[Ppnews] Five charges against Robert Ferro, but not one on terrorism

[Political Prisoner News]

GRANMA INTERNATIONAL
Havana. May 22, 2006
http://www.granma.cu/ingles/2006/mayo/lun22/22ferro.html

Five charges against Robert Ferro, but not one on terrorism

BY JEAN-GUY ALLARD—Special for Granma International—

ROBERT Ferro, the Cuban-American arrested in California in possession
of 1,571 machine guns, grenades and rifles ­ the biggest arms cache
seized in U.S. history, according to that country's federal
authorities ­ has been formally indicted on five counts of illegal
weapons possession, the Los Angeles Times reported on May 20.

However, federal prosecutors have not brought any charges of
conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism, in spite of confessions by
the suspect, who told investigators that he was preparing an armed
attack on Cuba.

Charges of conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism have been brought
recently against other suspects. But, scandalously, Bush's federal
prosecutors have not been capable to date of taking to the courts the
masterminds behind acts of terrorism against Cuba, or individuals who
preach the use of terror or support terrorism against the island.

Ferro, a former U.S. Army Special Forces officer, has admitted
belonging to the terrorist group Alpha 66. The 61-year-old is
currently being held without bail at the West Valley Detention Center
in Rancho Cucamonga. A hearing has been set for Wednesday, May 24, in
U.S. district court in Riverside.

Several of the weapons seized were illegal. Each count of possession
carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

The (tolerated) terrorist group Alpha 66, from Miami, has denied that
this individual appears "on their list of 50,000 members" (sic).
However, Ferro's defense lawyer, Wayne M. Rozenberg, has said on
several occasions to the local media that the group took that stance
because it is a "secret" organization.

The terrorist Cuban-American group, with offices in Miami, has a long
history of carrying out criminal actions against Cuba, including in
California, where the group has an "official representative," Miguel
Talleda.

Several well-known Miami-based terrorists, including René Cruz Cruz,
Ernesto Díaz Rodríguez, Eusebio de Jesus Peñalver Mazorra, Angel
Francisco D'fana (or De Fana) Serrano, Jorge "Guiro" Barrego Amat,
Alfredo Menocal, Frank Castro, Orlando Atienza, Rafael Rodríguez,
Ramón Rodríguez and Guillermo Novo Sampol, have been implicated in
terrorist attacks committed on the U.S. west coast.

Peñalver Mazorra, who was also implicated in a conspiracy to kill
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, died on May 18 in Miami, at the age
of 71.

Ferro himself was charged in the early `90s with running a
paramilitary camp on a chicken farm in Pomona, California to "train
some Mexicans to invade Cuba."

This time, Ferro affirms categorically that Alpha 66 paid for the
weapons, according to a legal document submitted to the court.

Robert Ferro's indictment comes at the same time as a Florida court's
announcement that it would not consider the charges against mafioso
ringleader Santiago Álvarez and his buddy Osvaldo Mitat, charged with
possessing several automatic weapons. Their friend and accomplice,
Luis Posada Carriles, has changed strategies, and has now refused to
testify before federal Judge Cohn.

Since the death of its former leader, Nazario Sargen, Alpha 66 has
been led by Ernesto Díaz Rodríguez, 66, who continues, with impunity,
to call for the use of violence against Cuba, in open violation of
U.S. and international laws against terrorism, without any
intervention by authorities.

Several international agreements ban not only the perpetration of
terrorist acts and conspiracy to commit them, but also the raising of
funds or resources for carrying out terrorist acts, or even simply
support of organizations dedicated to such actions on a national or
international scale, something that occurs every day with impunity in
the United States, particularly in the state of Florida, when it has
to do with Cuba.

The U.S. president himself sent a thank-you letter for "support" to
the terrorist organization Alpha 66, on June 2, 2005, and invited
several of its members to participate in meetings at the White House.

Meanwhile, five Cubans who infiltrated groups, which the Bush clan
has given protection to, continue to be abducted, held in five
different U.S. prisons.

The Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 863-9977
www.freedomarchives.org 
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