Pubdate: Sat, 26 Jun 1999 Source: Miami Herald (FL) Copyright: 1999 The Miami Herald Contact: One Herald Plaza, Miami FL 33132-1693 Fax: (305) 376-8950 Website: http://www.herald.com/ Forum: http://krwebx.infi.net/webxmulti/cgi-bin/WebX?mherald CUBA REJECTS DRUG 'HOT PURSUIT' CHASES IN ITS WATERS MIAMI (AP) -- Cuba has denied the Coast Guard permission to pursue drug smugglers in its waters, but has promised to consider other proposals to improve counter-narcotics cooperation, The Miami Herald reported today. Coast Guard and State Department drug interdiction experts and their Cuban counterparts met Monday in Havana but were unable to negotiate a deal, the newspaper said, citing an unnamed State Department official. The Cubans rejected a proposal for a "hot pursuit" agreement. U.S. officials, in turn, refused to expand the talks to other U.S. drug enforcement agencies. Both sides are still considering a proposal to base a Coast Guard officer and drug testing equipment in Havana. Also being discussed is a plan to enhance radio and telephone communications between U.S. and Cuban drug fighting units. U.S. officials have maintained their objection to sharing narcotics intelligence or joint drug interdiction training exercises. Officials are interested only in cooperating with Cuba on a case-by-case basis. Smugglers are increasingly taking advantage of the island's weak drug policing to transport drugs through Cuban sea and airspace to south Florida. - --- MAP posted-by: Don Beck