Biden Administration Defends Controversial Visit of Cuban Officials to Miami Airport

The administration of President Joe Biden defended on Tuesday the controversial visit of Cuban officials to Miami International Airport (MIA), stating that it was a professional exchange aimed at promoting civil aviation security in both countries. A State Department official told Martí Noticias that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) closely collaborates with their Cuban counterparts in this specific area.

“This involves TSA inspecting Cuban airports to certify their capability to host flights to the United States and occasional reciprocal visits from the Cuban Ministry of Transportation to U.S. airports to discuss best practices,” the official stated via email. Additionally, the TSA, in cooperation with the State Department, coordinates these visits in accordance with applicable authorities and procedures.

However, officials from Miami-Dade County, which shares the management of MIA with federal authorities, expressed concerns about a situation they were not informed about. In an interview with journalist and influencer Enrique Santos, host of 97.7 Latino, Miami-Dade County’s chief of public safety and sheriff candidate James Reyes voiced his discontent over the visit of Cuban regime officials, which county authorities were unaware of.

“I can tell you that, as the son of a political prisoner, I am deeply outraged and surprised that someone thought this was a good idea, especially on Cuba’s Independence Day,” Reyes said in the interview with Santos. The county official emphasized that “no one in the County knew about this visit” and explained that there are areas of MIA that are not under their jurisdiction but are managed by federal authorities such as the TSA.

“Clearly, the decision came from Washington, from the State Department,” asserted Reyes, considering the visit of Cuban regime officials on such a significant date to be an “insult to our exile community.” The State Department official confirmed to Martí Noticias that the TSA has conducted frequent evaluations of Cuban airports since 2003, and Cuba began sending reciprocal visits to the United States in 2011, continuing through the administration of President Donald Trump until today.

The official added that “aviation security is clearly a national interest” and “given Cuba’s proximity and the existence of direct flights between both countries, U.S. and Cuban authorities must collaborate to ensure traveler safety in airports.”

A TSA spokesperson assured the news outlet that “Cuban officials did not have access to sensitive technology or systems.” They received an overview of TSA security operations, including equipment visible to anyone inspected at the checkpoint, demonstrating best practices in civil aviation security for Cuba to consider implementing similar measures.

The agency routinely works with all countries with direct flights to the United States and hosts government officials and aviation community members at U.S. airports to foster a robust global aviation security posture.

Reactions Among Cuban-American Legislators and Activists

The visit, which occurred just days after the Biden administration removed Cuba from a list of countries not fully cooperating with counterterrorism efforts (though it remains on the state sponsors of terrorism list), did not sit well with Cuban-American politicians and activists.

“As I warned, removing Cuba from the list of countries that 'do not fully cooperate' against terrorism would have consequences. And here we see the first one. Allowing Cuban officials to tour highly sensitive areas at Miami Airport shows the dangerous path the Biden Administration is taking,” stated Cuban-American Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar on X.

For the Florida Republican representative, the current administration “won’t stop until they remove the Cuban regime from the other list, the state sponsors of terrorism list.” She added that she would continue to push her FORCE Act in Congress, which would allow any President to remove Cuba from the terrorism list only when there is democracy on the island.

Republican Congressman Carlos Giménez also expressed his discontent on X, calling the decision “pathetic and dangerous.”

Republican Mario Díaz-Balart stated that the incident was “absolutely reckless and dangerous,” putting U.S. national security at risk. “We need immediate answers about the authorization of this visit,” he asserted.

“Only under the Biden administration would a terrorist regime be allowed into our secure facilities, at one of the busiest airports in the United States,” said Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava expressed her surprise at the news. “Like many in our community, I was surprised to learn that a Cuban delegation was invited to visit TSA facilities at Miami International Airport,” she stated in a press release. She also noted that the Miami-Dade Aviation Department had not been informed.

Exile activist Ramón Saúl Sánchez, president of the Movimiento Democracia, wrote on social media that President Biden had harmed “national security” and offended “the Cuban community on Independence Day.”

Last year, a similar visit organized by the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department to Coast Guard headquarters prompted protests from Cuban-American congress members. At that time, the State Department noted that similar meetings between officials from both countries took place even under President Donald Trump’s administration.