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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Supreme Court Rejects Appeal of Cuban Spies

(CN) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday turned down an appeal by five convicted Cuban spies who argued that they didn't get a fair trial in Miami, where the jury pool was biased.

The high court left intact the 11th Circuit's decision upholding the convictions of five Cuban intelligence agents who spied on the U.S. military and Cuban exiles in Florida.

The so-called "Cuban Five" belonged to an intelligence network called La Red Avispa. During a mission dubbed "Operacion Escorpion," Cuban military jets shot down two private aircraft over international waters, killing four men.

After a politically charged six-month trial in Miami, the Cuban Five were convicted of espionage, and one agent was convicted of conspiracy to murder.

The Atlanta-based federal appeals court upheld their convictions last June, but vacated and remanded the sentences of three defendants. Ruben Campa, Luis Medina and Antonio Guerrero successfully challenged their sentence enhancements.

The court upheld the sentences of Gerardo Hernandez and Rene Gonzalez.

The Supreme Court declined to review the case without comment.

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