20 Cuban refugees make landfall near Marco

20 Cuban refugees make landfall near Marco
By Daniel Winningham 08/17/2006

Twenty Cuban refugees, crammed into two boats and at sea since Sunday
morning, safely made landfall around 5:45 a.m. near Marco Island on Tuesday.

Law enforcement officials had hoped to prevent the boats from reaching
shore, but their goal of intercepting the refugees before they arrived
on United States soil failed.

"We had two marine units that were in a position that could watch it as
it unfolded," said Collier County Sheriff's Office Lt. David Johnson.

Deputies from the Collier County Sheriff's Office found the Cuban
refugees at 7:15 a.m. on the mainland side of the Judge S.S. Jolley
Bridge, along County Road 951.

Earlier, several motorists alerted officials to a group of unidentified
persons walking along the busy roadway.

Johnson said law enforcement officials did not arrive in time to prevent
the refugees from landing, which would have kept the group from
remaining in the United States under the Wet Foot-Dry Foot policy with Cuba.

According to the Cuban Adjustment Act, which has been in place since
1966, Cuban immigrants who make it to land in the United States usually
are allowed to remain in the country and apply for citizenship.

Johnson credited the quick work of law enforcement officials from
preventing the refugees from "quietly disappearing into the community."

"We would have liked it very much if we could have intercepted this at
sea," he said. "We do not want illegal refugees loose in the community.
We have no idea what their intent is."

Collier County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Stephanie Spell said when
the Cubans were questioned, they spoke of the horrid conditions of
living in Cuba and of having a rough time sailing through the Gulf of
Mexico.

"During their two days at sea, they encountered some very bad weather,"
Spell added.

Through an interpreter, the Spanish-speaking refugees told authorities
they departed from the Cuban province of Pinar del Rio on Sunday.

When interviewed, the refugees said they found it ironic that they left
Cuba on Castro's birthday, Aug. 13. They talked about how bad things are
in Cuba and how they wanted to get to the United States.

The refugees also had cards with phone numbers of people to contact once
they reached Miami.

Pinar del Rio, a region known for its tobacco plantations, is on the
western coast of Cuba, about 105 miles from the Cuban capital of Havana.
It is located approximately 335 miles southwest of Miami, their intended
destination.

Robert Montemayor, a spokesman for the Miami sector of the U.S. Border
Patrol, said the group of refugees consisted of 14 adult males, four
adult females and two juveniles, a 1-year-old boy and a girl whose age
was not reported.

Of the 20 refugees, 10 were taken to local medical facilities for
treatment of dehydration and other non-life threatenting conditions. One
of the adult females was pregnant.

Naples Community Hospital spokeswoman Debbie Curry said six refugees
were brought to the downtown campus while an additional four were
treated at the north campus.

Around 11:30 a.m., close to a dozen refugees - some dressed in hospital
gowns and scrubs - exited the downtown emergency room and got onto the
Collier County Sheriff's Office bus. Escorting deputies declined comment
and quickly ushered the refugees onto the bus.

While waiting for the patients to be released, sheriff's deputies walked
four refugees - who refused medical treatment - into the hospital's
restroom individually.

Wearing a torn blue tank top, olive khaki pants and black wading boots,
Juan Martinez - one of the rescued refugees - was smiling. He said he
has family in Tampa.

Officers seized two boats at the scene. Both vessels were equipped with
twin outboard engines.

One of the boats - a 2004 Angler - has a registration number that is
registered to Osvaldo Piedra, 56, of 8201 NW 8th Street in Miami,
according to public records.

A phone message left at the residence of a Osvaldo Piedra in Miami was
not returned.

Johnson said it is difficult to patrol the 80 miles of Collier County
coastline, but, "in this case we caught everyone of them and also caught
the people we believe were responsible."

Marco Island police Chief Roger Reinke said the department has taken
steps to increase enforcement after the second landing of Cuban refugees
in as many years.

"We have previously discussed the possibility that this type of activity
could increase because of President Castro's health," Reinke said. "We
have heightened awareness."

However, he did not want to get specific about steps being taken.

"Nothing I would want to discuss in the newspaper," he said.

News-Press.reporters Denes Husty III, Joel Moroney and Jeff Lysiak
contributed to this story.

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