Former CIA officer Felix Rodriguez has led a fascinating life. He was involved in the Bay of Pigs Invasion and was one of the last men to speak to Che Guevara before his execution.
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This is the last photograph of cuban revolutionary shake with our alive is taken over via in one thousand nine hundred and a very famous photograph um probably familiar to most people watching us. This man standing right there is not familiar to most people watching that he should be. He's about to be as he looks like greg. He's a long time C A officer in the Operations director IT and and he joins us now to explain this picture and to tell us about his life. Thank you very much .

pleasure to be here.

So it's it's remarkable picture in the longer look at at the more I think that um can you tell us where this .

was and what was happening? Well that was in liga bOlivia where he was captured and I I came england, the helicopter with the corneal in charge of the Operation. And after, while I ve got to talk to him, I even thought about taking the picture, but while I was talking to him, the pile of the helicopter came with the comer from the head of intelligence of the picture, we say, so I asked him, commander, do you mind? He say, no. So we took him out of the schoolhouse and gave my camera to the pilot, and he took that picture.

So you talk to who are what? Yes, of course, what would the circumstances have been captured by believing soldiers is?

Yes yes actually um they thought that he had been killing africa but then when they got to a debris and booster who was A A french of intellectual and then a newspaper guy from argentina, they confirm the shake of our was there so as as long as understood that he was there, they saying a special forces union from panama to train a special batum to Operate against him because you believe and didn't have an experience and then they send a couple of us from the C I, A to provide them with intelligence.

And the reason they say us because we were not U. S. Citizen at the time we had now was taking place and they were people coming back in plastic back na, and the one in the american coming back in plastic back from the nothing america.

Uh, the time we were not even residents, we were no citizens. So we didn't fall into the restriction of ambassador or henderson. That's why where I were to go there.

So you are working for the C A full time, obviously Carrying a weapon, obviously.

but not a us. Citizen does.

What was jay like that day? why?

First, a lot of people ask me, you know, what I thought about you? And he had, the time was nobody. He became a figure after he was dead. Cua made him a feature. yes.

Uh, after after war, even though they were the one who sent him to be kill, uh fidell could not stand him there because fidell depended on the soviet union and shake out was proof chinese so when he was in africa and sixty, sixty five, sixty four, uh, all the weapon he received was from red china and then he didn't want to go back to q. He went to hire in in the shack republic and they had to send people to convince him to go back to q and to give him opportunity in another place. But he was sent to believe he was definitely mine for him to be killed because the soviet didn't want him to be any successful, because they knew that he was brought chinese.

And if he took a revolution in there would build toward the chinese. And I the time the chinese and they show, they hated to show very much. So when he was sent to believe in his translated was not even working in december of sixty six, when they had a dinner with medium head of the communist party, livia, who had been with video two months before, complete the complete process.

He told the livia, uh, we share if they say, we say they were expected from the government body. And then they had A A officer intelligence that they have sent to the bus renominated to help him. And soon as he was with all seventeen people, they took him out of the picture and told me that they had to take him out because he's VISA expire.

And actually he was a livia. So he was definitely send out to be killed by cube, because he could also see, because he would be a revolution that would be both chinese. And you really burned on this soviet union.

So he's he's obviously he's a prisoner in this picture. Um does he know when this was taken that he's about to die?

Not at that time? no. So what .

happened in the moments after this picture?

Well, in in the skin, first of all, when we arrive with the helicopter on the following day, which of monday, uh, we came to the room with the officers and he will not go to anybody. A corner was trying to interrogate him. Look at, say, any to the point, guys, I look, invite my country.

At least you can have the court. You have answered me, you can say you were. So when we finish that, I came out, I asked all his documentation to photograph hic from my government and the court order.

His bag is given to me. He has one chinese code books he has on the picture of his family. So medical for his as mindset.

He got a diary, is the german a book was reading his spanish. He's diary. So photograph all of that.

Uh, then well, I was there to came the news, uh, the great telephone call allegations and I was the eyes ranking officer. Uh, so the there was definitely the orders to execute him. We had a very simple code, five hundred six, six hundred killed him, seven hundred keeping my alive. So he came five hundred, six hundred with high, believing the order from my government tried to keep him life at all cost.

We have helicopters are taking to panama interval so we look at me and say, felix ah my neither phillip's ramos is said we you are be very helpful towards, uh helpful to us is order from my president look at his washe said the helicopters going to come several time bringing in food and ammunition taking I were warning I were dead but after two clogged is wanted to come out and pick up, check out a dead body you can not use to see him anyway you want because we know how much harm he have done to your country so I said me, coroner tried to make that change your mind, but it's not change mind. I will rerate and sure, you know, the helicopter came several time. That's when they make your come as for up a picture with the prisoner, then I start waiting and see what happened.

And then they will see a school teacher who came to me. And when you want to go in, so what do you say? That is a lot.

We should. So you do a big already, is already giving the news. So that point, I knew this was nothing out to be done. Uh, so I got into the room when I study from, and sorry, I try my best. He turned White like a piece of paper, and he said, there is Better this way as you have never been got your life.

So you told the shake of her he was about to be killed. Yes.

in a way, the way, say, I M sorry, I try my best. I understood what I was saying. Then he took his pipe baLance.

I like to give this spite to a solar to, who treated me well. That time, mayor and an, he know was the one, execute the life fresher, burst into the room. No, I won't.

So I ordered him three times to lead the room. He did a look at G. S. C.

Would you give IT to me? You see, I give you to you. So I put my fight here. I says, anyone, anything you want for your family.

Then I would say, in a sarcastic way, say, well, if you can tell fy there, he would soon see at their own from revolutionary america. Then he changed his pressure and saying, if you can tell my wife to remarry and try to be happy. That was his last war.

He approached me. We show hand. We embrace. IT was a very um estrange unique moment in my life because we never order president to be executed at the time, even thought about according the telephone line and telling the pilot that my government was able to convince them to bring her alive.

And I remember what happen when, but they are released, ed fidel castro, and will happen to my country so I told myself, look, this is not the your word or her advice not to comment. This is the believing decision. So I let him strong itself, so I let you go the way he was. And that was the end of IT.

What happened to jay that point?

Well, after we embrace, uh, which was like to say very a strange moment for me because he was my enemy at the same time, I if feel sorry for him, he conducted with self, with dignity at the end. H I left the room and there was around and I told him, not sure to down, shoot, hear down, because he man supposed to die from SHE may got be done. We got to be done.

And he left. So he was one of clock in the afternoon, believe in time. When I left there, about one fifteen, I heard the burst and dusty time, and he was clearly executed.

so shot him in the room.

He was shot by m two Carry. That was borrowed the this year from the birth of automatic in, I understand, because I was impressions. He came in and say, you like to talk to you and he taught him, say, look, I know you're coming to kill me.

Say, no, no, we to kill you. I was our life on dead. And then he talking, I know you want you to know, you do.

And so he opened far like this. There is a bullet, a hit here, which is Normal reaction to try to cover yourself. Uh, so he was shut and kill. I came back uh, few hours later with do the from the Operation that problem and really and we got into the room, his his head was a face, the the the ceiling.

He was a cover with mod, uh, so there was a dead body of two cuban behind him that have been killing Operation when was captained pentoxide cut from the killing army who died combat saw we embrace in there and and god, let me give you that we have finished the girls in that in america. I told him to be down. We have and finished that.

At least we have delayed them for a long time. So we could hear the helicopter coming and immediately left. So I asked for a bucket of water.

I clean his face and to call lip mot out of his face, I tried to close his job, my handkerchief F. We shall lost in the helicopter with the wind. Then I tried to close his eyes and he was impossible.

They have been open too long. Try tried to closing up back again several times. So I gave up on the, so we do the body and we die, the right sight of the helicopter, and we were finishing .

to do that.

I remember on icopal, and I remember the the piles that are nine high man whose mounted we can move forward to baLance the helicopter. So I put my hand under him and pulled IT out. When I brought IT, I was completely cover with blood, apparently was shot in the order.

And these plastic things are not allow the order to go through. IT was a big pool of blood there. I look at IT, I didn't say anything, but I thought to my safe, there are people have blocked in their hands.

I have the help of a lot of here. I clean the broad. And in this, his right side of my bans, I came in and then a soldier came and say, my and my father SHE just want, want to see him.

So all we are stood with helicopter running for maybe a couple of minutes. And he was a Price who came on the on on a meal. He came around, uh, he get down of the meal, and he gave him the last.

But addiction, we should took picture of IT with a new camera that I have left. I thought to myself, this guy wasn't at that. He even believe in god.

Never the less received the return from the catholic tus. And from there we took off, and then we land at the viagra. They were thousand of people waiting at the wrong way.

There was like fifteen different plan from the press, from the military, waiting for the, for, for him to arrive. So I put my cap and run into the people. So I my picture was never taken.

And then he was taking into a school house into then in the event that was A A A meeting, and the a general was selling a coronal as if, if, if you dad, this is check of our, we need that, you will prove of IT got his head and put in for my life. So I sami, you can do that, say not you head over stay, you can not show the head of a human being approved. So well, what do you suggest? Say, well, you want, some times will prove of IT got one finger and we have the finger bring from the argentation federal police, and you can be check.

So he ordered both had to be cut. So I left to all the documentation for santa school of my old friend is staying. There are a thing about three or four clock. The morning when the press was gone they took his body or they caught both hands and put him from malahide and two other bodies and they took IT to the very yg of the wrong way and the berry him in there with two bodies IT was a bloss dr. Who was uh making longer the wrong way. And he was very right there now later, around years later, when he then said he found the body on the side of the wrong way with saving all the body I gonna you that was not sure about because he wasn't very there.

amazing. And so what did you do as one thousand nine hundred and sixty seven was back up really quickly. You're born cuba.

right?

How did? When did you come? The united states came .

in thousand and fifty four. Or school claim to perky woman in pending pennsylvania. I spent six years, and there are seven eighth grade in my high school, and I actually, uh, went off of my last year to to the first thing that was against castro was the government legal, the graver.

So I participate in the Operation with when I was seventeen, eighteen years old. And I came back then after graduation, I was accepted the universe miami for civil engineering. But before I went there, i've learned there was something going on in that in amErica against castro. I joined what later became in the bay of the invasion. I was nineteen year all of the time.

What was your role in the bay of pigs in?

I was far what they called a special forces or infiltration tion thing. So I was a group of about thirty six people. We got into A A months. And I have, before invasion, to work with the resistance we can, and destined by both. I start working inside the island, uh, helping with them with all kind of equipment, and trying to do in Operation and other area.

Then actually the bay of big surprise s because then they were dollars, anything, if they had been able to tell us that the invasion was common, we had enough explosive to be able maybe to blow some bridge toward the bay of big and delay the advancement of a casa trip. But they never do anything. We learn through the given radio. So at that time I was looking, was able to make IT through the venezia ling embassy, where I spent a five and a half months in havena, havana. Then finally got safe conduct, went back to venezuela, the end of pteor.

How did you get from the bail pigs to have us a long way?

No, I wasn't the bao pig. I landed near I months and a half f before the bay of pigs and worked with the resistant, you know, we had a magnate of the of the internal resistance to, because of near the highway, then take off to save houses in havana, then we start working with them in there during that time. So I wasn't at the bay of big at the time, and I was logged because I did have any idea a of any embassy there.

But the lady who was driving me around was close, connected to the spanish embassy y and the inner a hanta who in charge of the gold propaganda actually was intelligence came to because because they were surrounding are our building. We did very successfully well, he he's surrounding of every single my blog in havana. And if you wear a male, uh, military ation you were not assigned to a military unit, even though you may have been even a communist, they will take you, put in custody.

There were baseball field with two hundred and fifty thousand cubans in there. There's capacity for five thousand people, five thousand, five hundred. So they were able to, this articulate, internal resistant, and that way even they pick up some of my friend, that queen, and then they released them because they had no idea who they were. But I was logged to make IT to do the swelling to a actually got to miami on the very first of october of nineteen and and sixty one and then at by the of october was back in when back seven times a because I was the only one who left the contact open after the failure al developed to bring people and and foreign an purpose.

What what kind of equipment are you bringing in?

Oh, we were bring explosive. We are bringing in ta machine, uh, all hunger ts and all those things that they were still and bringing in to be able to support A A future resistance. But then I didn't work out.

Then I decided, actually nineteen sixty. So I decided to marry my pressing wife of sixty two years. And I told her, I say, lubra, ah, I going to quick.

I want to go to civilian life, but I want you to know if there is something serious about gua, I would go. So you made the mistake of agree to that, because we got married, the twenty of gus. I start working a company for one dollar, and now called service propaganda.

Then I was improved in talking, packaging, competing one hundred thirty five and an hour. So while I was working there, remember, I got married to twenty five of those in the, in the month of torc. Got a call from, I see I A guy, and say, look, I need to talk to you after you work at that company.

So I went to see him the parking lot of the um how and just from the university of biasi seeing his car and say, fex, the marines are going to lin q and we need you I look at him and tomic, the marines are going to line in Q, A, what the held you need me for a good point I say, well and you know how to Operate a radio big on we love you to partial behind a soviet mission base in santa a to set up a radio bacon and so that our air force can head with precision the airbase. At the time, we didn't have the GPS season that we have today. So that time I agree that took into a safe house.

And my basic training was romping from different altitude of the three point of contacts and break a leg. I didn't not even call my wife. My wife went back to to the apart, of course, when on national television.

So he realized was something related to that. So the day we were going to parachute ting to Q L, the data cruce shape back down on the Operation. And then, you know, I after dive, we had a jobs. So then I continue to work with this year.

You for how long?

seven? six. I retired me for security consideration. After coranto, I was his advice, or was sassin ated in paris. Uh, he was the believing ambassador. He was killed.

And they let for science said in the shake of our commander and they also Jordanian was a coral then we're talking in tanee humble human who was in the from bOlivia there also left a sign saying, uh, command shake ara and they called my home and say, felix rams next that's the name that are using livia came out so the a and he proposed me one of those programs to change my name and go to another state would not access because of my good so what they did, they going to my home. They did a security valuation. They uh actually gave me a bullet proof car.

They bully of my car in landing Virginia. I got a nice to Carry conceal weapons that was difficult to get at the time. They gave me a total disability idea and have to work, have a routing of work um put on iron fences in my house, some security and then I sign a paper for doing if I got relate to my job, my family could in any way of form because what they offer that they consider I refuse to but then after that I continue independently to do some things like I went into a cell or a flying with that in a real volunteer with a concept that I develop in vietnam. But I just spent two and half years in vietnam after livia and IT was very effective and was there what were you .

doing in viet? As A C, I offset well that my responsibility .

worth will stop the rogin of cygnus and the rogin of the both. Going into cygnus, we were advising unit quality. P, R, U, provincial, regional unit is A C, R, A unit.

Who has minus paid and controlled LED A D C I A. And he was almost impossible to stop the rotting cygnids psychological reason. Every week there will be one or two one two point, uh, soviet missiles going into the city, a range.

Normally they try to hit the presidential policy and the U. S. Embassy, which they never did. But IT was a psychological thing, and we start looking in area, was impossible to locate these people on the light was able to capture one.

Uh, who was the body guard of two down the commander of the unit? And he told me that they were hiding an area that we never thought of because there was tell the water will come up like seventeen feet and what they did, he told me they had fifty five alone drum. They solder on top of the other.

They are sleeping there. When the water went up, when the water went down, they ran across the river. They fired the rocket into the area, and then they can buy high again.

Then I start looking at that area we ever did before. And actually on the force of december of nineteen a seventy, I was able to establish contact with the commander of the unit. We, like eighteen of them, we lost three of our paro. And from their own, we continue to pressure. And there was not a single rock of fire to say after that, and for that equal to the congressional medal of one from the remise armed forces called the the, the cross al gantry was before I got one of that two silver a star and six Brown start in the time that I was with with them. And then I got the intelligent start for water from the CIA because of the Operation, them.

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I'm driven access to thousand times, but since you worked there, you worked for president Kennedy. yes. And he was, of course, killed in november of thousand nine hundred and sixty three and countless books, song written, blaming cuban exiles. People participated in the of pigs for being involved in some way with the CIA in that assassination. What's your assessment of that client?

But i'll tell you, most of the regain member believes, uh, person and was a trader. He was the one who definitely had the responsibility and he was responsible. I was failure looking for another point.

I believe he was a Young president, uh, e advice and we paid the Price and I believe that actually he was kid because he tried to amend that uh, after he was able to pull the brigge out of prison, he opened the enforce of the united stay for the regain members, became a second in the U. S. army.

And sixty sixty three. And then he promise our special Operation, which was started in the amErica in three different bases. No, not many people know about IT, but then he was assassinated. And a lot of people believe that I was only one of tutor. I believe they were too. Shooter, uh, we have information that there was a cute and h, which is now a retired general of Youngest garland, who was a government at the time, who was in the a and he was the second shorter, just a depressive.

You just, okay, i'm sorry. You say that one more time. What's this time?

And he was in dollars that day and then he live, uh, IT was something that and the uncle said that that he knew the, uh, unit was trying to kill him, would be very careful because the given also had very long hand. So IT was a matter either Kennedy or or or or castro. I think that that's while he would kill.

So you believe that Kennedy was assessed by cuban forces? Castro.

great thing. Yes, remember that Oscar was in the given embassy, uh, for several hours before he went to dallas that day. And we also had the fact that was no question about the Young.

They were there and they i've give at the night at the beginning that he was ever in the given embassy later on when they learned a week A C I A while pictures a movie of being getting into our embassy. Then they say that they went to everything, uh, check and they found out that indeed yes or what was in the country embassy and they claimed that he came in there together. Cuban VISA, he was denied, but I do believe that he was participating pressing later, officia Johnson said that they knew about IT a about for security consideration.

They deny to the public the participation queue and association, the president because remember, at that time they were already four offences missile in psycho when october c crisis took play, they were already had been able to bring into Q A offensive nuclear missile does why when cruce had thought, and he knew that the U. S. Knew that we had four ends, they have four offences mission inside the island IT could bring twenty a day and that's when the orc Price a duplay.

But there were still uh, four misses inside. You were offensive. So at the time everybody say, well, they can not that because Kennedy was treated IT was never implemented because important parait was that they would be personal ocular inspection by american personal in a to make sure that they had taken out those four missile. And you never allow them to be able to come into check for that so that the compromise was never the kind cruise was never implemented at all.

Do you believe the C I had any role in Kennedys? succinate?

No, I don't think so. I don't believe. I know there is a lot of alleged that effect, but I don't think so. I don't believe so.

I did you ever come across Harry?

And yes, I met him the after he came out of prison. A actually he was coming for Christmas out of prison. And the I have met his daughter with our team is home, Kevin, and we we run to a shoulder into sea. So I invited him to come to my home.

You ran in two and six.

yeah, in miami. I invite him to go to my home while I am sitting there. I get a call from the chief station from miami, felix, by the way, uh, how our home would be down.

Make sure that you don't meet him and guy, I was looking ring from him. Me, I already had given him my card to use for three day. He was in in miami.

So later on I got my boy say, so you should have got me later. You sooner I say what I said, well, I had power home me from my home. Now I say, yes, you didn't tell me. I drawn him to see her. I brought him to my home is first time I never met him.

Why do the C A not want you to see her hunt?

Because they don't want to see, make. They believe there is a connection between the C, I, A. And then even though I were home, was working for the C, I, able, who had that does for the White house, was next son? yes. So that was a connection there.

Yes, there was um interesting. How did you get involved in the iran contra story?

Well, when I was in miami, I thought um I saw what the war was going going on the door. I had implement helicopter concerting vietnam a was extremely effective against the the we had gone there, of which intelligence is going to the area with gun ships and spot in. Then I was flying on the low helicopter, a spot in them and and coming back with straw bang and get this the result.

So I volunteered to to itself, or in eighty five, early eighty five. That's why I went in as volunteer. Nobody paying me anything.

Who did you volunteer to? who?

Who did you do is out learning airforce? Yes, but he wasn't easy. He was very difficult, because you have the U.

S. Military commander, general government, forest star genre, who command only military assistant to the area. And here is a cuban retire from the CIA, trying to implement the military setting his area. But I was knocked that the device pressing of the united states had a great who was my boss from the nam as his national security advice. And he knew who affected my concept was so he helped me, uh, to be able to get the clearance from the state department and other people for me to go down there.

So I start work with the with the concept down and salad was, I tremeau uh one point in time Oliver knows had a problem in with a plane, uh that was a stocking in in porto that he could not bring in because of hand close entrance uh of his playing there because of an incident they had was playing with resistant and he knew that I had an action relationship with his dorian so he send knows to me that if I could get this salvage an to hold all of these military equipment from porto until were to the problem we hunt so I talk to the to the head of the air forces and into the minister of defense. They agree. And that's how I got involved in into her contracting.

They really playing with stories in there for a for a while. When they saw that, they asked me if I could add the doing and they could be maintenance of the aircraft from the resistance Operation. You can tell other and douse how we got to started in that Operation in there.

But really, uh, the vice present of a leader to do in this Operation, of course, the they blame that they they actually came out to say that I was sent to have a to bag the balling amendment to support and set my helicopter consent was A I cover up, which wasn't true that was in decades at all and then they they been to testify from of congress and I was the only one who went to congress. We saw a lawyer and without immunity, everybody has went wish and million and they try even the White house called me and said, the boy, don't great from the White house. Uh, I wanted to bring a lawyer that the way I was going to pay for, I say, look, uh, I have done nothing wrong.

If I have to bring a lawyer for what I did, I am in the wrong country. I don't believe I in the wrong country. So he told me, now you don't understand, you know you know how this congressman are they make up as you do ah push you into saying song that my heart device pressing, I refused.

So I was the only one who went. We saw lawyer without community and that he came out fine. And the only guy that I really don't like at all, because after that is me to define his community, was joe Carry.

Why didn't you like john kerry?

He's a funny ah, he was a war hero to be hit with you. I I was invited when when he run for pressing. And if you had no veteran for the truth, make a big rally in the wedding ing of the capital at that time.

They asked me to be one of the speaker against, because what he did to me know he accused me of receiving ten million dollars for the year, the for the a, which wasn't true. You know, I was, he was a pain. He was very hard for my family because I was flying in the abroad.

My wife called me and say, is from patient my umi hero, your picture when you were in the army? But you receive ten million dollar fundamental cartel. I said, you know, that's not trust.

You say, I know, but here is so very committed. So I call from and Carry, I have. And I said, look, you need a soba with me, but send the ticals doing millish, which they did.

So I flew to washington. We have spent four hours in in a deposition with him. Uh, he was represented by, 不能。 There was a, uh, mission marcano was the minority.

So there was really that. And another guy represented him. After we finish the next morning, they wanted the close hearing.

We want and open here. And there was nothing classify about IT after retiring. And seventy six, we are talking something to happen.

Nineteen eighty five, but the Carry, and one is truth to come out. So he refused to having open hearing. We have to went to close here. And I had the opportunity at the time when I first came, they ask me if I wanted to say something and that was all the senator and and they asked me to say you wanted, say sauce I and I say, yes. I look at he and say, senator, this would be the hardest testimony of my life.

So why do you say that said, I said, senator is very hard to have to ask a question for somebody that you not respect, either respect you and you are doing here. So mr. Of rigor, we we disagree with you is throw that you are.

Senator, you didn't even have the got throw your own matter when you were protesting the we don't believe everything you see the Price. I know that the hell of a little Better that you do, senator, he said that was a veteran who was me to threw his meal, say, but he was everybody. Perception was your meal.

You were throwing all the White house things, so really didn't heat very well. You're there and and then I talked a lot of people who were working. Do you know that he will never ever wonder in combat he does have one bullet hole in his body.

And he claimed three, three per per hard to be able to leave vietnam. He knew that there was an unwritten law that you get on the three times in one two, you could request to leave in them. Yes, and that's exactly what he did.

What he did, he scratch himself. He called IT, was from a, from a hunger. And IT never got a bullet hole. He got a scratches. He always claimed that he had been wounded, that dying, get, get A A purple heart.

The third one day he was in the, I didn't say was he was worth, you have to wait until they change the guy to able to convince the other guy to give him a third, uh, purple heart and that's why he left me down and then he went with jane ford, uh, talking about the other people in the, uh was a shame because today I see how our people treat military with respect. In the plane at the time I came back, they will not even work. They were only form. They were work criminals. And all of that because of you .

Carry and jay towards so what was the resolution of our own country you testified .

well at the end, really um actually when you look at that, uh what they they didn't have a case at all because the only reason they brought the rank control hearing was because the violation of the balm amending of using U. S. Money to support around resistant so what happened is when general c core this some transaction uh with the iran remember uh with the rail uh he got the millions of dollars from that transaction.

The congress determine that that money he had belong to your court not to see is still in court today, is still in court today. He said over eight million dollars, and he used a million and half to held the resistant with that morning. So because of that, since the congo determined that was money that belong to the years government, they violated the void element.

That's how he came together, put up the rent contract, eries communities in all of that, that I went through. And let me tell you, he wasn't IT was a IT was uneasy because after so many great I was tired um before that my son and my daughter went to see having A B I agent that always I been contact with them from my security. I learned recently he already died from his wait that my son, my daughter went to see him before I testifying congress and they told him, look, gards, uh, everybody y's telling us, if my father doesn't bring a lawyer, he would go to prison.

Please convince him to bring a lawyer with him so he he didn't tell me that he came to see me and say, look, felix, you are going to testifying congress and you want to be on the roads. You cannot lie no matter what happen. You cannot lie.

Because if you do, uh, they would ask the same quest in fifteen different way and that they would know now there is strong sense. You are not very happy with IT or you are not very content with IT. You don't remember, you don't remember they're gonna do anything but don't like I, I never like. So I came out fine.

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dotcom tucker says its best, their credit card comply are ripping americans off, and enough is enough. This is senator Roger martial of kansas, our legislation that credit card competition act would help in the grip VISA and mastercard have on us. Every time you use your credit card, they charge you a hidden fee called a swipe fee, and they're been raising IT without even telling you this hurts consumers and every small business owner.

In fact, american families are paying eleven hundred dollars in hidden White busy cheer. The fees, VISA and mastered card charge. Americans are the highest in the world, double canada and eight times more than europe.

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merchants payments coalition, dotcom. Have you ever wondered how you live so long having been through all these conflicts?

I believe, honestly, I believe in god, for example. And when I was in vietnam, my boss died. Chocolate, who was a laying with the C I.

I used to tell people that I had a death witch. I wanted to get killed, which was not at all. I was so convinced, docker, that nobody I was wants to hit me. God, give me that convention so I could sit in the helicopter, see the are and shot them because I knew he wasn't going to and I never so he was in no bravery was my conviction that I knew .

he wasn't going to do a married man point.

I had two kids already.

and you were never worried about getting killed.

I knew I wasn't going to get not even wounded. I didn't. I had people wounded next to me. My helicopter book, thirty different occasion too far to hit in the helicopter body. But I was shut down five times via downtown and salad for .

a shut down five times.

But you know, my bag is in bad trade, but the thing still life and and I believe was god, definitely, I was of me. That's why they worry about IT. Not that I was brave, I was convinced and nothing to happen. You're right. IT turned out solo.

What was ten shake like.

oh, he was was the most intelligent that I have ever met in my life. He was the one responsible for the berlin tunnel. Yeah, he was your station in miami.

And we became close friends until the day he die. Uh, and we were close. We used to meet, uh, he was ahead of a station in cygnus and we we have we developed a personal friendship.

He's the one who want time to me not to fly. They had the factor in paris who have said that they were uh high to high yg place with the people involved in the association check. So me on the station say, you are going to mean vacation.

Don't fly into miami. So what I did, I flew into atlanta garden bag spending, which family back then? I went back to atlanta on the six of january of one hundred and seventy one.

And I had a costing in there. So I was at the airport. I had a fly who live atlanta.

Hugh ston 3 franca school had three， four hours over laying some france c school. Then I find out there was only be stopping in dela. One hour later, I changed that to stay with my cost in one more hour.

So when I got to be now, nobody was waiting for me. So when I got in there, I went to the end back to the hotel, or hotel change when I got to the embassy that me. So what are you doing here? So what do you mean? I suppose the right today, nobody was waiting for me as I no, no, no.

Your plane with high jack kila will try to find out how the help we can get you out of there. That's why when we went, uh, the agent system me on my family to orientally in nineteen seventy, seventy three, they get our passport, our last four of my wife and has said, place of birth, a colorful in a state of fewer for dead so in case I got hi jack, I could claim me as the U. S.

tizer. That was the only time I was the U. S. Tizer by birth. About a year I have got to the passport.

amazing. Did you ever meet phil castro?

No, I wish I had, because you won't be there.

That what do you think of cuban now? He said.

disaster. I don't know how they are still be able to stand the where IT is. The economy is completely on the ground. Uh, I I can understand the people who talk about socialists, who talk about progressive. Uh, look, whatever socially and touch completely destroy.

Look what happened to kill a what what? One of the most prospal island in the fifty eight, you know, the dollar, if you know IT was the q and peso was hired three cent. And the dollar you wanted to buy cuban past, you had to pay one dollar and three cents for the human daughter to say that dominic republic destroy the economy.

Look at venezuela, the richest country in, in, in america, with reserving oil unbelieving. And look out at this, whatever they touch that, destroy that. But I have been very concerned in this country of all of these people talking about socialists, all of that they have no idea what that is.

unfortunate. We have a lot of professor in the university of this idea they had never lived through. That's what I tell people might talk today.

People can tell you what socialism when they had never leave IT. When you live in there, you see what happened. You you understand what socialism is. And we know because we suffered din where our .

own flesh have. You have been back?

No, I can. I have three. This sentencing here. Well, I was back the last I was in one thousand and five, what I A with a team to photograph a soviet of summary basing last year, one year in the I of fine but does the only time that how you you said .

you went back a number of times.

yes.

in the claim and way, how did you get .

in by both destiny? And we have people working for trusting you never work .

about being the trade or executed.

We had to throw that. We had choice. There were, there were people that were betrayal. But I was lucky as really I was very, very logical.

Did they get out the people who help you? Uh.

some of them, they, some of them are still living in there, but they, I mean, but nobody knew that they work. Help us.

You go from key west or how did you?

Well, I was in between two west and we key west and islam. They A A both would because up in their take off to the small boat and then will take off for cua from there for the Operation and circular in out only one thing from the bay of big people who enter you, only one team made by air. They were parachute in only five people.

Most of us entered by both and destine. And there was a group of about five or six who came in through the airport with the real names with cover the story that they were coming back from american universities. But most of all came in destiny by both.

And the mechanism was, we will go to the coast line. There was a reception team there, uh, with light, with this embark. Then there was a guy who take off may be five kilometer into the main highway with a car from the movement with, because off to a safe house, we had to trust them. We had no idea who they were, but we were lucky.

Was anyone from the C. A. And these teams ever caught?

No per personnel from the C I said they never participating in in siq. They even allowed them. The only s involved in that Operation.

We see A A case officer. We don't call IT the controller. We call IT the police officer .

where any of them ever caught, though, by the cuban government?

No, no, no, no I were people did yes yeah from my influence ration theme uh four of them were executed by firing a squad. Uh one of them uh was killed defending a safe house. There were seventeen of them who has spent uh twenty years in q in prison because when the three became to release the begay from prison, our people, even though we were we gay member, were not considered IT who land the military. They consider us a spy because we can so we were not a bar of the exchange of prisoner. So many people from my infiltration thing, I spent eight, twenty years in prison before they were released.

Do they come to the U. S.

When they go out missing?

So a lot of people .

got caught in IT was a disaster.

What do you think? The C. I, now.

it's not what we used to be. Every call in midday, we were given a task. We would run Operation if there is any problem. Then we went to our legal service, you know the cancelled to ask you know how we solve the problem because of the situation are happen in the past that the other ation had lost their retirement. All of that because of Operation.

Now they go, when they are giving a mission, they go to the lawyer first and find out what they can do and what they can not do. And they put the tremendous sadness. Antares, us, uh, my in my time, you could do hell of a lot of more things than they can do right now.

They try their best anyway. But and and the guy who really destroy the C I. A was a huge.

cuter.

well, I might took to chocolate. He told me about that we had very hype attrition, for example. Although I in that mean also, if we had those people, nine, eleven who have never happened when you mi Carter became pressing, he has for a brief in from the C R.

A, he wanted to know how those penetration were handle. So chocolate was the one in hard because he told me person, he was the one in to breathe depression and Carter on that. So he told the president that you have a guy who infant into a cell.

The guy was becoming to to more, more access higher in the organization. He will come up, for example, within Operation, they were going to do a terrorist Operation. So that is a very pragmatic group who will study the Operation.

If what's a very minimal uh, damages, they will allow the Operation to go through because every time you have a guy insight and the Operation failed, they know somebody in filter in there so that you have to allow some Operation to go through with minimal uh, cash. You may got to say he was immoral to do that. So he actually ordered all of those penetration tion to be terminated.

So people that took years to be able to be able to get in and set them in inside the nets, like in alkali or know, so they had to be told, sorry, we cannot support you anymore. We recommend that you leave itself. We cannot pay you anymore and terminated.

So we lost all of our eyes and ears inside the there is grow in human garter. And he, a lot of emphasis on satellite. Satellite doesn't get inside the ahead of people.

So we lost that. But that's why we had nine, eleven. We had to take over the embassy of that.

If we had what we had before, that would never happen. Then he was authorize. But they take a long time to rebuild the type reel of situation.

The C I um IT seems more a military force now than at once did. Do you think that's accurate?

Now we have, we have always, we have the C L A, the C L A, A military branch. We have our own, for example, air force. We have our own navy.

With different specific equipment that nobody else has, have been developed for a special Operation with us. There is a per militaria, which I did belong to those we used to call a special Operation division. Now they call a special activity division that Operates the Operation area that and they do a tremendous the the thing that we never get recognized forward.

People are blame. The C I is blame for many things that happen. But there is a lot of success that can never be told. But we have save a lot of life in the product and nobody know about and they can take created for of the situation we have in our words several uh star with h more than hundred people have die um within the C I A even had the name in their only one star because they were so classified and that the the name never appear. So you have to be dedicated to do that because you one of the organization that received very leader credit .

and do a lot of what what do you think this countries going right now?

Well, I hope to change uh, a lot of people used to say, good, he could not happen here. A lot of people to say he could not happen the day after we're happy in Q, O, what I have seen all the place and concern about this country. I hope that we can regain the presidency, because so this thing goes to what they call socialists.

I would be a disaster. We would never know unstated with this. I concerned because I know what happened. And you will. unfortunate. We have a lot of professor, high level university who are less this, whose brainwashing the head of a lot of our bright a student, and does IT very concerned to me.

Have you seen at other countries.

but modern, united, any place, cells they have concentrate and arrested because they know the importance of the united. And that's what i've really concern in this country here. I think this common election is very important animal, who hell is going to be the president? But if democratic, the power and there and they continue where they are with the open border.

And all of that in a few years we will know know the another day you were this. Now, today we can lost the another day. I, I never thought I could say that, but now I could say that I am very concerned.

How can IT be stopped? Well.

I hope that people realize what's going on, or always going on another day. And people realized and and vote intelligently time see the reality was going on. And I would say what I think people in intelligent be able to understand that.

Looking back my last question, if you could do .

something different .

with your life, would you have IT? Seems like you got into this kind of amazing line of work almost accidentally.

I always wanted to be a civil engineer. Really, really. Uh, my grand song now is in the thirty years of civilian area, the university of washington, washington university.

But that's what I wanted to be. And look of history took me to different place. I was never able to graduate from high.

I grade, from school, from never from university. My son, my daughter did, my wife did when he was about universities. But I don't complain.

I think that I had the a live, that I can sit myself and think that I contribute a little bit uh, to have a Better world that we have to date. And I don't regret what I did. No one bit of IT.

We certainly had the most interesting life, almost anyone i've ever talk to. So that's thank you. So a lot you thank you very much for time.