FBI nabs Cuban spies, prompting call for freeze on talks

On Friday, June 5, 2009, Senator Mel Martinez issued a statement calling on President Barack Obama to halt any further diplomatic outreach to the Cuban regime in the wake of the arrest of an American couple as Castro spies. The indictment of Walter Kendall Myers and his wife Gwendolyn Steingraber Myers on charges of espionage on behalf of the Cuban communist regime comes at a time when the President has been taking unilateral steps to improve relations with the neighboring island.
According to a statement by Assistant Attorney General for National Security David Kris, the activities of Mr. and Mrs. Myers were “incredibly serious.” Apparently, the espionage continued for a period of 30 years, as Mr. Myers used his position in the State Department with top secret clearance to gather information and funnel it to the Cuban government. Mrs. Myers allegedly served as a go-between to pass the secrets to their handler. The arrest comes after a three-year investigation by the FBI. A concerned Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has ordered a comprehensive investigation to assess the extent of the damage.
Sen. Martinez’s statement reads in part:
 

“Today’s arrest of two Americans alleged to have spied for Cuba is reason enough for the Administration to halt any further diplomatic outreach to the regime including postponing the migration talks until the U.S. Congress has a full accounting of the damage these individuals have caused to our national security.”

The Senator went on to point out that the Cuban government continues to be hostile toward our nation. He urged the Administration not to let up on its efforts to uncover any additional clandestine actions by the Castro regime aimed against our country.
Cuban strongman Fidel Castro reacted quickly to the news and questioned the timing of the arrest, but did not deny the Myers’ were Cuban spies, or that he had met them personally in Cuba in 1995. According to the indictment, the accused passed more than 200 classified documents to the Cubans. They entered pleas of not guilty in Federal Court on Friday.
 

(Above right: Sen. Mel Martinez official photo; at left: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Cinton. AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

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