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US assassination plans

By Nadia Diaz, Granma, 16 November 1997

"Oct28 - US Customs and Coast Guard in Puerto Rico fortuitously detained 4 counter-revolutionaries of Cuban origin. They were discovered using a vessel owned by director of Cuban American National Foundation, headed by annexationist Mafioso Jorge Mas Canosa, to transport high-caliber precision weapons to be used against the Cuban President during the 7th Ibero-American Summit on the island of Margarita, Venezuela.

The owner of the boat "The Esperanza", transpired to be Juan Antonio Llama, age 66, a member of the board of directors of CANF and was a member of the so-called Brigade 2506 that was defeated at the Bay of Pigs in 1961.As an 'intelligence person' he did not go ashore

Statements from other CANF directors confirmed that Llama had rep- resented this counter-revolutionary group in Spain, as one of the founders of of the Madrid Hispanic-Cuban Foundation established at the end of 1996 under the auspices of its Florida counterpart.

Information regarding the arrest offered by the Miami, El Nuevo Herald, named the four arrested, three of which were US citizens and one is awaiting US political asylum. According to the dispatch, all 4 were detained near the coast of Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, on board the 46' La Esperanza, with reg'n number FL390EM, property of Nautical Sports Inc, of which Llama is director, president, sec'y, treasurer.

Due to engine trouble it was sighted by US Coastguard and taken to Puerto Rico, where Customs examined unlawful photocopied ownership records then discovered a false bottom, under which two powerful .50 caliber Barret semi-automatic assault rifles and 6 boxes of ammunit- ion were concealed. An ex-US GI informed that this weapon-type is used to target armored cars, focusing on highly specific targets and characterized by its precision.

According to the sworn statement of a special Customs agent, a copy of which was obtained by the Miami Daily, Angel M. Alfonso, the ship's captain, admitted the planned attack on Fidel Castro when special Customs Agent Marco Rocco began to inform him of his consti- tutional rights on his detention. Bail was eventually refused at the request of the Puerto-Rican gov't in order to give the public prose- cution time to present its reasons for withholding bail.

News agencies in San Juan PR noted that the US FBI spokesperson Sara Lema confirmed that the FBI had taken over the investigation of the case together with Customs. (JC. That seems to be the right idea considering that the US considers itself to be the owner of Puerto Rico. Secondly that the Miami Mafia is known to be an arm of the US Administration and thus able to protect US interests against Cuba.)

The boat had already broken down twice during the adventure. It left Coral Gables Sunday Oct 26, and after failure of one engine was taken to the coast of Great Inagua, Bahamas for repairs. Mechanical problems persisted causing it to anchor for repairs, this time in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Later bad weather damaged the prow hatch. That is when the Coast Guard fortuitously sighted and aided it.

The knowledge and disclosure of this failed terrorist action led the Venezuelan gov't to redouble its marine and air security around the island of Margarita, during the Ibero-American Summit of heads of state and government. "