Diaz-Balart: Cooperating on "Port Security" with an Anti-American, Malign Dictatorship Would be Laughable if it Weren't so Reckless and Dangerous

WASHINGTON, D.C.– Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-26) issued the following statement regarding the U.S. State Department's announcement to welcome members of the Cuban regime to meet with U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) officials and tour U.S. port facilities as part of the "International Port Security Program." 

"I am appalled by the announcement that the U.S. State Department is facilitating a visit between the Cuban regime and the U.S. Coast Guard to tour U.S. port facilities. Not only is Cuba a U.S.-designated state sponsor of terrorism, but the Cuban regime was also caught by Panamanian authorities smuggling 240 tons of weapons to North Korea in 2013. For this, it was found by a UN panel of experts to have committed the largest violation of international sanctions against North Korea to date. Among the weapons discovered were two Soviet-era MiG-21 fighter aircraft, air defense systems, missiles, and command and control vehicles, which were hidden under over 200,000 bags of sugar. Additionally, the Cuban regime supports Russia in the Ukraine war, adopting Putin's lies and propaganda in exchange for continued postponed repayment of Cuba's estimated $2.3 billion owed to Russia until 2027. 

"Cooperating on "port security" with this anti-American, malign dictatorship, which has demonstrated support for terrorist groups such as the ELN and the FARC, as well as adversaries such as Communist China, Russia, Maduro, and Iran, would be laughable if it weren't so extraordinarily reckless and dangerous."

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