Exile Activist Says Cubans in Floating Buick are Sent Back to Cuba, Car Sunk

Miami Herald ^ | 2-04-04 | LUISA YANEZ and TERE FIGUERAS

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Exile Activist Says Cubans in Floating Buick are Sent Back to Cuba, Car Sunk

BY LUISA YANEZ and TERE FIGUERAS lyanez@herald.com/ Feb 4,'04

The '59 Buick converted into a boat and headed to Florida Keys with 11 Cuban migrants onboard has been sunk by the U.S. Coast Guard and those onboard will be taken back to Cuba, according to an exile activist in Key West.

The U.S. Coast Guard Wednesday morning refused to comment on the fate of the car, citing a policy not to comment on an ``ongoing mission.''

But Arturo Cobo, who ran the Cuban rafter house in Key West in the 1990s, said he tried to intervene on behalf of the Cubans and was told by government sources that it was too late.

''My sources tell me that like the truck seven months ago, this car has also been sunk by the Coast Guard and the people onboard will be repatriated back to the island,'' said Cobo.

A Coast Guard source confirmed the situation had ended but would not say what was done with the people or their floating car.

Under U.S. immigration policy, Cubans who make it to U.S. soil are generally allowed to stay, while those who are stopped interdicted at sea are usually sent back.

When another group made a similar attempt in July to cross the Straits in a 1951 Chevy flatbed truck, their floating truck was sunk by the Coast Guard and the people were repatriated.

Relatives said there were six adults and five children in the Buick, including Marciel Basanta López and Luis Gras Rodríguez -- two of the people who fled Cuba in the truck in July -- and their wives and children. They said the group left Cuba around 8 p.m. Monday.

They were in a 1959 tailfinned Buick that appeared to be on some sort of floating platform, its seafoam green nose fitted into a boat hull. The Buick is said to have sailed with 10 miles of Marathon early Wednesday.

Cobo had dubbed the Cubans floating on the vehicle ''carronautas'' or car astronauts. He is planning to open a museum of memorabilia of items Cubans have used to escape from island and hoped the green car used by the group could be a show piece.

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[Ophiucus]

Man oh man oh man. So many comments, so little time.

Life easily is more odd and funny than any sitcom.

[JoJo Gunn]

That crap ain't right, and Bush knows it. If the Mexicans can get a free pass, then daring souls like this certainly can!

[Wumpus Hunter]

Too bad they weren't mexicans, then we'd give them all drivers licenses and amnesty.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Cue the "Lowrider" music...

[Born Conservative]

[Spruce]

Put these dudes on Monster Garage!

[nuconvert]

Too bad they didn't have one of those.

[Joe 6-pack]

Found on board...

[FairOpinion]

This is cruel and inhuman! Those poor guys had the ingenuity and determination to try this twice, just to be sent back to Cuba!

[nuconvert]

Great pic ! LOL!

[BobS]

Remember who did that song "Slow Ride"?

[beckysueb]

I totally agree!!!

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Foghat?

[Dan from Michigan]

Not right.

[BobS]

That's it! I think I have the MP3 too...

[BobS]

AHHH YES! I have Foghat's 'Slowride' in MP3 enhanced with Sound Forge and Waves Maxx Bass...

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Yeah. Why doesn't some business down there offer these people jobs and sponsorship? Be free advertising, too.

[BobS]

And Steinberg Loudness Max!