View Full Version : Brigade 2506, Omega 7, and Alpha 66. The time when Cubans raided Cuba from Florida
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Brigade 2506 was founded shortly after Fidel Castro took power in Cuba. Formed under the direction and funding the CIA, Cubans were recruited to be trained and to fight the communist government of Cuba. The goal was simple, land a force and march inland. Once a few towns would be taken, they would declare themselves to be the provisional government of free Cuba and the United States would recognize them as such and assist with US Forces.
Well, the invasion was a disaster and many Cuban Patriots died and were captured as POWs.
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/1to3h1/picture117205598/alternates/FREE_960/51981743.JPG
Brigade 2506 Members being taken as POWs by Castro lead Forces.
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Their return to the US and President Kennedy honoring their efforts
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The returning veterans were either offered direct commissions into the US Army as Second Lieutenants or other more clandestine positions.
One such group was Alpha 66, and they had multiple founders including Eloy Gutiérrez Menoyo, who had served twenty years in a Cuban prison for counterrevolutionary activities, and Antonio Veciana.
The group was originally formed by Cuban exiles in the early 1960s and was most active in the late 1970s and 1980s. Alpha 66 presented itself as a patriotic organization that wished to undo the betrayal to the revolution that was Fidel Castro's government. Alpha 66's founding members included many Cubans who had fought as revolutionaries against the Batista government alongside Fidel Castro and Alpha 66's anthem directly references Fidel Castro as having betrayed the ideals that the group's members originally fought for.
A number of Members were veterans of the Bay of Pigs Invasion and served with Brigada 2506, others were veterans of the revolution against Batista in the 1950s.
Early on, some members of Alpha 66 also partook in the United States-sponsored Volunteer Program, which allowed Cuban exiles to form all-Cuban military units within the United States Army. Additionally, members of Alpha 66 received funding and training from the CIA; however, this support did not last.
The CIA found that it had little control over the actions of Alpha 66 and, in many cases, Alpha 66 carried out operations without the CIA's approval or consultation, leading to the CIA ending its involvement with the group. Despite the lack of government support, Alpha 66 still managed to train its members throughout the Eerglades of Florida and conducted hits in Cuba.
When the CIA originally supported the organization.
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The 1980s and early 1990s is when they lost CIA support.
That didn't stop them from conducting operations and training.
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Part II - More photos of Alpha 66.
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This last set of photos were from the 1990s.
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Here is a news segment from 1997.
https://youtu.be/MX9uBrNyAoA
Part III - Omega 7
Omega 7 was far more clandestine in their activities. While Alpha 66 was more of an open militia. Omega 7 was legit black-ops assassinations and bombings.
For example, they've been credited as being responsible for the Cubana de Aviación Flight 455 bombing. The Cubana de Aviación Flight 455 was a Cuban flight from Barbados to Jamaica that was brought down on October 6, 1976 by a terrorist bomb attack. All 73 people on board the Douglas DC-8 aircraft were killed after two time bombs went off and the plane crashed into the sea. The crash killed every member of the Cuban national fencing team.
https://www.tsi-mag.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Wreckage-of-Cubana-455.jpg
Wreckage from the bombing being recovered.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/Cubana_flight_455_document2.JPG
Declassified FBI report that reads: "Our confidential source ascertained ... that the bombing of the Cubana Airlines DC-8 was planned, in part, in Caracas, Venezuela, at two meetings attended by Morales Navarrete, Luis Posada Carriles and Frank Castro".
Omega 7 also is credited with the assassination of a Cuban Representative to the United Nationa.
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On September 11, 1980, an attaché with the Cuban Permanent Mission to the United Nations, Felix Garcia Rodriguez, was fatally shot. He was driving back to the Cuban Mission along the Queens Boulevard service road near 58th Street in Queens, and was killed by a bullet fired from a parked car. Garcia was "the first United Nations official to have been assassinated in New York City since the founding of the world organization" in 1945.
Here is a 1979 news story about their bombings in Union City, NJ against pro-communist businesses.
https://youtu.be/ftBept0ziZc
Some forgotten history there.
Part IV - photos from Alpha 66's raiding team enroute to Cuba.
https://cuban-exile.com/photo/alpha66/a66invade01.jpg
https://cuban-exile.com/photo/alpha66/a66invade02.jpg
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Party V - more photos of the raid to Cuba by Alpha 66.
https://cuban-exile.com/photo/alpha66/a66invade16.jpg
https://cuban-exile.com/photo/alpha66/a66invade17.jpg
https://cuban-exile.com/photo/alpha66/a66invade18.jpg
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Part IV - November 1990 issue of Soldier of Fortune, article about Alpha 66.
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Some forgotten history there.
I posted even more history
I posted even more history
Growing up in South Florida, I was always amazed to learn some local history that was never taught in school. Given how important this event was in a cold war context, I was always amazed to learn how under supported it was. Kennedy should have been "all in or not at all."
There was a greater effort to trade baby food and medicine for returned prisoners than there was for the invasion itself. Ironically Castro's "Mariel" invasion was far more effective.
Back when Miami was a place you could safely visit, my father regularly hit up local owned cuban food spots for lunch and it was always curious for me to hear war stories that happened related to Florida from some of the owners. I didn't even know we had a war with Cuba or that people from Florida were the ones who did the fighting. It was always educational.
I also think those Cubans kept Florida a "red" state (ironic name since they hated communism) for decades. Late 70s early 80s one did not go to Miami and start talking about the wonders of socialism. Every now and then some recently enlightened college twit would make that mistake and it was always fun to watch. They were quick to give you some first hand experience about the wonders of communist utopias.
I've also never seen small business owners take so much pride in what little they had. It might have been a six stool countertop diner, but it was f'ing clean and they were actually trying to have the best food in Miami, the idea of "good enough" was offensive to most of them.
Growing up in South Florida, I was always amazed to learn some local history that was never taught in school. Given how important this event was in a cold war context, I was always amazed to learn how under supported it was. Kennedy should have been "all in or not at all."
There was a greater effort to trade baby food and medicine for returned prisoners than there was for the invasion itself. Ironically Castro's "Mariel" invasion was far more effective.
Back when Miami was a place you could safely visit, my father regularly hit up local owned cuban food spots for lunch and it was always curious for me to hear war stories that happened related to Florida from some of the owners. I didn't even know we had a war with Cuba or that people from Florida were the ones who did the fighting. It was always educational.
I also think those Cubans kept Florida a "red" state (ironic name since they hated communism) for decades. Late 70s early 80s one did not go to Miami and start talking about the wonders of socialism. Every now and then some recently enlightened college twit would make that mistake and it was always fun to watch. They were quick to give you some first hand experience about the wonders of communist utopias.
I've also never seen small business owners take so much pride in what little they had. It might have been a six stool countertop diner, but it was f'ing clean and they were actually trying to have the best food in Miami, the idea of "good enough" was offensive to most of them.
My family was directly involved in all of it. Starting with the Bay of Pigs.
My family was directly involved in all of it. Starting with the Bay of Pigs.
Sort of assumed that.
titsonritz
09-07-22, 01:04
Thanks, for all the cool pictures and information. I did an report on the Bay of Pigs when I was in High School, so it has always interested me.
Johnny Rico
09-07-22, 19:22
I also think those Cubans kept Florida a "red" state (ironic name since they hated communism) for decades. Late 70s early 80s one did not go to Miami and start talking about the wonders of socialism. Every now and then some recently enlightened college twit would make that mistake and it was always fun to watch. They were quick to give you some first hand experience about the wonders of communist utopias.
I love how both Cubans and the Vietnamese are two groups of people who have little patience for communism and can be reliably counted on to share their thoughts on that BS. I only wish the Vietnamese were as successful in California as the Cubans were in Florida in keeping it a "red" state.
I love how both Cubans and the Vietnamese are two groups of people who have little patience for communism and can be reliably counted on to share their thoughts on that BS. I only wish the Vietnamese were as successful in California as the Cubans were in Florida in keeping it a "red" state.
Actually I wish we could have gotten a few more Hungarians. Anyone who remembers when the Russians rolled tanks in 1953 on their bid for democracy usually has rather strong opinions. I've met a few, it's not even open to discussion. They make East Germans who somehow escaped under, over or through the wall seem moderate.
My father was in the Marines, he was in intel for most of his career. He was involved in some of this I've discovered over the years. I what capacity I've no idea.
Very cool, thanks.
There was a lot of things like this going on in Florida in the 80's and 90's :) Lots of old spooks, Vietnam era LRRPs and SF guys, etc. training folks.
I forgot to mention Comandos Mambises.
https://i.imgur.com/WYEyC8p.jpg
During the 26th of July Movement, Martínez Pupo sent convoys of provisions and supplies to the rebels, only later to see Fidel Castro nationalize his belongings and his business empire in 1959. In 1960, he and his family went into exile. While his daughter and her family remained in Miami, he and his wife went to Guatemala. In 1963, the CIA recruited Martínez Pupo to lead a campaign of guerrilla warfare and sabotage by a commando group constituted by Cuban exiles. He called this group Comandos Mambises in honor of the Cuban insurgents who fought against Spain. The unit's mission was to sabotage strategic targets in Cuba in order to inflict economic and psychological damage to Castro's regime.
As a small elite group perhaps a couple of dozen specializing in underwater demolition, it was the brainchild of Shackley and Dave Morales, his paramilitary chief at JMWAVE.
The Mambises carried out at least a half dozen actions from mid to late 1963 and claimed another in September of 1964, although that one was apparently carried out without U.S. approval.
Kennedy's assassination signaled the beginning of the end for the Ray and Artime operations. President Johnson showed little enthusiasm for such activities and, with the Vietnam War escalating, had even less interest in the covert Cuba program.
Another blow came in September 1964 when the Artime group mistakenly attacked the Spanish freighter Sierra Aranzazu in the Windward Passage as it was carrying toys, garlic and cork to Havana. The raiders thought it was the Sierra Maestra, a Cuban freighter. The raid killed the ship's captain, second mate and third engineer, and wounded 17 other Spanish sailors.
https://s3.amazonaws.com/libapps/accounts/26007/images/Comandos_Mambises_Atacan.jpg
Anti-Castro Cuban exiles prepare to attack Cuban shipping in the Caribbean Sea in 1964 as part of Operation Mongoose.
https://i.redd.it/1xi0lb58bdo81.png
The attack on Spanish freighter Sierra Aranzazu.
https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/mFFORK4CLTJun1kWF4fqrg--~B/aD00MDA7dz02NDA7YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b24-/http://media.zenfs.com/en/homerun/feed_manager_auto_publish_494/b9d217e56c1bde5af0b63aeb097fcf60
https://www.granma.cu/file/img/2019/09/medium/f0145987.jpg
The initial photographs resemble the trails I've hiked in the everglades.
As part of their training, members of Alpha 66 Commando Units climb Caldwell Mountain in Southern California, leaving a plaque to commemorate "El Grito de Baire," the day Cuba began its war of independence against Spain (February 24, 1985).
https://i.imgur.com/jbvCzz5.jpg
The initial photographs resemble the trails I've hiked in the everglades.
I wouldn't doubt it
Some forgotten history there.
Intentionally so I suspect...
Intentionally so I suspect...
FL's State Anti-paramilitary Training Act was passed by Democrats specifically to harm the operations of groups like Alpha 66 and Omega 7.
FL's State Anti-paramilitary Training Act was passed by Democrats specifically to harm the operations of groups like Alpha 66 and Omega 7.
What does that change in the equation?
What does that change in the equation?
In the grand scheme of things. Nothing for the most part. But it shows how the Democrats were against Cubans trying to rid their Patria of the dreaded scourge of Communism. The Democrats back in the day believed that by passing such legislation, groups like Alpha 66 would cease to exist.
In the grand scheme of things. Nothing for the most part. But it shows how the Democrats were against Cubans trying to rid their Patria of the dreaded scourge of Communism. The Democrats back in the day believed that by passing such legislation, groups like Alpha 66 would cease to exist.
They were in a pissing match with the CIA, Kennedy and his brother disliked and didn't trust the CIA (for good reason...) and I will never not believe there's a connection to the deaths of both Kennedy's over that.
In the grand scheme of things. Nothing for the most part. But it shows how the Democrats were against Cubans trying to rid their Patria of the dreaded scourge of Communism. The Democrats back in the day believed that by passing such legislation, groups like Alpha 66 would cease to exist.
Truth be told Florida was a hotbed for paramilitary training, etc. back in the 80's and 90's. The story I always heard was supposedly some "Arabs" were found training near a nuke plant and that started the hysteria.
But like most democrat BS, the bigger effect of the FL Paramilitary act was PSYOPS. Can't tell you how many folks in active groups got scared of training regularly because of that. For the most part it became the excuse for the lame arses not to train. Some even argued the paramilitary act could be construed that if three or more guys just went shooting together they could be in violation. Again, PSYOPS value for the reds... oops I meant democrats.
The people who were going out training folks- the old spooks, the old Vietnam vets (LRRPs, SF guys, etc.) weren't really bothered by it. Hell if anything it just added an additional E and E factor to any training. You didn't exactly want to be "caught" with 20 other guys all wearing BDUs, carrying the same weapons with insignia, etc. so you had to have rally points and be ready to GTFO quickly. And you choose your training areas well. Florida had a lot of old carved up large "subdivisions" at the time that ITT and others had carved up, put in roads, canals for drainage, etc. and then the land wasn't selling. Hell one we used even had paved roads. One looks JUST like some of the pics Miami posted- so much so I had texted pics of that to some old friends (also Hispanic) and played it off like it was old pics I had (one dude really looked like a buddy of mine). Their replies were "where was that?" "that looks just like..." LMAO
Love this thread, thanks again Miami!
We were a much better country when the populace at large hated communism.
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