Jose Antonio Llama
Encyclopedia
Jose Antonio Llama was a former director on the executive board of the Cuban American National Foundation (CANF). Llama also took part in the United States Central Intelligence Agency
(CIA) backed Bay of Pigs Invasion
.
role of CANF was established in June 1992 during an annual congress meeting in Naples, Florida
. The idea was born when a member recommended "doing more than lobbying
in Washington" to overthrow the Cuba
n Communist government of Fidel Castro
. Jorge Mas Canosa
and Jose "Pepe" Hernandez were selected as leaders to choose the group for armed operations. Llama has maintained that foundations general board of directors were unaware, including at the time, the board chairman Jorge Mas Santos. With the group established in 1992, the following year brought about more extensive planning, including consideration on what will need to be purchased to carry out their missions. During the 1993 meeting in Puerto Rico, Jose "Pepe" Hernandez was selected as the groups leader due to his "...known record as a fighter in the 2506 Brigade
and the Marines
."
four men were captured by a United States Coast Guard Cutter
. On board the yacht
, "La Esperanza" (The Hope), were a cache of hidden weapons and military grade intelligence gear, including: (2) .50 caliber
sniper rifle
s, GPS equipment
, light weight radios and night-vision goggles and 12 rounds for a .357 pistol. The weapons were hidden under a compartment built into the stairs leading to the cabins, and the hatch was hidden by a throw rug. The yacht was registered to a Florida company, Nautical Sports, Inc, whose chief executive officer, director, secretary and treasurer was José Antonio Llama. On August 25, 1998, the United States Department of Justice
(USDOJ) announced it had indicted Llama with conspiring to murder Cuba
n leader, Fidel Castro
. Particularly in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1117, 1116, and 1111. The USDOJ believed the men were attempting to assassinate Castro while he would be in Isla Margarita
, Venezuela
for the Ibero-American Summit
.
A jury acquitted them on December 8, 1999 after a federal judge threw out one of the defendants’ self-incriminating statements. The admission was by Angel Alfonso Aleman, who stated upon the ships boarding by Customs officials
: "They are weapons for the purpose of assassinating Fidel Castro." The Cuban ambassador to the United Nations
cited the trial as "rigged" in an open statement before then United Nations regarding Cuba's anti-terrorism efforts.
the plot to kill Castro and cited other members of CANF as assisting in securing items, funding and participating in the planning. Llama stated he was coming forward because CANF had stolen 1.4 million USD of his money, between 1994 to 1997, to plan the operation which did not go forward. Llama was considering a lawsuit to recoup his money. With the admission came a larger list of items acquired for carrying out the task of assassination, these included: a cargo helicopter
, ten ultralight radio-controlled planes
, seven vessels and explosives. One of those vessels was the Midnight Express fast boat
, meant to take the CANF leader at the time, Jorge Mas Canosa
to Cuba if a power struggle erupted or the missions were successful. Another of those vessels was "La Esperanza" which was confiscated by the United States Department of the Treasury
following the indictments.
Llama has since stated he is writing an autobiography titled: De la Fundacion a la fundicion: historia de una gran estafa (From the Foundation to Meltdown: Story of a Big Swindle).
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
(CIA) backed Bay of Pigs Invasion
Bay of Pigs Invasion
The Bay of Pigs Invasion was an unsuccessful action by a CIA-trained force of Cuban exiles to invade southern Cuba, with support and encouragement from the US government, in an attempt to overthrow the Cuban government of Fidel Castro. The invasion was launched in April 1961, less than three months...
.
Paramilitary organization and foundation
According to Llamas the paramilitaryParamilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
role of CANF was established in June 1992 during an annual congress meeting in Naples, Florida
Naples, Florida
Naples is a city in Collier County, Florida, United States. As of July 1, 2007, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population at 21,653. Naples is a principal city of the Naples–Marco Island Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated total population of 315,839 on July 1, 2007...
. The idea was born when a member recommended "doing more than lobbying
Lobbying
Lobbying is the act of attempting to influence decisions made by officials in the government, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying is done by various people or groups, from private-sector individuals or corporations, fellow legislators or government officials, or...
in Washington" to overthrow the Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n Communist government of Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
. Jorge Mas Canosa
Jorge Mas Canosa
Jorge Mass Canosa was a Cuban-American activist best known for his strong opposition to Fidel Castro and his leadership of the Cuban American National Foundation. He was considered by some to be the leading figure in the Cuban exile community in Miami, Florida...
and Jose "Pepe" Hernandez were selected as leaders to choose the group for armed operations. Llama has maintained that foundations general board of directors were unaware, including at the time, the board chairman Jorge Mas Santos. With the group established in 1992, the following year brought about more extensive planning, including consideration on what will need to be purchased to carry out their missions. During the 1993 meeting in Puerto Rico, Jose "Pepe" Hernandez was selected as the groups leader due to his "...known record as a fighter in the 2506 Brigade
Brigade 2506
Brigade 2506 was the name given to a CIA-sponsored group of Cuban exiles formed in 1960 to attempt the military overthrow of the Cuban government headed by Fidel Castro...
and the Marines
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
."
Arrest, indictment and acquittal
On October 27, 1997, off the coast of Aguadilla, Puerto RicoAguadilla, Puerto Rico
Aguadilla , founded in 1775 by Luis de Córdova, is a city located in the northwestern tip of Puerto Rico bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, north of Aguada, and Moca and west of Isabela. Aguadilla is spread over 15 wards and Aguadilla Pueblo...
four men were captured by a United States Coast Guard Cutter
United States Coast Guard Cutter
Cutter is the term used by the United States Coast Guard for its commissioned vessels. A Cutter is or greater in length, has a permanently assigned crew, and has accommodations for the crew to live aboard...
. On board the yacht
Yacht
A yacht is a recreational boat or ship. The term originated from the Dutch Jacht meaning "hunt". It was originally defined as a light fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries...
, "La Esperanza" (The Hope), were a cache of hidden weapons and military grade intelligence gear, including: (2) .50 caliber
12 mm caliber
This article lists firearm cartridges which have a bullet in the to caliber range.*Length refers to the cartridge case length.*OAL refers to the overall length of the cartridge.*Bullet refers to the diameter of the bullet....
sniper rifle
Sniper rifle
In military and law enforcement terminology, a sniper rifle is a precision-rifle used to ensure more accurate placement of bullets at longer ranges than other small arms. A typical sniper rifle is built for optimal levels of accuracy, fitted with a telescopic sight and chambered for a military...
s, GPS equipment
Global Positioning System
The Global Positioning System is a space-based global navigation satellite system that provides location and time information in all weather, anywhere on or near the Earth, where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites...
, light weight radios and night-vision goggles and 12 rounds for a .357 pistol. The weapons were hidden under a compartment built into the stairs leading to the cabins, and the hatch was hidden by a throw rug. The yacht was registered to a Florida company, Nautical Sports, Inc, whose chief executive officer, director, secretary and treasurer was José Antonio Llama. On August 25, 1998, the United States Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
(USDOJ) announced it had indicted Llama with conspiring to murder Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n leader, Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
. Particularly in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1117, 1116, and 1111. The USDOJ believed the men were attempting to assassinate Castro while he would be in Isla Margarita
Isla Margarita
Margarita Island is the largest island of the state of Nueva Esparta in Venezuela, situated in the Caribbean Sea, off the northeastern coast of the country. The state also contains two other smaller islands: Coche and Cubagua. The capital city of Nueva Esparta is La Asunción, located in a river...
, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
for the Ibero-American Summit
Organization of Ibero-American States
The Organization of Ibero-American States is an intergovernmental organization, comprising the Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking nations of America and Europe, plus Equatorial Guinea in Africa....
.
A jury acquitted them on December 8, 1999 after a federal judge threw out one of the defendants’ self-incriminating statements. The admission was by Angel Alfonso Aleman, who stated upon the ships boarding by Customs officials
Customs officer
A customs officer is a law enforcement agent who enforces customs laws, on behalf of a government.-Hong Kong:4 931 posts, of which nine are directorate officers, 3 804 are members of the Customs and Excise Department, 504 are Trade Controls Officers and 614 are staff of the General and Common...
: "They are weapons for the purpose of assassinating Fidel Castro." The Cuban ambassador to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
cited the trial as "rigged" in an open statement before then United Nations regarding Cuba's anti-terrorism efforts.
Admission and lawsuit
Llama, who made a fortune installing air conditioners in Soviet vehicles, admitted in an interview with El Nuevo HeraldEl Nuevo Herald
El Nuevo Herald is a McClatchy newspaper published daily in Spanish in Miami, Florida, in the United States. El Nuevo Heralds sister paper is The Miami Herald, also produced by the McClatchy Company.-About El Nuevo Herald:...
the plot to kill Castro and cited other members of CANF as assisting in securing items, funding and participating in the planning. Llama stated he was coming forward because CANF had stolen 1.4 million USD of his money, between 1994 to 1997, to plan the operation which did not go forward. Llama was considering a lawsuit to recoup his money. With the admission came a larger list of items acquired for carrying out the task of assassination, these included: a cargo helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
, ten ultralight radio-controlled planes
Radio-controlled aircraft
A radio-controlled aircraft is controlled remotely by a hand-held transmitter and a receiver within the craft...
, seven vessels and explosives. One of those vessels was the Midnight Express fast boat
Go-fast boat
A go-fast boat, or cigarette boat, is a small, fast boat designed with a long narrow platform and a planing hull to enable it to reach high speeds....
, meant to take the CANF leader at the time, Jorge Mas Canosa
Jorge Mas Canosa
Jorge Mass Canosa was a Cuban-American activist best known for his strong opposition to Fidel Castro and his leadership of the Cuban American National Foundation. He was considered by some to be the leading figure in the Cuban exile community in Miami, Florida...
to Cuba if a power struggle erupted or the missions were successful. Another of those vessels was "La Esperanza" which was confiscated by the United States Department of the Treasury
United States Department of the Treasury
The Department of the Treasury is an executive department and the treasury of the United States federal government. It was established by an Act of Congress in 1789 to manage government revenue...
following the indictments.
Llama has since stated he is writing an autobiography titled: De la Fundacion a la fundicion: historia de una gran estafa (From the Foundation to Meltdown: Story of a Big Swindle).
See also
- AssassinationAssassinationTo carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
- Brigade 2506Brigade 2506Brigade 2506 was the name given to a CIA-sponsored group of Cuban exiles formed in 1960 to attempt the military overthrow of the Cuban government headed by Fidel Castro...
- Cuba-United States relationsCuba-United States relationsCuba and the United States of America have had an interest in one another since well before either of their independence movements. Plans for purchase of Cuba from the Spanish Empire were put forward at various times by United States...
- Cuban American National Foundation
- Opposition to Fidel CastroOpposition to Fidel CastroThe Cuban dissident movement is a political movement in Cuba whose aim is "to replace the current regime with a more democratic form of government". According to Human Rights Watch, the Cuban government represses nearly all forms of political dissent....