GENE RANDALL, CNN ANCHOR: And with us on the phone from Miami is "Miami Herald" reporter Elaine De Valle, who's been following this INS espionage case. Elaine, what is it that makes this story so big, is it the timing?</s>ELAINE DE VALLE, "MIAMI HERALD": I think that more than the timing it is the position that Mr. Faget had at INS. He had security clearance --secret security clearance, and you know, he was involved in practically every Cuban immigration issue, from the granting of residency under Cuban Adjustment Act to evaluating political asylum claims to assisting in chaotic situations like the Maria (ph) boat lift on the Guantanamo (ph) refugee of just a few years ago.</s>RANDALL: So what are the most serious ramifications from that?</s>DE VALLE: Well, they are still looking at the fallout, but he was involved in nearly, as I said, every Cuban issue and, you know, they are just not worried -- authorities are not just concerned about the secret information Faget could have delivered to the Cuban government about political asylum seekers, but also about Cuban agents he could have helped plant in south Florida from Cuba, and about information that he might have given the Cubans about Cuban agents who have turned to become U.S. agents as well.</s>RANDALL: So if Cuban intelligence wanted an agent planted in this country, he was in a position to help that happen?</s>DE VALLE: Absolutely. If he had wanted to plant somebody he could have fixed all the papers and the person would have gotten through without any problems.</s>RANDALL: Elaine, how long do you think it will take to determine the damage done if in fact these allegations -- and they're still allegations -- are proven true?</s>DE VALLE: Privately, FBI and INS officials have said it will take weeks if not months to do the counterintelligence art of trying to figure out how much information he may have compromised.</s>RANDALL: Elaine, thank you very much, thanks for being with us.
Cuban INS Official Facing Espionage Charges Involved in Nearly Every Cuban Immigration Issue