BROWARD SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
CAREY CODD CBS 4 NEWS.
FORMER CIA CONTACTOR BEN
HOSS WAS A NAVY SEAL AND IS OUT
WITH A NEW BOOK .
HE IS DETAILING FOR THE
FIRST TIME WHAT HE SAYS REALLY
HAPPENED WITH A GROUP OF CUBAN
MEN WHO TOOK PART IN THE BAY OF
PIGS INVASION THEN RECRUITED TO
TAKE ON CASTRO IN THE CONGO.
HERE IS OUR STORY FROM CBS
FOURS HANK TESTER.
REPORTER: JIM HAZEN AMERICAN
BUSINESSMAN MIXING WITH CUBAN
AMERICAN BAY OF PIGS VETERANS.
IT'S A BIG TURNOUT. JIM IS A
SPECIAL TO A SMALL GROUP OF
THESE CUBAN-AMERICANS.
IN THE MID 60s, JIM HAAS, NAVY
SEAL WENT OVER, CIA, COMMAND
WHAT WAS KNOWN AS THE CONGO
NAVY.
THE CIA BACK TO THE BAY OF PIGS
INVASION IS A WELL-KNOWN STORY
BUT EVEN IN MIAMI THE EXPLOITS
OF ANTI-CASTRO CUBAN PILOTS,
COMBAT VETERANS AND NAVY
PERSONNEL IN AFRICA IS BARELY
KNOWN.
AFTER THE BAY OF PIGS, THE
EXILES HAD ANOTHER SHOT AT THE
CASTRO'S..
IN THE CONGO WITH ABOUT 200
CUBAN TROOPS ATTEMPTING TO
BOLSTER THE RUSH AND IN CHINESE
ATTEMPTS TO CONTROL THE CONGO
AND THAT COUNTRY'S VAST MINERAL
RESOURCES INCLUDING URANIUM.
GUEVERA HAD DREAMS OF A
COMMUNIST TAKEOVER ON THE
AFRICAN CONTINENT.
HE AND HIS COMMUNIST SUPPORTERS
FAILED. IN TERMS OF
STABILIZING THE COUNTRY AT THE
TIME AND IN DOING WHAT WAS IN
U.S. INTEREST AT THE TIME,
GIVEN ALL OF THE CONTRACTS
GOING ON , IT WAS A GREAT
SUCCESS .
THE STORY TOLD IN THE BOOK
CALLED COLD WAR NAVY SEAL, CIA
OPERATED SWIFT TO PREVENT BACK
TROOPS AND SUPPLIES FROM
FILTERING INTO THE CONGO.
ORIGINALLY USED IN THE CARIBBEAN
BUT THE GOVERNMENT DISMANTLED
AND FLOWN TO THE CONGO AND SIT
OUT ON THE LAKE WITH CUBAN
CREWS, CUBANS WHO WERE NOT U.S.
CITIZENS BUT HAD PERFECT SKILLS
AND EXPERIENCE.
THE CIA BRANCH WAS NERVOUS.
NERVOUS IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT,
THEY REALLY DIDN'T WANT -- THEY
THOUGHT IT WOULD BE
EMBARRASSING FOR THE U.S. TO
HAVE CUBA INVOLVED, THEY WERE
NERVOUS ABOUT THAT.
BECAUSE PLAUSIBLE DENIABILITY
WAS THE CLANDESTINE NATURE OF
THE OPERATION .
THE STORY OF THE CIA'S AIR,
GROUND AND NAVAL OPERATIONS IN
THE CONGO TOLD IN BLACK AND
WHITE PHOTOS IN ONE CORNER OF
THE MUSEUM, MOST ALL INVOLVED,
CUBAN VETERANS AND ADMISSION
GEARS BECOME COMMON AS THE
STORIES ARE WELL-KNOWN .
WE HONOR THE CODE.
THERE WAS NO ONE ELSE TO TELL
IT.
IT'S A STORY OF SUCCESS, THE
CONGO DID NOT FALL TO THE
COMMUNIST BACKED REBELS AND
ATTEMPTING TO ESCAPE ACROSS
LAKE TANGANYIKA RAN INTO THE
CIA NAVY.
THERE WAS A FIREFIGHT ON THE
WATER AND THEY ALMOST GOT HIM .
A FEW DAYS LATER WE HAD
INFORMATION THAT HE WAS THE ONE
THAT ESCAPED .
THE CIA CONTRACTORS FILTERED
OUT OF THE CONGO AS QUIETLY AS
THEY ARRIVED. IT'S THE MOST
SUCCESSFUL OPERATION UP TO THAT
TIME IN THE HISTORY OF THE U.S.
GOVERNMENT.
THE END RESULT WAS NO
COMMUNIST TAKEOVER OF THE CONGO
AND THOSE IN THE CIA OPERATION
CONTINUED THEIR ANTI-CASTRO
ENDEAVORS AND MANY BECAME U.S.