U.S. asks Cuban diplomat to leave the country

February 19, 2000
Web posted at: 4:54 PM EST (2154 GMT)

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. State Department has requested that a Cuban diplomat leave the United States in seven days, based on the diplomat's possible ties to an Immigration and Naturalization Service official suspected of espionage, CNN has learned.

James Foley, State Department spokesman, said that Saturday afternoon, the U.S. coordinator for Cuban affairs called the acting head of the Cuban Interests Section in Washington to the State Department to request that a member of the Cuban Interests Section leave the U.S. in seven days.

Foley said the U.S. took the action after the FBI presented evidence which showed that "actions by the Cuban diplomat were incompatible with his diplomatic status."

A senior administration official said the action is definitely connected to the arrest of Mariano Faget for allegedly passing secret information to the Cuban government.

Foley would not give the diplomat's name or position. He said this person is a "diplomat" who enjoys "diplomatic immunity" and that the U.S. expected the person to leave the country within seven days.

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