Hijacking suspects sought freedom

The six took control of a Cuban plane and diverted it to the Florida Keys, officials say.

©Associated Press
March 21, 2003

KEY WEST -- Six men who hijacked a Cuban airliner at knifepoint and diverted it to the Florida Keys hoped to seek asylum in the United States, officials said on Thursday.

Instead, the men, ranging in age from 21 to 31, face federal air piracy charges that could result in 20 years in prison.

Officials said the six took control of the twin-engine Douglas DC-3, carrying 25 other passengers and six crew members, as it headed from Cuba's Isle of Youth to Havana Wednesday night and diverted it to Key West International Airport.

The crew and other passengers, including five children, were taken Thursday to Krome Detention Center in Miami-Dade County for questioning. Jacqueline Becerra, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Miami, said some passengers or crew members may request asylum.

All the passengers were Cuban except one, an Italian, said Barbara Gonzalez, spokeswoman for the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection.

Under federal law, Cubans who arrive on U.S. soil are generally allowed to remain if they desire.

The alleged hijackers were jailed in Monroe County. They were arraigned before a federal magistrate Thursday, each on a charge of conspiracy to seize an aircraft by force and violence, which is punishable by a minimum of 20 years in prison, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. Their next court appearance is Tuesday. They had not been assigned attorneys as of late Thursday.

As the alleged hijackers were led from Key West's federal courthouse back to their holding cells, they were asked by reporters why they took over the plane. One after another, the men replied: "For freedom."

FBI spokeswoman Judy Orihuela said that shortly after the plane took off, the hijackers, some armed with 12-inch knives, overpowered a flight attendant and forced him to the back of the plane. As the plane was making its final approach to Havana, they broke through the cockpit door, removed four of the crew and restrained them with tape and rope. They then ordered the two pilots to fly to Key West, Orihuela said. None of the crew or passengers was injured.

Air traffic controllers at Miami International Airport saw the plane on radar about 7:45 p.m. and were unable to make voice contact. Fighter jets scrambled from Homestead Air Force Reserve Base and a U.S. Customs helicopter escorted the plane to Key West. The hijackers then surrendered to airport police on the tarmac. The plane, operated by the Cuban airline Aerotaxi, took off from Nueva Gerona, the principal city on the small Isle of Youth, said a Cuban official. The Isle of Youth is about 185 miles south-southwest of Key West.

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