Soviet flotillas have plied Gulf coast, paper says

Soviet Navy flotillas accompanied by guided-missile craft and attach submarines have entered the Gulf of Mexico 10 times since 1969, coming within 30 miles of US shore, the Corpus Christi Caller-Times reported.

Soviet maneuvers, some lasting as long as three weeks, were in conjunction with deployments in the Caribbean, the newspaper said. US officials used a variety of means, including satellites, to monitor movements of the Soviet vessels.

"These deployments are apparently for the purpose of showing the flag, but have also resulted in join exercises with Cuban military forces," a Navy statement requested by the newspaper said.