Cuba Si

Fire guts Miami offices of Cuba travel firm

Uncategorized

Reuters By David Adams | Reuters – Fri, Apr 27, 2012

Sabotage in Miami

MIAMI (Reuters) – State and local officials were investigating a suspicious fire on Friday that gutted the Miami offices of a travel agency specializing in flights to Cuba.

Fire rescue officials responded to a fire at Airline Brokers before dawn. The ground floor suite of offices was destroyed and an acrid smell hung in the air as police cordoned off the street outside. Investigators searched through the ashes assisted by dogs that are trained to detect accelerant.

“There is an investigation currently underway,” said Deborah Cox, a spokeswoman for the state Fire Marshals Office. She said no details were being released because the probe was ongoing.

The FBI is also working with local police “to determine how the investigation will proceed,” said the FBI’s Miami spokesman, Michael Leverock.

Airline Brokers owner Vivian Mannerud said she suspected arson by Cuban exile militants upset over her role in organizing a special charter flight for 340 Cuban-American pilgrims who went to Cuba last month for the visit by Pope Benedict XVI.

“I’m afraid it was intentional, because of the indignation over the pope’s visit,” Mannerud said. “But we can’t conclude anything until we see the results of the investigation. Maybe it was electrical.”

Mannerud said she had not received any recent threats to her business, but she said she was targeted in the early 1990s by Cuban exile extremists.

“If it was intentional, that would be a big blemish on the city. I thought we had moved past the era of terrorist acts,” she added, referring to attacks on Cuban exile moderates in previous decades.

For decades after Cuba’s 1959 revolution, Miami was the scene of politically motivated arson attacks and car-bombings targeting perceived Cuba government sympathizers and people doing business with the island.

The fire destroyed the contents of the office, Mannerud said, raising the suspicion that an accelerant might have been involved. “It looks like an atomic bomb exploded. It’s pulverized and the furniture is ashes. There’s not even a leg of a desk,” she said.

None of the company’s 18 employees were in the office when the fire started.

Airline Brokers is one of a number of charter companies that fly to Cuba from airports in Miami, as well as a growing number of other U.S. cities, including Tampa, New York and Los Angeles, under special Treasury Department licenses.

Mannerud said her company has seven flights a week from Miami and Fort Lauderdale. Despite losing all the office computers, she said she planned to continue taking bookings, adding that the company’s Cuba flight schedule would not be affected.

(Editing By Tom Brown and Stacey Joyce)

Related Posts

56 thoughts on “Fire guts Miami offices of Cuba travel firm”

  5. Very great post. I simply stumbled upon your blog and wanted to mention that I’ve really enjoyedsurfing around your blog posts. After all I will be subscribing to your feed and I’m hoping you write once morevery soon!

  24. Good blog! I really love how it is easy on my eyesand the data are well written. I’m wondering how I could be notified whenevera new post has been made. I’ve subscribed to your feed which must do the trick!Have a nice day!

  27. Very interesting information!Perfect just what I was searching for! “I live in company with a body, a silent companion, exacting and eternal.” by Eugene Delacroix.

  28. This was an excellent article. I loved it. I’ll return to read more. Thanks !

  29. 1 win

    1win started its work in 2016. After the rebranding, it changed its high regard to 1win and began to expeditiously earn popularity thanks to a convenient plastic version, strengthen in return a dozen languages and a inappropriate reward program.

    1win

  35. Your style is so unique in comparison to other people I’ve read stuff from. Thank you for posting when you have the opportunity, Guess I will just book mark this site.

  43. 1win
    1win
    1win
    1win
    1win
    1win
    1win
    1win
    1win
    1win
    1win
    1win
    1win
    1win
    1win

    We are glad to welcome you to the 1around ceremonious website! Here you can wager on a choice of sports and esports events. Also, you contain access to a massive catalog of games and slots for every bit: from archetypal options to ultra-modern offers. The greatest games and unique experiences await you at 1come in!

    1win
    1win
    1win
    1win
    1win
    1win
    1win
    1win
    1win
    1win
    1win
    1win
    1win
    1win
    1win

  46. What’s Going down i’m new to this, I stumbled upon this I have found It positively helpful and it has aided me out loads. I hope to give a contribution & aid other customers like its aided me. Great job.

  51. Can I simply say what a comfort to discover a person that genuinely understands what they’re discussing on the internet. You actually understand how to bring an issue to light and make it important. More people must check this out and understand this side of the story. I can’t believe you aren’t more popular because you surely have the gift.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.