Soon after the seizure by the Colombian National Police, Castro sent Cuban police to Colombia to tell a rather-convoluted story for which no supporting evidence has been offered. Castro's police proclaimed this shipment ultimately was headed for Spain, because two Spaniards operated the company in Cuba to which it was consigned.

But, interestingly, the Cuban government's Ministry of Light Industry owns a majority interest in the company.

In a January speech, Castro publicly accused the two Spaniards of being responsible for the cocaine-smuggling operation and again asserted that the cocaine was bound for Spain.

After his speech, Spanish police arrested and detained the two Spaniards, who had returned to Spain after the Cuban investigation began. When Cuba failed to provide the Spanish police with any evidence to support Castro's accusations, the men were released.

At a news conference proclaiming their innocence, the two said, ``In Cuba the government controls everything. The Castro government has all the information on the houses, the families who live there and the telephones. Consequently, the president of Cuba is lying. . . . This is outrageous. Everything is rooted in an unprecedented speech in which a head of state makes baseless charges.''

Spanish authorities confirm that they still have not received any evidence from Cuba to substantiate Castro's claims.

Ironically, a Cuban police investigation contradicts Castro's spin. Police documents claim that the company's factory and shipping containers found on site were searched: ``All tests of raw materials and finished products at the factory proved negative. . . . An examination of the structures of the containers had similar results.'' A second search of the factory and containers by drug-sniffing dogs also came up negative.

This suggests cocaine was not handled at the factory -- the one place where the Spaniards might have had opportunity and access.

It is far-more likely that Castro is using the two Spaniards as scapegoats. After all, what could he say once it was determined that Cuba was the immediate destination of 7.2 tons of Colombian cocaine? It is foolish to believe that two businessmen could dupe Castro's totalitarian government, given all of its social controls.

Amazingly, the U. S. State Department, which is supportive of normalizing relations with Cuba, has accepted the Castro version of events. In a letter to Congress, the State Department claimed to have ``evidence'' that the cocaine was going to Spain. The ``evidence'' ended up being these uncorroborated claims by the Castro government.

The State Department may have forgotten, but federal prosecutors in Miami reportedly have held a draft indictment for drug trafficking against Castro's brother, Raul Castro, since 1993.

White House Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey claims that Castro lacks the resources to respond to increased drug trafficking in Cuba's territorial waters and air space. However, in 1996, Castro ordered his MiGs to shoot down two unarmed civilian aircraft in international air space, and in 1994, ordered his Navy to sink the March 13th tugboat in international waters. Clearly, if Castro wants to respond to drug traffickers, he can.

While the ultimate destination of the December drug shipment remains under investigation, it is becoming increasingly likely that the cocaine was bound for the United States, possibly via Mexico. More than 60 percent of hard drugs entering the United States come through Mexico, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Unless credible evidence turns up that this shipment was headed elsewhere, common sense dictates that it was bound for the United States. Therefore, Cuba must be placed on the State Department's ``major's list'' of nations through which substantial amounts of illicit narcotics pass en route to the United States. We have again asked Secretary of State Madeleine Albright to do just that. We will see if the State Department continues to choose to believe the Castro regime's assertions or the facts.