DATE=3/6/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=MIAMI / CUBA SPY (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-259890
BYLINE=MICHAEL BOWMAN
DATELINE=MIAMI
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:

INTRO:  A high-ranking U-S immigration official has 
pleaded innocent to charges he passed secret 
information to Cuba.  From Miami, V-O-A's Michael 
Bowman has details.

TEXT:  During a brief arraignment hearing in federal 
court Monday, U-S Immigration and Naturalization 
Service supervisor Mariano Faget denied five charges 
of espionage and making false statements to U-S 
officials.  An attorney for the Cuban-born suspect, 
who worked for the I-N-S for more than 30 years, says 
a vigorous defense will be mounted against the 
charges.

Last month, the F-B-I arrested Mr. Faget after 
completing a "sting" operation in which the suspect 
was asked to prepare political asylum papers for a 
senior Cuban official who was -- supposedly -- about 
to defect.  The F-B-I says Mr. Faget promptly called a 
New York businessman known to have ties with Cuba, and 
revealed the name of the supposed defector.

In addition, the F-B-I says the suspect maintained 
contact with several diplomats in the Cuban Interests 
Section in Washington, one of whom was expelled from 
the United States in the wake of Mr. Faget's arrest.

For his part, Mariano Faget says he never passed any 
sensitive information to anyone.  He admits contacting 
the New York businessman, but insists he had no 
intention to betray the supposed Cuban defector.  He 
also admits meeting with expelled Cuban diplomat Jose 
Imperatori in 1998, but says he was never asked, nor 
did he volunteer, any U-S secrets.

The case is but one of several issues of late that 
have further strained already-icy relations between 
Washington and Havana.  The Cuban government has 
accused the Clinton administration of artificially 
creating the spy scandal, as a pretext to delay the 
return to the island of six-year-old shipwreck 
survivor Elian Gonzalez.

The United States has denied the charge, noting that, 
in his I-N-S duties, Mariano Faget did not handle any 
portion of the Elian Gonzalez matter.   (Signed)

NEB/MCB/WTW



06-Mar-2000 16:27 PM EDT (06-Mar-2000 2127 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.