Arrest, Indictment and Acquittal
On October 27, 1997, off the coast of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico four men were captured by a United States Coast Guard Cutter. On board the yacht, "La Esperanza" (English: The Hope), were a cache of hidden weapons and military grade intelligence gear, including: (2) .50 caliber sniper rifles, 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 Cuban 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.
Read more about this topic: Jose Antonio Llama
Famous quotes containing the word indictment:
“The indictment had never been clearly expressed,
And it seemed that the Snark had begun,
And had spoken three hours, before any one guessed
What the pig was supposed to have done.”
—Lewis Carroll [Charles Lutwidge Dodgson] (1832–1898)