Florida Congressmen Urge UN Action on Cuba-North Korea Ties

U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., the chairwoman of the Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee, led a group of bipartisan congressmen, including Florida Democrat U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, in sending a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry asking him to push the U.N. on the matter of a North Korea ship stopped in Panama this week. The ship was returning from Cuba with missile equipment.

Earlier this morning I spoke with President Ricardo Martinelli and I also met with Ambassador Mario Jaramillo of Panama, Ros-Lehtinen said on Thursday. I expressed my sincere appreciation for the wonderful work the Panamanian law enforcement authorities did to ensure the North Korean-flagged vessel, en route to North Korea from Cuba and laden with military equipment, did not make its way through the Panama Canal. Not only are these illicit activities likely in violation of several United Nations Security Council resolutions, but they demonstrate the need for the United States to be more cognizant of the threats posed by these two rogue regimes to our national security in our own hemisphere. I urge Secretary Kerry to instruct our U.S. Mission to the U.N. to immediately call for U.N. inspectors to go to Panama and investigate this matter, and for the administration to impose stronger U.S. sanctions on all entities involved.