US air charter companies fight Cuba judgment

Posted on Tuesday, 03.16.10
US air charter companies fight Cuba judgment
By LAURA WIDES-MUNOZ
AP Hispanic Affairs Writer

MIAMI -- Eight charter companies that provide air travel between the
U.S. and Cuba want to block an order requiring them to help pay a $27
million award won by a woman who said she was tricked into marrying a
Cuban spy.

Ana Margarita Martinez says Cuban "defector" Juan Pablo Roque romanced
and married her at the behest of the Cuban government in an effort to
infiltrate Miami's Cuban exile community and then fled to the island.
She won a judgment against Cuba in 2001. In 2007 a state court ruled the
charter companies should pay her fees owed to tour companies on the
island. She argued that Cuba indirectly owns the tour companies.

The charter companies' attorney asked a federal judge Tuesday to halt
the order of payments to Martinez. There was no immediate ruling.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/03/16/1532312/us-air-charter-companies-fight.html