Florida Sen. Marco Rubio spotlighted the most recent episode of CNN’s “Declassified” documentary series after Sunday’s episode focused on a convicted spy who gave information to Cuba, saying the report is a reminder the agent “belongs in a U.S. prison”
“CNN’s Cuban spy documentary a reminder that Ana Belen Montes belongs in a U.S. prison,” Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, said in the statement on Monday.
Sunday’s episode focused on former Pentagon analyst Ana Montes, who was charged with espionage in 2001 following a lengthy investigation that revealed Montes was handing over U.S. military secrets to Havana.
Rubio’s comments are part of his continuing criticism of the Obama administration’s move to normalize relations between the U.S. and Cuba, which has involved discussions of potential prisoner exchanges.
Rubio said that “after watching last night’s CNN documentary on Ana Belen Montes, I hope those who are contemplating making the mistake of releasing her, including anyone in the White House, realize how absurd an idea it is because of how her espionage against the U.S. endangered American lives, and that they drop this idea altogether.”
As part of the effort to normalize relations between Cuba and the U.S., Obama administration officials have reportedly discussed a potential prisoner exchange involving Montes with Cuban counterparts, according to NBC news. Montes is currently serving a 25-year sentence in the Federal Medical Center Carswell, in Fort Worth, Texas.