HAVANA -- Cuba Monday released four American sailors detained overnight after accidentally drifting into Cuban waters where a patrol fired a warning shot at them.
State Department spokesman David Nall said the four sailors were released at 3 p.m. EST into the custody of Wayne Smith, head of the U.S. diplomatic interest section in Havana. They will be flown back to the United States on Tuesday, he said.
The four, crewmen of the landing ship USS Raleigh, were picked up late Sunday as Cuba was ending three days of celebrations to mark the 20th anniversary of the abortive CIA-backed Bay of Pigs invasion to overthrow the fledgling communist government of President Fidel Castro.
The celebration reached a climax with Castro blasting U.S. imperialism, hailing Cuba's ties with the Soviet Union and taunting the Reagan administration about El Salvador.
Earlier another State Department spokesman Dean Fisher said that Cuba's foreign ministry contacted the U.S. Interest Section in Havana and said the four sailors, who were uninjured, would be released. Fischer said the men were in two 14-foot recreational boats, which 'inadvertently strayed outside the limits' of the (U.S.) Guantanamo Naval Base, situated on the southeastern tip of the Caribbean island.
The base is still in the hands of the United States and the Castro government refuses to accept a nominal annual rent.
He said the Cuban patrol boat which intercepted the Americans 'apparently fired one shot across their bows. No other shots were fired.' There was no comment on the incident from the official Cuban news agency Prensa Latina.
'This morning, our interest section chief was informed by the Cuban Foreign Ministry that he would be contacted shortly to make arrangements to transfer the Americans into his custody,' said Fischer.
He said the U.S. mission in Havana has been informed that the four sailors are safe and well. Washington broke off diplomatic relations with Cuba in 1961, but in 1977 in an effort to normalize relations, an American interests section or mission was opened in Havana.
The Pentagon identified the four as:
--Hal Carlson, 34, of Chicago, a boiler technical second class.
--Timothy Van Engelenhoven, 19, of Sioux Center, Iowa, a boiler technician fireman apprentice.
--Michael Kurchock, 29, of Pottsville, Pa., a machinist mate fireman.
--Ottie Craycraft, 29, of Miamisburg, Ohio, a fireman apprentice.