On May 17, in Havana U.S. and Cuba representatives held their Second Law Enforcement Dialogue. The U.S. delegation was led by John S. Creamer, Department of State, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs; Bruce Schwartz, Department of Justice, Deputy Assistant Attorney General; and Alan Bersin, Department of Homeland Security, Assistant Secretary for International Affairs and Chief Diplomatic Officer. Cuba’s delegation, by its Ministers of Interior, Justice and Foreign Affairs as well as its Attorney General and Customs General.[1]
The Department of State said that “law enforcement is an area of mutual interest to both the U.S. and Cuba as we advance toward normalized relations. We anticipate that the dialogue will be productive, and an additional opportunity to reinforce the benefits of law enforcement cooperation. During the dialogue, the United States and Cuba will continue to discuss a wide range of areas of cooperation, including counterterrorism, counternarcotics, transnational crime, cybercrime, secure travel and trade, and fugitives.”
The framework for the dialogue was the Memorandum of Understanding between Homeland Security and the Ministry of Interior of Cuba, signed in May 2016. This MOU sets the basis of cooperation in exchanging risk information for travelers, cargo or conveyances in international transit; the continuation of periodic, mutual, and reciprocal assessments regarding air, sea, and port security; and the coordination of transportation security, screening of cargo, travelers and baggage, and the design of secure, efficient inspection facilities at ports and airports, among other things.[2]
The day before the Dialogue (May 16), the Department of Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas met with the U.S. and Cuban delegations in advance of the dialogue and to conduct bilateral meetings with his counterparts.
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[1] Mayorkas returns to Cuba to activate dialog implementation of the Law, Marti (May 17, 2016); Department of Homeland Security, Statement by Press Secretary Marsha Catron on Deputy Secretary Mayorkas’ Upcoming Trip To Cuba (May 13, 2016).
[2] Written testimony of PLCY Assistant Secretary for Border, Immigration, and Trade Policy Seth Stodder, et al., for a House Committee on Homeland Security, Subcommittee on Transportation Security hearing titled “Flying Blind: What are the security risks of resuming U.S. Commercial Air Service to Cuba? (May 17, 2016). I have not yet been able to find a copy of the actual MOU.
Comment: Some U.S. Fugitives in Cuba Not Worried About Extradition
According to the Associated Press, two American fugitives in Cuba say they have been assured by the Cuban government that they will not be extradited to the U.S.[1]
One is Charles Hill who is wanted in the 1971 killing of a New Mexico state policeman Another, Nehanda Aviodunm, is wanted in a 1981 armored car robbery that left two police officers and a security guard dead.
The subject of fugitives apparently came up in this May’s second round of law-enforcement talks, not the June 8 discussions about counterterrorism. See U.S. and Cuba Discuss Counterterrorism Cooperation (June 10, 2016), https://dwkcommentaries.com/2016/06/10/u-s-and-cuba-discuss-counterterrorism-cooperation.
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[1] Assoc. Press, US Fugitives Say Cuba Has Reassured Them They Are Safe, N.Y. Times (June 10, 2016) , http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2016/06/10/world/americas/ap-cb-cuba-us-fugitives.html.