Summary

TAPE: EF01/0626 IN_TIME: 03:15:55 - 07:36:18 DURATION: 1:41 SOURCES: APTN RESTRICTIONS: DATELINE: Miami, 31 Aug 2001 SHOTLIST: 1. Wide press conference and charts of suspects 2. Various of charts 3. Wide of exterior of Southern Command headquarters 4. SOUNDBITE: (English) Guy A. Lewis, US Attorney: "And on the most disturbing parts of this case is their attempts to penetrate our SouthCom, our Southern Command, our military headquarters." 5. Wide of exterior of Southern Command headquarters 6. Side shot of press conference 7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Hector Pesquera, FBI Special Agent in Charge: "This individual spied for the government of Cuba. They gathered information about United States government functions and installations and informed on anti-Castro political groups." 8. Close up charts of suspects 9. Close up of indictments 10. SOUNDBITE: (English) Guy A. Lewis, US Attorney: "This is a disturbing case to know that we and this institution are being spied upon or being reported upon and the information being transmitted back to the Director of Intelligence in Cuba and we are not going to stand for it." 11. Chart of suspects 12. Close up of indictments 13. Wide of Southern Command military headquarters STORYLINE: The FBI arrested two more suspected members of a Cuban spy ring on Friday, saying they attempted to infiltrate a South Florida military headquarters and conduct surveillance on a powerful Cuban exile group. George Gari, 40, and his wife, Marisol Gari, 42, were arrested in Orlando, where they moved last year after the FBI investigation began. George Gari was born in Brooklyn, New York, but moved with his family to Cuba as a child, while his wife was born in Cuba. The pair allegedly received several years of training in weapons, explosives, encryption and surveillance before moving to the Miami area about 10 years ago. They are accused of spying between 1991 and 1998. They have two young children. The FBI claims the couple would travel to New York, where they'd pass information to Cuban spy leaders. The pair were allegedly part of a Cuban spy ring called "La Red Avispa," Spanish for The Wasp Network. Ten people have been convicted on espionage charges in connection with the group. Federal officials accused Marisol Gari of using her job at the U.S. Postal Service's Miami International Airport distribution center to gain access to mail sent by and intended for Cuban Americans. Officials alleged the couple also conducted surveillance on the Cuban American National Foundation, a politically influential Cuban exile organisation. Those efforts included a survey of security measures at the group's headquarters. A spokeswoman for the group said the arrests are further vindication for the Cuban exile community, which she said had been considered paranoid when it earlier said the Castro government had spies in South Florida. It's also alleged that the Garis tried unsuccessfully to infiltrate the U.S. Southern Command, which oversees American military operations in the Caribbean and Latin America. The FBI claims George Gari had been told to apply for work there, but would not give further details of that attempt. The Garis were being held without bail in Orlando on Friday, pending their transfer to Miami for a court hearing. It could not be immediately determined if they have been assigned attorneys. Officials said the Garis were not directly involved in gathering information leading to the 1996 downing of to civilian planes by Cuban fighter jets. Four members of the exile group Brothers to the Rescue died in the attack. The Garis allegedly focused on trying to compromise Roberto Martin Perez, a prominent former Cuban political prisoner, the couple looking into the security on Perez' home and business. George Gari also worked for Lockheed Martin as an equipment tester, but officials said there were no signs Gari breeched security at the military aircraft contractor. The Garis were charged with conspiracy to act as agents of a foreign government without proper identification or notice to the Attorney General.