Defectors' fate unclear; US returns patrol boat

www.boston.com WASHINGTON - The United States yesterday returned a Cuban patrol boat used by four members of the island's coast guard to defect, the US State Department said. Cuba had demanded the United States send back the boat and the crew, who slipped in to the Florida resort town of Key West Friday, docking at a hotel marina and turning themselves in to police. It was not immediately clear whether the men, who had handguns and rifles when they reached Florida, remained in the United States. Under a provision for migrants, Cubans who make it to US soil are usually allowed to stay and are released into the community within days. The boat's return contrasted with the last such incident, when a state-owned plane used by defectors was kept. State Department spokesman Lou Fintor said several federal agencies, including the State Department, Justice Department, and Coast Guard, coordinated yesterday's return. He had no comment on the status of the crew. (Reuters)