Season: 6 Show: 3
Episode Title: "Florida Straits"
Original Air Date: 10/17/00

CBS Site:
When the captain of a U.S. Navy frigate rescues a young girl in Cuban waters and sets off the beginnings of an international incident, Harm and Bud's investigation leads them to Cuba and a meeting with Castro.

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    The USS Stanley Dace is in the Caribbean Sea off Cuba. They spot a derbies field and start looking through it. The Captain sees a survivor and asks if the Coast Guard is in the area. A seaman says no so the Captain orders that the ship go to her. The XO says that that would put them in Cuban waters. The Captain says he knows. A seaman tells the Captain that they have visitors. The XO looks through his binoculars and sees a Cuban PPG heading towards them. He says he doesn't think they see the survivor. The Captain sends a Morse code message using a spotlight that tells them to stand down. They don’t respond and start tracking them with their radar. The Captain orders the main gun to be pointed at them and sounds general quarters. 
    Rene is looking at a picture of Harm and Sergi in Harms apartment. Rene says its great that he has a younger brother now. Harm says he doesn't think his mom will think it's great. Rene asks when is he going to tell her. Harm says he doesn't think he is. It could only hurt her. Harm says enough about talking about me, lets talk about you. Harm asks if she missed him? She says yes and they start to kiss. Then the phone rings. Harm reluctantly picks up. The Admiral tells him he has an hour to get into his office. Harm says he just got back. The Admiral asks if he slept yet. Harm says no. The Admiral then tells him he has a hour and a half then. 
    Someone knock on Mac apartment door. She opens it to see Brumby wearing a trench coat and sunglasses. She laughs and asks what is he doing. He says the only people she has time to be with are spies, so he thought he'd give it a shot. He comes in and Mac thanks him for watching her dog while she was gone and putting up with her. He says it's ok. Brumby said that he found a great apartment with a good view. He asks what are her plans for tomorrow? Mac says she's going to spend time with her boyfriend. Brumby says that’s good because wants her to come to a party his boss is throwing in honor of him. Mac says she'll be there.
    Harm and Bud land onboard the USS Stanley Duce. They go to the bridge to meet the Captain. The Captain is telling them that as soon as they aimed their guns at the Cubans they turned around. After that they went and picked up the refuge, returned to international waters, and notified the chain of command. He can't believe this made it all the way up to the SecNav. Harm says a Cuban diplomat delivered that message loudly. The Captain tells them that the Cubans light him up, in the book that means to go to general quarters. Harm says we read the same book. Harm asks when did the Cubans come. The Captain says when they were about to rescue the girl. Harm asks if they made an attempt to rescue the girl. He says they don't think they saw her, they were more interested in spanking them for being in their backyard. The Captain asks where do they think he stands. Harm says they're still reviewing but so far it looks like her followed the rules and is safe. The Captain asks how long could the girl stay onboard. Harm says until the INS comes and the decide what to do. The Captain says they're on their way. She'll be back in Cuba in 24 hours. Bud asks how do they know they'll send her back? The Captain says her feet are wet, they never touched US soil. 
    The XO is walking Harm and Bud to the infirmary. He is saying it's like this. You see a cat in your neighbors tree. No one is around to help so you climb the tree to rescue the car, then your neighbor comes out of his house with a shotgun. Bud asks if that’s the way he saw it. The XO says that’s the way it happened. The Captain made us proud. Bud says how so? He says he's seen the Coast Guard pick up people every week, some close to death. When the Captain pick up the girl and pushed back the Cuban ship it made the crew feel real good. He brings them to the infirmary and he leaves them. Harm ask Bud what he is thinking about the Captain right now. Bud says he couldn't tell him. Harm says he respects him, he is staying true to his morals without breaking laws. They walk in and a doctor and translator are there. Harm asks how is she. The doctor says she's fine now, they pumped water out of her stomach but she should be ok now. Harm asks what happened to her. The translator, Montinez, says Renalda and her father were trying to get to relatives in Miami, but their boat sank in total darkness. Her father took off his pants and ties the openings shut. He then inflated them and gave it to her to use as a flotation device. Later he got tired and drifted away. Harm asks where's the mother. She died when she was three. Harm asks Renalda which ship she saw first, the American frigate or the Cuban patrol boat. The translator asks Renalda this and she says she saw the American first. Renalda ask if she will be taken to the US. The camera points to Harm and then the screen cuts to the helicopter coming near the ship. Harm and Bud walk on the bridge. The helicopter pilot says he' carrying the INS representative and asks for permission to land. The Captain says permission denied. Everyone looks at him funny and he tells the XO to send them back. Harm wants to speak to the Captain in private. The Captain and Harm walk outside. The Captain says there is no need for the INS aboard this ship, he will personally take this girl back to The United States where she belongs. Harm says that if he doesn't let the helicopter land that… The Captain jumps in an asks what article of the UCMJ will he be breaking. Harm says dereliction of duty and disobeying an order. The Captain says he's doing this for the girl. Harm asks if he really wants to end his Naval career like this. The Captain says, "On principle, yes." Harm says what if there is another way. Maybe she has family in the US that could qualify her for citizenship.
    Harm is talking to the Admiral. Harm is saying that the Captain acted lawfully when he trained his gun on the Cubans. The Admiral says that the SecNav got a call from the President. He is having Elian Gonzalez nightmares and doesn't want that girl near US soil. Harm asks if he is making that their issue. The Admiral says its his issue and to do what is necessary. The Admiral tells him to keep him informed and hangs up. Bud asks why didn't he say anything about the helicopter. Harm says Captain Barowa changed his mind. Harm says he'll watch and wait.
    Brumby and Mac go to the party. Brumby introduces Mac to his boss. He is shocked because when Mic told him about her he was expecting John Wayne in a dress. Mac makes a fake laugh. Brumby's boss pulls him a way for a second and she knows that Brumby and his boss are talking about her. She looks around and sees a lot of men looking at her and she is embarrassed.
    Harm, Bud and the INS woman are walking. She says without her touching the US or having some serious illness she cannot come back to the US. Harm says if she did touch US soil, she says she could have applied for citizenship. Bud says how come it didn't work for Elian Gonzalez. The woman says he was six and according to law was not old enough to make decisions for himself. Renalda is old enough. They walk into the infirmary to find Renalda moaning and holding her stomach with the doctor and the captain around her.
    Brumby and Mac are leaving the party. Brumby says that went well. Mac asks if he was talking about her to his boss. Brumby says yes, he likes you. Mac says so did every man there did. Mac asks says he was gloating. Brumby says he is proud of her. Mac says she did this as a favor. Brumby says she came here as a favor, he came because he had to. Mac yells that he knew how uncomfortable she was. Brumby says, "Wait, this day was supposed to be about me. Four hour when you didn't have to excuse herself or talk to your colleges." Brumby yells that all he is here for is to take care of her dog and amuse her ego. Mac says that not true. Brumby says he works for that man now, this is a bloody good opportunity and he won't jeopardize it for her.
    Harm, Bud, the Captain, and INS woman are waiting when the doctor comes. He says she is feeling better but still has pains in her stomach. The Captain asks what does he think it is. He says he doesn't know, he can't find anything wrong. The Captain asks what if it is organ damage. The doctor says that would require better testing equipment back in the US. The Captain tells the INS woman that sometime they permit refuges to the INS hospital. She says only under severe cases. The Captain says this girl has abdominal pains and no way to diagnose it. Harm asks when did these pains start. The doctor says she was in the stock room when it happened. The Captain was with her. The doctor leaves and the Captain says he went to see how Renalda was. She was very talkative, then she grabbed her stomach and fell to the floor. Harm asks if she goes to the hospital would she be considered feet dry. The INS woman says yes. The Captain says it's her call. She says ok.
    The Captain is outside the bridge. Harm says he has a question about the girl. The Captain asks if Harm has a family. He says no and the Captain says there a lot alike, neither does he. If he had started a family Renalda could have been his daughter… he did not suggest she fake a illness to get to America. He says he breaks rules cleanly, if he did he would have saw it. He doesn't cheat. Harm begins to talk when the Captain says that the doctor called. Renalda has a temperature of 102 and it's rising.
    The SecNav is in the Admirals office and they are talking to Harm on the phone. Harm says that the girl is sick. Then an alarm sounds. The Admiral asks if that is the general quarters alarm. Harm says yes and says they have to go and hangs up. Harm and Bud rush to the bridge. The XO says the Cuban boat is back. The Captain orders ahead full speed. The Cubans signal. The XO reads that Orlando Mantia is alive in Cuba. Bud asks who is that. The Captain says that would be the girl's father. He then orders all engines stop.

OkOk I ran out of time again so I'll sum up the rest of the episode quickly. 

    The captain says that it is fake and that her father really is dead. He decides to send a representative to Cuba to see if it really is he father. The INS woman and Harm are taken to the house that Renaldas father is and when they open the door their mouths drop.
    The Admiral is watching ZNN back in his office and he sees Harm and the INS woman talking to Fidel Castro. He turns white and then Sidney Walden, his girlfriend, and her son Danny come in. The Admiral turns off the television and him and Danny make some jokes.
    Harm and the INS agent meets with Orlando. He is in a bed and is bruised. There is a translator there. Harm asks what happened that night and the translator asks him and he answers back in Spanish that he and his daughter were escaping and the ship sank so he made is pants into a life raft. Harm knows that only Renalda knew that so he knows its really her father. Harm ask the translator to ask him if he still wants to go to the United States. She tells him but. Harm says that he doesn't speak much Spanish but he does know the words United States in Spanish and she didn't say it. He tells her to tell him. She asks him correctly this time and he says yes. He says he wants his daughter back. 
    They go back on the ship and the Captain doesn't want to give her back. The Admiral and SecNav call the Captain and since he won't give her back the SecNav was going to relieve him of duty but he disconnects him before he can. He then relieves the XO of command. When he is being taken away he asks why the Captain did this. Harm says to protect you, it was the SecNavs intent to relieve him of command, but since he was disconnected you were supposed to do it, but if your confined to your quarters you can't.
    The ship comes to dock in Miami. The Captain of the ship is about to walk off the ship with Renalda onto land when another INS agent comes. He says that he can't allow this girl to become feet dry. The INS woman tells him to back off. Then the Captain continues to walk off the ship with Renalda. The INS woman says Renalda will finally be free. Harm sees MP's coming and says the Captain won't be free anymore. Renalda then steps on US soil.