MIAMI – Several U.S. citizens were subjected to additional questioning and inspections at Miami International Airport after returning from Cuba, where they had participated in events marking the centenary of the birth of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro.
According to information surrounding the incident, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers temporarily seized cell phones and other electronic devices from some of the travelers for examination.
Authorities were reportedly seeking to determine whether the travelers had engaged in prohibited financial transactions or otherwise violated U.S. sanctions and travel restrictions involving Cuba.
The passengers were ultimately allowed to enter the United States. However, they could still face legal consequences if authorities determine that prohibited transactions or other violations occurred during their visit.
Travel to Cuba by U.S. citizens is not completely prohibited. However, tourist travel remains barred under U.S. sanctions, and Cuba-related travel generally must fall within one of the categories authorized by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.
The exact number and identities of the travelers questioned have not been disclosed. It also remains unclear whether all electronic devices taken for inspection were subsequently returned.
The travelers had been in Cuba in connection with activities surrounding the 100th anniversary of Castro’s birth. Castro, who led Cuba for decades following the 1959 revolution, was born on August 13, 1926, and died in 2016.
The airport scrutiny comes amid continued tensions between Washington and Havana and heightened U.S. enforcement of restrictions governing travel and financial dealings involving Cuba.
No charges against the travelers have been announced, and being subjected to additional inspection does not in itself establish that any U.S. law or sanction was violated.