BY ELAINE DE VALLE

Three Cuban exiles convicted in connection with an alleged plot to assassinate Fidel Castro arrived at Opa-locka Airport Thursday morning after they were pardoned by Panamanian President Mireya Moscoso.

A fourth, Luis Posada Carriles, was flown by a separate plane to an undisclosed country ''in the Americas,'' said Santiago Alvarez, a local developer who chartered both planes.

The four men were arrested in 2000 in Panama City on charges that they planned to use 33 pounds of explosives to blow up the Cuban president, a charge they denied. In April they were found guilty of endangering the public safety and sentenced to seven to eight years in prison.

Gaspar Jiménez, Guillermo Novo and Pedro Remón arrived in Miami shortly before noon. Jiménez was rushed from the airport to an undisclosed hospital with high blood pressure.

The planes left Miami before dawn Thursday with their wives aboard and picked up the men in Panama. One returned to Florida, where a small crowd awaited them.

Posada, who was accused of masterminding the plot and who Castro once called ''the worst terrorist in the hemisphere,'' did not return to the United States. Unlike the other three, he is not a U.S. citizen and is not known to possess a valid passport from any other country.

Alvarez declined to say where the second plane took Posada, except that it was in the Americas. Alvarez, a longtime supporter of the men who raised money for their defense, was also accused by Cuba of being part of the plot, although he was not charged.

The mood in the lobby of Miami Executive Aviation was festive Thursday morning as about 60 relatives, friends, supporters and Cuban exile leaders waited for the men.

Jimenez's two grown daughters could not contain their tears as they waited for their father.

''We're just extremely happy,'' said Sonia Jiménez-Victores. ``We are very, very grateful to President Mireya Moscoso for doing this for them. We have no words to explain our gratitude.

``I haven't seen him in 2 ½ years. I want to hug him.''

A friend, Mario Fernandez, said: ``Finally there has been justice for the entire Cuban community, not only for us [friends and family.''

The pardons were issued Wednesday afternoon but not announced until Thursday morning.

Diana Remón, ex-wife of Pedro Remón, said Mario Fernandez called her Wednesday night with the news.

''There was always hope because we had faith in God, but we had nothing concrete until last night,'' she said.