Cuba detained a US government contractor who was distributing electronic equipment like cell phones and computers on the island, The New York Times reported Saturday.
The Times quoted unnamed officials as saying the contractor was detained on December 5 and that the US Interests Section in Havana had not yet obtained access to him, DPA reported.
The Cuban government has apparently not publicized the detention. But Human Rights Watch said that he had entered Cuba on a tourist visa, which could have raised red flags.
In recent months, Cuba has lifted restrictions on cellphone and computer ownership.
Jose Miguel Vivanco, director of Human Rights Watch's Americas division, told the Times that the detention showed how little has changed since President Raul Castro succeeded his older brother Fidel in 2006.
"Under Cuba's draconian laws, even the act of handing out cellphones to government critics can be considered a crime," he was quoted as saying.
The detainee was employed by Development Alternatives Inc, which has contracts with the US government worldwide.