The New York Times
August 25, 1998
 

          7 Indicted in Plot To Kill Castro
 

          By The Associated Press

          WASHINGTON (AP) -- Seven Cuban-Americans were indicted today
          by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiracy to murder Cuban
          President Fidel Castro.

          The indictment, returned in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and announced by the
          Justice Department here, alleged the defendants plotted for four years to
          kill Castro outside the United States and particularly during his trip to a
          summit meeting on Isla Margarita, Venezuela, in November 1997.

          If convicted, they face up to life in prison, the department said.

          At least one of the defendants, Jose Antonio Llama, is a member of the
          Cuban American National Foundation, but the foundation's president,
          Francisco ``Pepe'' Hernandez, was not charged in the indictment.
          Lawyers for both men had predicted in Miami last week that they would
          be charged with such a plot this week.

          In addition to Llama, who is a member of the lobbying group's executive
          committee, others indicted today were: Jose Rodriguez, Alfredo Domingo
          Otero, Angel Manuel Alfonso, Angel Hernandez Rojo, Juan Bautista
          Marquez and Francisco Secundino-Cordova.

          Castro himself has accused the Cuban American National Foundation of
          plotting to kill him.

          The lobbying organization was founded by Jorge Mas Canosa, a Cuban
          exile whose death in November created a major leadership vacuum
          among Castro opponents. The 58-year-old Mas devoted his adult life to
          efforts to oust Castro.

          The indictment charges the conspirators with obtaining two .50-caliber
          semiautomatic rifles which were to be used as sniper rifles; a 46-foot
          boat, which was modified by the plotters to permit it to sail virtually
          anywhere in the waters in and around the Caribbean without refueling;
          and night-vision goggles and global positioning units to assist in
          assassinating Castro.

          Other charges in the indictment include misuse of a vessel, false
          statements and smuggling.

          The indictment is part of a continuing investigation by the FBI and
          Customs Service which was disclosed Oct. 27, 1997, when a U.S. Coast
          Guard cutter intercepted and boarded a boat off Puerto Rico that was
          carrying four of the conspirators. The sniper rifles, ammunition and some
          of the other equipment were found hidden in the boat, La Esperanza.

          One of the four Cuban exiles aboard the boat allegedly blurted out that
          the men were on their way to Margarita to assassinate Castro.

          Records showed that one of two sniper rifles seized on the boat was
          purchased by Hernandez and that the yacht was registered to Llama,
          authorities said.

          ``Ownership of a rifle or a boat does not make you guilty of a crime,''
          attorney Jose M. Quinon said last week.

          The owner of the second rifle, Evelio Pou, a veteran of the Bay of Pigs
          invasion, was questioned by the FBI but was not indicted.

          ``We fear that there are political reasons behind the actions that may take
          place next week,'' Quinon said last Thursday. The U.S. administration, he
          said, ``may be trying to come together with Cuba.''

          A federal judge in San Juan gave U.S. Attorney Miguel Pereira until today
          to come up with new charges or take his case to trial.

          Castro's government has repeatedly accused the foundation and its
          members of financing armed attacks against Cuba. The group maintains it
          works peacefully for democracy on the island.

          Castro publicly commented on the case in a speech delivered July 26 in
          Santiago de Cuba, The Miami Herald reported Friday, citing Cuba's daily
          Communist Party newspaper Granma.

          ``Let's see how they can deny it,'' Castro said. ``Let's see how they can
          deny that the boat that was going to commit the attempt at Margarita --
          captured by pure chance after sailing from Miami to Puerto Rico --
          belongs to the foundation and that the weapons belong to the foundation.
          Let's see how they handle that problem.''

          Another plan to assassinate Castro was discovered by federal agents last
          month, the Herald reported earlier this month.