Cuba: Assassination Attempts
Prior to the scheduled invasion of Cuba by Cuban exiles in April 1961, the CIA attempted to have Cuban leader Fidel Castro assassinated. To help set up the assassination, the CIA enlisted Robert Maheu, a former FBI agent , who was later to direct billionaire Howard Hughes' Nevada businesses. Maheu recruited John Roselli to arrange for the murder attempt. The CIA assigned two operatives, James O'Connell and William Harvey, to accompany Roselli on his trips to Miami to put together the assassination teams. The first attempt to kill Castro, made in March or early April 1961, was a failure. Five more assassination teams were subsequently sent against the Cuban leader in the next two years. All ended in failure. The lastattempt was made in late February or early March 1963.
