Former Teen CIA Recruit on The Bay of Pigs

The Takeaway

In the Spring of 1960, the CIA began a covert plan to overthrow the Cuban Prime Minister Fidel Castro. The idea was to invade Cuba in a coup d’etat. There were already counter-revolutionary forces in the Escambray Mountains. But the CIA wanted a home-grown group. In Miami, the CIA began recruiting among the anti-Castro Cuban exiles and turned them into the Brigade 2506. Trained and armed by the CIA, on April 17, 1961 they landed at the Bahia de Cochinos in Cuba –  the Bay of Pigs. Joining us from Miami, Florida is Humberto Martinez, who at 16 years old was the youngest member of Brigade 2506. We got in touch with Humbert through our friends at WLRN South Florida.

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