Nagra Plunkett, Staff ReporterWESTERN BUREAU-
TEN CUBAN nationals, who were reportedly fleeing their country to Puerto Rico, were taken into the police custody after their boat drifted onto the beach of the Wyndham Rose Hall Hotel in Montego Bay on Friday night.
The Constabulary Communi-cation Network (CCN) said they were denied landing by the Jamaican Immigration officials. The nine men and a woman, found with identification cards, have addresses in Havana, Cuba.
The men are at the Barrett Town Police Station lock-up while the 33-year-old woman, Loves Fuentes, was taken to the Montego Bay Police Station, Freeport. The other Cubans are identified as:
Thirty-six year-old Alex Romero; George Luis Nanez Arias, 32; Miguel Nunez, 21; Phillip Chavas, 34; Benjamin Castatillas, 37; Antonio Morgonez, 30; Orman Laorria, 26; Yuniel Seweira Vasques, 23 and Arel Parez, 40.
Reports are that all 10 were seen on the beach at about 11:15 p.m. by the hotel's security supervisor, who later alerted the police.
The Sunday Gleaner understands that yesterday, a doctor from the Cornwall Regional Hospital examined them at their holding areas.
Instructions were also issued for the Montego Bay police to have the boat towed from the beach to the Montego Bay Fire Station on Barnett Street, where it will be searched.
Up to press time, there was no information as to the fate of the Cubans, and whether they will be given political asylum or returned to their homeland.
