Five Cuban government officials are given a tour of the TSA's security systems at Miami International Airport and local officials are outraged.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava says it happened, May 20, without the County's knowledge.
"I was shocked and dismayed when I learned of this," she said. "We knew nothing about this."
MIA director and CEO Ralph Cutie says it was particularly frustrating that it happened on Cuban Independence Day.
"As a Cuban-American and a native Miamian, I'm appalled that this took place," he said. "Obviously the mayor was not aware of this, I was not aware of this, the airport administration was not aware of this."
Levine-Cava says she has already contacted the State Department and Homeland Security for an explanation, an apology, and assurances it won't happen again.
The Transportation Security Administration responded to the criticism in a statement Tuesday.
"[The TSA] routinely works with all countries with direct flights to the United States. TSA hosts government officials and members of the aviation community at U.S. airports to foster a strong global aviation security posture. U.S. and Cuban authorities jointly manage the airspace between Cuba and the United States and ensure the safety and security of travelers using our airports. The Republic of Cuba has six last point of departure airports with direct flights to the United States, and accordingly TSA continually works to strengthen the security framework with Cuba and other Caribbean nations."
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