Translation by Brothers to the Rescue of article entitled "Hermanos al Rescate arrecia batalla legal", by Wilfredo Cancio Isla, published in El Nuevo Herald, on January 22, 1999,

Brothers to the Rescue Intensifies Legal Battle

Brothers to the Rescue (BTTR) announced in a press conference on Thursday that it will intensify its legal efforts to ensure that the case of the pilots downed in the Straits of Florida concludes with an accusation and a judicial process against the Cuban government.

"Given the evidence that the federal prosecutors have, there is no reason whatsoever to impede an accusation against those responsible for the crime within the next 10 months", affirmed the lawyer Ralph Fernandez, who recently joined the legal team of that organization.

Recently, Fernandez successfully defended three Cubans accused of air piracy One of them, Adel Regalado, is considered a key witness in the investigation of the downing of the airplanes.

The lawyer and Jose Basulto, president of Brothers to the Rescue, also met on Thursday with federal prosecutor Caroline Heck Miller, of the South District of Florida, in the presence of an agent of the FBI.

According to Fernandez, the meeting was to establish a contact that did not exist to-date.

The lawyer explained that, in one way or another, there should be an accusation against the government of Fidel Castro, or, an explanation to Basulto and the families of the victims if this does not occur.

During the past three years, Basulto has asked the government of the United States detailed information on matters related to the tragic events of February 24, 1996, where four pilots of Brothers to the Rescue died, downed by the Cuban Air Force Washington has refused this information, stating that it is a matter of national security.

"We disagree with this use of the concept of 'national security', and we predict that it can be extended in this case", asserted Fernandez.

The federal Prosecutor refused to talk to El Nuevo Herald on this matter.

Basulto questioned the feasibility of obtaining results with the authorities in charge of the case and with the office of the district attorney in Miami.

"It is difficult to believe that in an issue which seriously compromises the U, S government, it will be possible to get decisions at the level of Ms. Heck Miller", Basulto indicated.