Dennis Yates was arrested on November 18th and charged with blackmail and handling stolen goods. The blackmail charge probably stemmed from one of the letters sent to the curators of the museum threatening to destroy the rotors used in the machine unless a ransom was paid. The machine itself was sent to the mailroom of the BBC in London.

Five Cubans are being charged with espionage in Miami. Federal prosecutors say that the five used encryption software, high-frequency radio signals and coded phone messages.

One of the most serious charges is the case against the ringleader, Gerardo Hernandez, who was accused of passing information to assist the Cuban air force in shooting down two planes used by the exile group Brothers to the Rescue in 1996. Four people died in the shootdowns.

Defense attorneys claim that since the spy ring didn't obtain any or pass classified information to Cuba, then they aren't guilty of espionage. They do admit, however, that the five agents acted on orders from Havana.

I don't expect any specific details about the operation to be announced, but it's fairly obvious that the use of encryption software and high-frequency (aka shortwave) radio signals points to the use of numbers stations to receive their instructions.

Last month I reported on the demise of the Engima newsletter. The new incarnation, known as Enigma 2000, is focused around the old Enigma website. However, a new form of the newsletter is available, downloadable from the site at http://reachus.at/enigma. Issue 1 is available now, and if you liked the old Enigma, you'll like the Enigma 2000 newsletter. The same station information is included, along with a few interesting articles.

The newsletter is also available in a disc or paper version on a cost basis for those who don't have internet access. Unfortunately, no address is given in the newsletter on how to obtain a hard copy.

That's all for now... have a happy new year and new millennium.