The OFAC, an agency within the U. S. Treasury Department charged with investigating and blocking terrorist financing networks, has assigned five times as many agents to investigate those traveling to Cuba than to tracking bin Laden’s financing networks. As of the end of 2003 the OFAC had 21 agents harassing those traveling to Cuba and only 5 agents looking for bin Laden’s money.
Between 1990 and 2003 the OFAC opened 93 enforcement investigations related to terrorism and since 1994 has collected $9,425 in fines for terrorism financing violations.
During the same period the OFAC opened 10,683 enforcement actions against folks who have traveled to Cuba and collected more than $8 million in fines since 1994.
Again, the U. S. policy toward Cuba is driven by the 27 electoral college votes in Florida and the inordinate influence Cuban expatriates exercise over Florida politics.
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