The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) issued an apology to Miami, Florida, officials Thursday (May 23) after it gave a tour to a delegation from Cuba, currently a regional adversary of the United States, of its security arrangements at the Miami International Airport.
The Washington Times reported that the TSA initially defended the tour as a routine courtesy extended to many countries. However, the Cuban community in Miami became one of the first to criticize the move since Cuba is still ruled by a communist dictatorship that almost brought nuclear war to the world in the 1960s.
TSA's Major Bungle
Miami-based Spanish news outlet Diario Las Americas first reported on the incident, saying that the tour included areas with sensitive technology, but the TSA claimed that the Cuban delegation did not have access to what it called "sensitive" technology or systems.
Former Miami Airport CEO Emilio Gonzalez said that the TSA's hosting of Cuban officials was a serious threat to US national security. He added that, because of this alleged access, the Cubans might have been able to have a close-up look at the airport's layout and operations.
According to the TSA, they have already met with local officials and other relevant stakeholders about the matter and admitted that they have overlooked how they handled the visit because they normally work with every country that has direct flights to the US. They have also promised not to allow another similar incident to happen again.
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Security Risk at US Airports
In a separate matter, current and former TSA agents told Business Insider, on the condition of anonymity, that the crew-member lanes at airports were "terrible" and that cabin crews could become a "bigger flight risk" than the passengers.
The report was in response to a reported incident where four flight attendants were accused of smuggling an estimated $8 million in drug money out of the US using such lanes at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport between 2024 and 2023.
Given the incident in Miami, there could be a possibility that entities with malicious intent could also exploit the system and potentially lead to mass chaos or even a terrorist attack.
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