Cuba travel targeted

The Bush Administration is cracking down on nine tour operators and one courier that foster illegal US travel and trade with Cuba, said USA Today. The “move is popular with Cuban-Americans in the key electoral state of Florida,” the newspaper said. The 10 firms are owned by the Cuban government or by Cuban citizens. Treasury secretary John Snow said the government would seize the firm’s US bank accounts and stop wire transfers to them. He said the government would also go after US travel agents and tourists doing business with them. The US administration has cut off educational visits started under the Clinton administration. The government has also increased inspections of chartered flights and imposed civil and criminal penalties on American violating the law, including those who have traveled to Cuba via a third country.–David Wilkening-