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10/13/09 - US State Department - Daily Press Briefing

Philip J. Crowley
Assistant Secretary
Daily Press Briefing
Washington, DC
October 13, 2009


QUESTION: I have one on this fugitive from Cuba, Luis Armando Peña Soltren.
Could you talk about the State Department involvement in his arrival here in
D.C.? But also, did the – was the State Department the one, through the
Interests Section, that let the Cubans know he was going to hand – turn
himself in and – so that they could approve the exit visa? And what was
the – was there any State Department involvement in encouraging him to --

MR. CROWLEY: Well, Mr. Peña Soltren did indicate an interest in coming back
to the United States.

QUESTION: To whom?

MR. CROWLEY: Hmm?

QUESTION: To the Interests Section?o coming back to the uuu. was going to
hand -- turn w the focus is on Iran and what will happ

MR. CROWLEY: I – as to the particulars, I don’t know. Probably is the short
answer. But given that, we – the Interests Section did make arrangements
with the Cuban Government. He is, of course, a U.S. citizen. And then
Diplomatic Security agents accompanied him back to the United States. And
once he cleared immigration, he was turned over to the FBI.

QUESTION: Did he give any reason why he – this was the opportune time for
him to --

MR. CROWLEY: I’m not going to serve as spokesman for him.

(The briefing was concluded at 1:32 p.m.)