching his camping gear they came across a large jar half
filled with brown "crystals" labeled Ovaltine. They confiscated the
jar and, determined to find more, tore apart his airplane all over the
tarmac, finding nothing.

Because a Customs employee is a complete idiot, is it the President of
the United States' fault? Did the President know about this
overzealous inspection so we can blame him for it?

You don't REALLY believe POTUS knew anything about this incident any
more than my friend's Ovaltine bust, do you? They broke the law and
law enforcement did its job.



Larry W4CSC

No, no, Scotty! I said, "Beam me a wrench.", not a WENCH!
Kirk Out.....

Clearly the President does not 'know' about every interdiction
effort. No one claims that (well, no one sane anyway).

Just as clearly, the President *does* set both the overall 'tone',
and the direction such enforcement programs take. By default, the
choice of AG sets this tone, irrespective of the presence/absence
of any overt actions by POTUS. So, no need to be coy Larry.

When you break the law, and get caught, suck it up and deal with
it (whether it be politically motivated protest or not). This type
of interdiction program does not solely affect lawbreakers however.

Keith Hughes

Larry W4CSC wrote:

Customs tore apart a friend's airplane a few years back when he landed
for Customs inspection after a fishing trip to Canada, a hotbed of
drug activity.

Upon searching his camping gear they came across a large jar half
filled with brown "crystals" labeled Ovaltine. They confiscated the
jar and, determined to find more, tore apart his airplane all over the
tarmac, finding nothing.

Because a Customs employee is a complete idiot, is it the President of
the United States' fault? Did the President know about this
overzealous inspection so we can blame him for it?

You don't REALLY believe POTUS knew anything about this incident any
more than my friend's Ovaltine bust, do you? They broke the law and
law enforcement did its job.



Larry W4CSC

No, no, Scotty! I said, "Beam me a wrench.", not a WENCH!
Kirk Out.....

Clearly the President does not 'know' about every interdiction
effort. No one claims that (well, no one sane anyway).

Just as clearly, the President *does* set both the overall 'tone',
and the direction such enforcement programs take. By default, the
choice of AG sets this tone, irrespective of the presence/absence
of any overt actions by POTUS. So, no need to be coy Larry.

When you break the law, and get caught, suck it up and deal with
it (whether it be politically motivated protest or not). This type
of interdiction program does not solely affect lawbreakers however.

Keith Hughes

Larry W4CSC wrote:

Customs tore apart a friend's airplane a few years back when he landed
for Customs inspection after a fishing trip to Canada, a hotbed of
drug activity.

Upon searching his camping gear they came across a large jar half
filled with brown "crystals" labeled Ovaltine. They confiscated the
jar and, determined to find more, tore apart his airplane all over the
tarmac, finding nothing.

Because a Customs employee is a complete idiot, is it the President of
the United States' fault? Did the President know about this
overzealous inspection so we can blame him for it?

You don't REALLY believe POTUS knew anything about this incident any
more than my friend's Ovaltine bust, do you? They broke the law and
law enforcement did its job.



Larry W4CSC

No, no, Scotty! I said, "Beam me a wrench.", not a WENCH!
Kirk Out.....

x-no-archive:yes

I heard on the radio this morning (US 1 radio at Big Pine) that the
boaters had a humanitarian license and were told it was OK to go (they
were taking medicines to Cuba), but that they couldn't take their
boats!!!


grandma Rosalie

x-no-archive:yes

I heard on the radio this morning (US 1 radio at Big Pine) that the
boaters had a humanitarian license and were told it was OK to go (they
were taking medicines to Cuba), but that they couldn't take their
boats!!!


grandma Rosalie

I guess it would be ok to strap some inner tubes together and paddle like
hell.
Does anyone out there still believe the US embargo on Cuba will be
successfull?
After more than FORTY YEARS!
And all of this crap well after the cold war and our great friendship with
the crew that funded all the bad feeling between the US and Cuba, yes the
Russians!
I don't believe the Cuban people are hanging out at the Bay of Pigs beach
waiting for us.
"Rosalie B." wrote in message
news
x-no-archive:yes

I heard on the radio this morning (US 1 radio at Big Pine) that the
boaters had a humanitarian license and were told it was OK to go (they
were taking medicines to Cuba), but that they couldn't take their
boats!!!


grandma Rosalie

I guess it would be ok to strap some inner tubes together and paddle like
hell.
Does anyone out there still believe the US embargo on Cuba will be
successfull?
After more than FORTY YEARS!
And all of this crap well after the cold war and our great friendship with
the crew that funded all the bad feeling between the US and Cuba, yes the
Russians!
I don't believe the Cuban people are hanging out at the Bay of Pigs beach
waiting for us.
"Rosalie B." wrote in message
news
x-no-archive:yes

I heard on the radio this morning (US 1 radio at Big Pine) that the
boaters had a humanitarian license and were told it was OK to go (they
were taking medicines to Cuba), but that they couldn't take their
boats!!!


grandma Rosalie

Forgot one little point in my rant; the restrictions on travel have been
increased can't have anything to do with GWB or his brothers political
considerations in FL could they?
"Rosalie B." wrote in message
news
x-no-archive:yes

I heard on the radio this morning (US 1 radio at Big Pine) that the
boaters had a humanitarian license and were told it was OK to go (they
were taking medicines to Cuba), but that they couldn't take their
boats!!!


grandma Rosalie