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Omega 7

Omega 7 was a fanatical anti-Castro Cuban exile group founded in 1975 by Eduardo Arocena to keep alive the fight of the Cuban exiles against Castro's communist Government of Cuba. Since its inception, this group, under the guise of fighting communism, had committed nearly fifty terrorist acts by 1983 , including political assassination. Its primary targets were representatives and/or property of the Cuban Government or any individual, organization, or business that dealt with or supported, in any way, the incumbent Government of Cuba.

Many people tried to get in on the action in Miami in the early 1960s. These included crooks, Mafia arms dealers, and all other kinds of unsavory characters. On at least one occasion, con men also got involved in the Cold War frenzy. Some Cuban exiles were tricked into giving money to a person claiming to have CIA affiliations. The con man was only using exile patriots to line his own pockets.

Many of the most important Cuban exile groups — such as Alpha 66, Commandos L, the infamous Omega 7 — established their headquarters in Miami and played an important role in the official and unofficial efforts to remove Castro’s communist government from the island. The exile groups often provided cover for the CIA when Cuban security officials discovered clandestine CIA operations. Whenever Castro accused the U.S. government of meddling in Cuban affairs, the U.S. government could assign blame to one of the many Miami-based Cuban exile groups. Of course, these groups were frequently established, trained, and paid by the CIA.

The history of these groups is controversial. When the CIA removed official sanction for these groups, they showed a disturbing tendency to attack each other. Disagreement within the exile community about the proper course of action to take against Castro resulted in bombings, murders, and terror campaigns. The exiles, having learned many dirty tricks from the CIA, often practiced their newfound skills on those whose politics did not mesh exactly with their own ideology.

While the majority of exiles were lawabiding citizens, some hard- line right wing elements of the exile community resorted to violence in order to settle disputes. These elements were often connected to the Batista regime and its associated corruption and violence. Several key Omega 7 activists, including Eduardo Arocena, were indicted by a Federal grand jury and tried on charges stemming from their knowledge of and/or involvement in Omega 7 terrorist acts in the United States.

On January 11, 1983, at approximately 11:37 p.m., an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) detonated at the Padron Cigar Company, Miami, Florida, causing moderate structural damage to the building. The owner of the company has previously espoused open trade with the current Government of Cuba. Pieces of Omega 7 stickers were found at the scene.

On January 12, 1983, shortly after midnight, an unexploded IED was located next to the office of "Replica Magazine," Miami, Florida. The device was rendered safe with a water cannon by members of the Miami Police Department bomb squad. "Replica Magazine," according to Omega 7, portrayed views sympathetic to Castro's Government.

On January 12, 1983, shortly after midnight, another IED detonated at the office of the Paradise International Company, Miami, Florida, causing moderate damage to the building. Sections of Omega 7 stickers were found at the scene. During the early morning hours of January 12, 1983, the owners of the Paradise International Company received a telephone call at their residence from an unknown Latin male who stated he was speaking on behalf of the Omega 7 and that the next bomb would be placed in their vehicle. It should be noted that Paradise International Company specialized in sending packages and medicine to Cuba.

On May 27, 1983, a bomb exploded at the Continental Bank, Miami, Florida, causing partial destruction. A communique was placed in the Spanish paper, "El Mundo," on June 14, 1983, declaring Omega 7 as being responsible for the bombing. The motive claimed for the bombing, according to the communique, was that the bank was a place where plans were plotted and secret dialogues were held with the purpose of continuously strengthening the Cuban tyrant and his ruler, Soviet Imperialism.

On October 12, 1983, at approximately 5:20 a.m., a pipe bomb and several molotov cocktails were hurled onto the roof of the El Primer Titan Market, Miami, Florida. Some of the molotov cocktails did not explode; therefore, damage to the roof was minimal. At approximately 5:30 a.m., on October 12, 1983, WRHC, a Spanish-speaking radio station in Miami, Florida, received an anonymous call from a Latin male who stated, "Omega 7 claims responsibility for the bombing at El Primer Titan because they (the owners) were communists.