When Cuban Air Force Brigadier General Rafael del Pino Diaz boarded a small Cessna 402 one afternoon last week along with his wife and three children, he apparently told Cuban airport authorities that he merely intended to take a flying jaunt around the island. Instead, he headed for Key West Naval Air Station 90 miles away. Picked up by radar, the Cessna attracted the attention of two F-16 fighters, but they allowed Del Pino to pass after clearance from the control tower. Upon landing, the general turned himself over to U.S. military and immigration officials, becoming the highest-ranking officer to defect...
Hero To Go: A Cuban general's flight
A Cuban general's flight
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