Ex-CIA Agent on Capturing Che Guevara, Who Truly Killed JFK, and Election Predictions

this is the last photograph of Cuban. revolutionary CH guara alive it was. taken in Bolivia in 1967 it's a very. famous photograph um probably familiar. to most people watching this this man. standing right there is not familiar to. most people watching this he should be. he's about to be his name is Felix. Rodriguez he's a longtime CI officer in. the operations directorate and um and he. joins us now to explain this picture and. to tell us about his life Mr Rodriguez. thank you very much pleasure to be here.

so um it's a it's a remarkable picture. and the longer I look at it the more I. think that um can you tell us where this. was and what was happening well that was. uh in liera Bolivia that's where he was. captured and I I came in with the. helicopter with the colonel in charge of. the operation and after a while I got to. talk to him and I even thought about. taking the picture but while I was. talking to him the pilot of the. helicopter came with a camera from the. head of intelligence who wanted a. picture with SH so I asked him Commander. do you mind he say no so we took him out.

of the schoolhouse and gave my camera to. the pilot and he took that. picture what so so you talked to guar. what of course what what were the. circumstances he' been captured by. Bolivian soldiers is that right yes Yes. actually uh they thought that he had. been killing Africa but then when they. captured de BR ustu who was a a French U. intellectual and then a a newspaper guy. from Argentina they confirmed that Shara. was was there so as long as they.

understood that he was there they sent a. Special Forces Unit from Panama to train. a special Battalion to operate against. him because the Bolivian didn't have any. experience and then they sent a couple. of us from the CIA to provide them with. intelligence and the reason they s all. because we were not US citizen at the. time Vietnam was taking place and there. were people coming back in plastic back. from Vietnam and they didn't want any. American coming back and plastic back. from the Latin America at the time we. were not even res residents we were not.

citizens so we didn't fall into the. Restriction of Ambassador Henderson. that's why we were able to go there so. you were working for the CIA full-time. obviously carrying a weapon obviously. but not a US citizen yes what was Chay. like that day when I first a lot of. people ask me you know what I thought. about sh sh at the time was nobody she. became a figure after he was dead Cuba. made him a figure yes after after War. even though they were the one who sent.

him to be killed uh Fidel could not. stand him there because Fidel depended. on the Soviet Union Shara was. pro-chinese so when he was in Africa in. 1965. 64 uh all the weapon he received was. from Red China and then he didn't want. to go back to Cuba he went to hire in in. the Czech Republic and they had to send. people to convince him to go back to. Cuba and to give him an opportunity in. another place but when he was sent to. Bolivia was definitely mind for him to. be killed because the Soviet didn't want.

him to be any successful because they. knew that Shay was pro-chinese and if he. took a revolution in there would be. toward the Chinese and at the time the. Chinese and the Soviet hated each other. very much so when he was sent to Bolivia. his transmitter was not even working in. December of 66 when they had a dinner. with Mario M the head of the Communist. Party of Bolivia who had been with Fidel. two months before complet complete prish. he told the Bolivian uh guerillas that. were with Shay if they stay with Shay. they were expelled from the Communist. Party.

and then they had a a officer in. intelligence that they had sent to laas. Rena Monto to help him and as soon as he. was inen with all 17 people they took. him out of the the picture and told Shay. that they had to take him out because. his Visa had expired and actually he was. a Bolivian citizen by then so he was. definitely sent there to be killed by. Cuba because he could not succeed. because it will be a revolution that. will be Pro Chinese and Cuba depended on. the Soviet. Union so he's he's obviously he's a. prisoner in this picture um does he know.

when this was taken that he's about to. die not at that time no so what happened. in the moments after this. picture well in in the sequence first of. all when we arrived with the helicopter. on the following date uh which is the. 9th of October in Monday uh we came to. the room with the officers and he would. not talk to anybody cor was trying to. interrogate him he look at him he didn't. say any word to the point the guy said. look you invaded my country the least. you can have the courtesy of answering.

me he didn't say a word so when we. finished that I came out I asked all his. documentation to photograph it from my. government and the col order his back be. given to me and he had some Chinese code. books he have some picture of his family. some medicament for his asthma inside. and he had a diary it's a German book. was written in Spanish that's his diary. so I photographed all of that uh then. while I was there they came and used. that the Great telephone call at the. getas and I was the highest ranking.

officer uh so the there was definitely. the orders to execute him we had a very. simple code 500 shed 600 kill him 700. keep him alive so he came 500 600 which. Colonel senteno came out I told him I. said look this order from y High. Bolivian command to eliminate the. prisoner the order from my Government. tried to keep him alive at all cost so. we have helicopters to take him to. Panama for interrogation so he look at. me and say Felix my name was Felix Ramos. he said uh we you have been very hateful.

to us helpful to us but this is order. from my president he looked at his watch. and he said the helicopter is going to. come several time bringing food and. ammunition taking our wound and our dead. but after 2:00 he's going to come up and. pick up check's dead body you can jti. shate him any way you want because we. know how much harm he have done to your. country so I said M Corell try to make. the change their mind but it does not. change in mind I give view my word of. Honor I will bring you dead body of sh. so we Embrace and he left and sure.

enough the helicopter came several time. that's when the major came and asked for. a for a picture with the prisoner then I. started waiting and see what happened. and then there was a a school teacher. who came to me and said said why are you. going to kill him I said why do you say. that I said look we saw saw that you. took a picture of him outside and look. the radio is already giving the news so. at that that point I knew there was. nothing else to be done uh so I got into. the room I stood in front of thing and. said Commander I'm sorry I Tred my best. he white like a piece of paper and he.

said it's better this way you have never. been captured alive so you told CH grar. he was about to be killed yes in a way. the way I say say I'm sorry I tried my. best he understood what I was saying. then he took his pipe out on S to give. this pipe to a soldo who treated me well. and at that time major Sergeant Teran. who he knew was the one executing the. the life prisoner burst into the. room I want the pipe and she say no I. won't give it to you so I ordered him. three times to leave the room when he.

did I look at she I said would you give. it to me she see I will give it to you. so I put my pipe here I say any want. anything you want for your family then I. will say in a sarcastic way he say well. if you can't tell Fidel he will soon see. a triumphant revolution in America then. he changed expression and saying if you. can't tell my wife to Remar and try to. be happy that was his last word he. approached me we shook hand we embrace. it was a very uh strange unique moment. in my life because we never order.

prisoner to be executed at the time I. even thought about cutting the telephone. line and telling the pilot that my. government was able to convince them to. bring share life and I remember what. happened when Batista released Fidel. Castro and what happened to my country. so I told myself look this is not your. word you're here to advise not to. command this is the Bolivian decision so. let history wrong itself so I let it go. the way it was and that was the the end. of it and what happened to Jay at that. point well after we embrace uh which was.

like I say very strange moment for me. because he was My Enemy at the same time. I I feel sorry for him he conducted. himself with dignity at the end I left. the room and there was Sergeant Teran I. told him that not shoot to from here. down up shoot from here down because he. man supposed to die from combat one see. me capan see me capan and he left so it. was 1:00 in the afternoon Bolivian time. when I left there about 1:15 I heard the. burst and that's the time that he was. killed executed so they just shot him in. the room he was shot by M2 carabin that.

was borrowed by this sergeant from. Lieutenant Paris who had an automatic. carabin I understand because I was in. present he came in and said Shar I'd. like to talk to you and uh he told him. said look I know you're coming to kill. me he said no no we are not going to. kill you you're wor you was more our. life than that and then he told him I. know you you want you to know you're. going to kill a man so he open fire sh. went like this or is a bullet that hit. here which is normal reaction to try to. cover yourself uh so he was shot and.

killed I came back few hours later with. two of the captains from the operation. Captain G PR and celo torelli and we got. into the room his his head was facing. the the the ceiling he was covered with. mud uh so there was a dead body of two. Cuban behind him that have been killing. operation one was Captain panoan another. captain from the Cuban Army who died in. combat so we Embrace him there and and K. plow semi capan we have finished in the. gorillas in LA America and I told him.

capan we haven't finished it at least we. have delayed them for a long time so we. could hear the helicopter coming and. they immediately left so I asked for a. bucket of water I clean his face I took. all the mud out of his face I tried to. clo his YW with my handkerchief which I. lost in the helicopter with the wind and. then I tried to close his eyes and it. was impossible they have been open too. long so I tried to close it pop up again. several times so I gave up on it so we. took the body and we tie at the right. side of the helicopter. and while we're finishing to do that I.

remember tied it to the struts of the. helicopter to the to right right pontoon. of the helicopter on the right side and. I remember the the the pilot I capan. moved forward to balance the helicopter. so I put my hand under him and pulled it. out when he brought it out was. completely covered with blood apparently. it was shot in the aorta and see these. plastic things are and didn't allow any. water to go through it was a big pool of. blood in there I look at it I didn't say. anything but I thought to myself there.

are people who have blood in their hands. I have the hell of a lot of here so I. clean the blood and this right side of. my pants I came in and then a soldier. came and said mayor mayor father sheers. went to see him so we stood with. helicopter running for maybe a couple of. minutes and there was a priest who came. on a on a mule he came around uh he get. down of the mule and he gave him the. last benediction which I took picture of. it with a Mino camera that I have left I. thought to myself this this guy was an. at he didn't believe in God nevertheless.

he received the ra Ritual from the. Catholic church and from there we took. off and then we landed the inag grand. there were thousands of people waiting. at the wrong way there was like 15. different plane from the Press from the. military waiting for the for for him to. arrive so I put my cap and run into the. people so I my picture was never taken. and then he was taken into Schoolhouse. excuse me to a hospital seor de Malta. then in the evening there was a a a. meeting and the general was telling a.

colonel if if Fidel deny this is Shara. we need tangible proof of it cut his. head and put him for Malahide so I said. meal you cannot do that I say why not. say supposedly Fidel Deni this is Shara. you are ah head of a state you cannot. show the head of a human being a proof. said well what do you suggest I said. well you want some tangible proof of it. CAU one finger and we have the. fingerprint from the Argentinian federal. police and he can be checked so so he. ordered both hand to be cut so I left.

with all the documentation for Santa. Cruz and my other friend is staying. there and then about 3 or 4:00 in the. morning when the Press was gone uh they. took his body they cut both hands and. put him for Malahide and two other. bodies and they took it to the very end. of the wrong way and they bury him in. there with two bodies there was a. bulldozer there who was uh making longer. the wrong way than he was buried right. there now later on years later when. Fidel said he found the body on the side. of the wrong way with sving all the body.

I can assure you that was not Shara. because he wasn't buried there amazing. and so what did you do it was 1967 it. was back up really quickly you're you. born in Cuba right how did when did you. come to the United States I came in 1954. for a school I came to perky prep in. penor Pennsylvania I spent six years in. there seven and8th grade in my high. school and I actually uh went off um my. last year to go to the first person that. was against Castro was the.

anti-communist Legion of the Caribbean. the Dominican Republic so I participated. in that operation when I was 17 18 years. old and I came back and then after. graduation I was accepted at the. University of Miami for civil. engineering but before I went there I. learned there was something going on in. Latin America against Castro I joined. where later became the Bay of pig. Invasion I was 19 year old at the time. what was your role in the Bay of Pigs. invasion I was part of what they call. the special forces or INF ation thing so.

I was a group of about 36 people we got. into Cuba a month and a half before The. Invasion to work with the resistant I. Came In clandestinely by boat I start. working inside the island uh helping. with them with all kind of equipment and. trying to do an uising another area then. actually the Bay of pig surprise us. because they never told us anything if. they had being able to tell us that the. invasion was coming we had enough. explosive to be able maybe to blow some. bridges toward the Bay of pig and delay.

the advancement of Castro troop but they. never told anything we learned through. the Cuban radio so at that time was lo I. was able to make it through the. Venezuelan Embassy where I spent five. and a half months in Havana in Havana. and then finally got safe conduct went. back to Venezuela at the end of. September how did you get from the Bay. of Pigs to Havana that's a long way. isn't it it wasn't in the Bay of pig I. landed near Havana a month and a half. before the Bay of Pigs I'm working with. the resistant you know we had a. mechanism of the of the internal.

resistant to pick us up near the highway. and then take off to safe houses in. Havana then we start working with them. in there during that time so I wasn't at. the B of PE at the time and I was lucky. because I didn't have any idea of any. Embassy in there but the lady who was. driving me around was close connected to. the Espanish Embassy and the. spaner Alejandro vgar who was in charge. of they called propaganda actually was. Intelligence came to pick her up because. they were surrounding our building. building Fidel very successfully what he.

did he surrounded every single block in. Havana and if you wear a male a military. agan you were not assigned to a military. unit even though you might have been. even a communist they will take you and. put in custody they were baseball field. with 250,000 Cubans in there a theater. that capacity for 5,000 people 5,500 so. they were able to disarticulate internal. resistance that way even they pick up. some of my friend that came in and then. they released them because they had no. idea who they were but I was lucky to.

make it to the Venezuelan Embassy and. then back back into um into Miami. actually I got to Miami on the very. first of October of 1961 and then by the. end of October I was back inside Cuba. went back seven times because I was the. only one who left the contact open after. the failure of the Bay of Pi to bring. people and equipment in and for. intelligence. purpos what what kind of equipment were. you bringing in oh we were bringing. explosive were bringing in M3 machine.

guns uh all kind hand grenades and all. those in that they were still bringing. in to be able to support a future. resistance but then it didn't work out. then I decided actually in 1962 I. decided to marry my present wife for 62. years and I told her I said look Rosa uh. I'm going to quit I'm going to go into. civilian life but I want you to know if. there is something serious about Cuba I. will go so she made the mistake of. agreeing to that because we we got. married in the 25th of August I start.

working a company for $1 an hour called. called is letter service propaganda then. I was improving toing packaging company. $135 an hour so while I was working. there and remember I got married 25th of. August in the in the month of October I. got a call from a CIA guy and said look. I need to talk to you after you work at. that company so I went to see him at the. parking lot of the uh Howard and Johnson. across from the University of Miami I. sit in his car and I say Felix the. Marines are going to land in Cuba we.

need you I look at him and say Tom if. the Marine is going to land in Cuba what. the hell do you need me for good point. he said well you know how to operate a. radio Beacon we like you to parachute. behind a Soviet missile base in Santa. Clara to set up a radio Beacon so that. our air force can hit with Precision the. airbase at the time we didn't have the. GPS system that we have today so at that. time I agreed so they took me to a safe. house and my basic training was romping. from different altitude uh and the three. point of contact didn't break a leg I.

couldn't even call my wife my wife went. back to the to the apartment and and of. course that night when Kennedy went on. National Television declared the October. crisis so she realized was something. related to that so the day we were going. to parachute into Cuba the day the Cru. Chef backed down the operation and then. you know I after that was had a job so. then I continued to work with the CIA. for how long oh until 1976 when they. retired me for for security. consideration after Colonel senteno NAA.

who I was his advisor was assassinated. in Paris uh he was the Bolivian ambassad. there and he was killed and they left a. sign saying the sheara Commando then. they also assassinated major quania was. the colonel then Roberto kintan in. Hamburg Germany who was the consul. General from Bolivia there also left a. sign saying uh Commando Shara and they. call my home and say Felix Ramos you're. next that's the name that I use in. Bolivia that never came out so the. agency proposed me one of those program.

to change my name and go to another. state which I would not accept because. of my kids so what they did they came to. my home they did a security evaluation. they uh actually gave me a bulletproof. car they bulletproof my car in in. Langley Virginia I got a license to. carry concealed weapon that was. difficult to get at the time and they. gave me a total disability I didn't have. to work to have a routine of work and. put some iron fences in my house some. security and then I signed a paper for.

them if I got killed related to my job. my family could not show you know they. could not sue them in any way of form. because what they offer me that they. consider I refuse to but then after that. I continue independently to do something. like I went in into El Salvador uh. flying with Salvadorian guill as a. volunteer with a concept that I. developed in Vietnam where I spent two. and a half years in Vietnam after. Bolivia and um he was very effective in. El Salvador when he was there what were. you doing in Vietnam as a CI officer.

well that my responsibility was to stop. the rocketing of Saigon and the. rocketing of the both g into Saigon we. were advising unit called the pru. provincial reconnaissant unit a CIA unit. who was managed paid and controlled by. the CIA and it was almost impossible to. stop the rocketing of Saigon and it did. it for for psychological reason every. week there will be one or two 122 Point. uh Soviet missiles going into the city. at random normally they tried to hit the.

presidential Palace and the US Embassy. which they never did but it was a. psychological SC and we start looking in. area it was impossible to locate these. people until I was able to capture one. uh who was The Bodyguard of tutan the. commander of that unit and he told me. that they were hiding in an area that we. never thought of because there was the. tie of the water will come up like 17 ft. and what they did he told me they had 55. gallon drums they solder one on top of. the other thought they sleeping there. when the water went up when the water. went down they run across the river they.

fired the rocket into the area and then. they came back and hide again then I. start looking in that area which we. never did before and actually on the 4th. of December of 19 70 I was able to. establish contact with the commander of. the unit we killed like 18 of them we. lost three of our pru and from there on. we continue the pressure and there was. not a single Rock of fire into sa after. that and for that I got equal to the the. Congressional Medal of Honor from the. Vietnamese his armed forces called the.

the um the cross of gallantry was gold. star I got one of that two silver star. and six bronze star during the time that. I was with the with them then I got the. intelligence star for from the CIA. because of the operation in Vietnam I'm. sure you've been asked us a thousand. times but since you worked there you. worked for President Kennedy yes and he. was of course killed in November of 1963. and countless books have been written. blaming Cuban Exiles people participated. in the Bay of Pigs for being involved in.

some way with the CIA in that. assassination what's your assessment of. that claim well I'll tell you most of. the Brigade member believes uh president. Kenn was a traitor and he was the one. who definitely he had the responsibility. and he was responsible or was. failure looking from another point I. believe he was a young president ill. advised and we PID the price and I. believe that actually he was killed. because he tried to amend that uh after. he was able to pull the Brigade out of.

prison he opened the Arm Forces of the. United States for the Brigade members. out became a second lieutenant in the US. Army in 196 63 and then he promised us a. special operation which was started in. Central America in three different bases. and not not many many people know about. it but then he was assassinated and a. lot of people believe that it was only. one shooter I believe there were two. shooter uh we have information that. there was a Cuban which is now a retired. General Fabian Escalante who was a. captain at the time who was in Dallas.

and he was the second shooter in the. assassination of the president well you. just okay I'm sorry will you say that. one more time what's his name Pavan. Escalante Escalante Pavan ESC and he was. in Dallas that that day and then he left. uh it was something that and and Castro. said that that he knew that cu the. United State was trying to kill him but. be very careful because the Cuban also. had very long hand so it wasn't matter. either Kennedy or or or or. I think that that's why he got killed so.

you believe that Kennedy was. assassinated by Cuban forces Castro. great yes remember that Oswell was in. the Cuban Embassy uh for several hours. before he went to Dallas that day and we. also have the fact that with no question. about it that Fabian Escalante was there. and then CUA deny at the beginning that. he was ever in the Cuban Embassy later. on when they learned that we as CIA we. had pictures a movie of him getting into. our Embassy then they said that they. went into a very distinct uh check and.

they found out that indeed yes oswal was. in the Cuban Embassy and they claimed. that he came in there to get a Cuban. visa and he was denied but I do believe. that it was a participation of Cuban the. assassination of the president and later. on one assistant of of President Johnson. said that they knew about it but for. security consideration they denied to. the public the participation of Q and. the assassination of the president. because remember at that time they were. already four offensive missile inside.

Cuba when the October crisis took place. they were already had been able to bring. into Cuba four offensive nuclear. missiles that's why when cruset thought. and he knew that the US knew that we had. four offensive they had four offensive. missile inside the island he could bring. 20 of them that's when the October. crisis du play but there were still uh. four missiles inside Cuba that were. offensive so at the time everybody say. well they cannot attack Cuba because. Kennedy CRF treaty it was never. implemented because the important part. of that treat was that it would be a.

personal ocular inspection by American. Personnel in Cuba to make sure that they. had taken out those four missiles and. CUA never allowed them to be able to. come in to check for that so that the. compromise was never the Kennedy crew. was never implemented at all do you. believe the CIA had any role in. Kennedy's assassination no I don't think. so I don't believe so I know there's a. lot of allegation to that effect but I. don't think so I don't believe so at all. I am convinced did you ever come across. Howard hunt during your yes I met him.

after he came out of prison uh actually. he was coming for Christmas out of. prison and I have met his daughter with. our team is home Kevin and we we run to. each other into a Sears so I invited him. to come to my home you ran into him in. Sears yeah in Miami and I invited him to. go into my home while I'm sitting there. I get a call from the chief of station. from Miami say Felix by the way uh how H. home will be in town make sure that you. don't meet him the guy was sitting right. in front of me I already had given him.

my car to use for the three days he was. in in Miami so later on I called my boy. and say you should have called me later. sooner I said what he said well I had. power hun in front of my house no I said. yes you didn't tell me and and I drawn. him into sier I brought him to my home. it's first time I ever met him amazing. why did the CIA not want you to see. Howard hunt because they don't want to. see make they believe there is a. connection between the CIA and then even. though I were h was working for the CIA. but he was head of the task force for.

the White House with Nixon yes so there. was a connection there yes there was um. interesting how did you get involved in. the Iran Contra story well when I was in. in Miami I thought uh I thought the war. was going on in El Salvador I had. implemented a helicopter come set in. Vietnam that was extremely effective. against the the Viet Kong in there of. with intelligence going to the area with. gunships and then spotting then was. flying on the low helicopter spotting.

then then coming back with troop and get. the the the result so I volunteered to. go to a Salvador in ' 85 early ' 85. that's where I went to El Salvador then. as a volunteer nobody was paying me. anything who did you volunteer to H who. who did you to the Salvadorian Air Force. yes but it wasn't easy it was very. difficult because you have the US. military commander General Gorman. forestar General who command all the. military assistant to the area and here. is a Cuban retired from the CIA trying.

to implement a military conet in his. area but I was lucky that the the vice. president of the United States had Don. Greg who was my boss from Vietnam as his. National Security advisor and he knew. how effective my concept was so he. helped me uh to be able to get the. clearance from the state department and. other people for me to go down there so. I start working with the with the. concept down in El Salvador was. extremely successful at one point in. time Oliver nors had a problem with a. plane. uh that was stuck in in in Portugal that.

he could not bring in because of of. Honduran closed the entrance of his. planing there because of an incident. they had with a plane with the resistant. and he knew that I had an excellent. relationship with the Salvadorian so he. sent knows to me that if I could get the. Salvadorian to hold all of this military. equipment from Portugal until he was. able to solve the problem with Honduras. so I talked to the uh to the head of the. Air Force I mean to the minister of. defense and they agree that's how I got. involved in the into ran Contra thing.

they brought the plane was storage in. there for for a while and when they saw. that they asked me if I could ask the. Salvador they could do the maintenance. of their aircraft from the Nicaraguan. resistant operation in El Salvador and. that was how we got started in that. operation in there but really uh the. vice president have very little to do in. this operation of course when the Iran. Contra broke they blame that they they. actually they came out to say that I was. sent to El Salvador to B the Bing. amendment to support the Nicaraguan.

resistance and my helicopter con concept. was a a cover up which wasn't true that. wasn't the case at all and then they. they Suba me to testify in front of. Congress and I was the only one who went. to Congress without a lawyer and without. immunity everybody else went with lawyer. immunity and they try even the White. House called me and said the boy don't. Gray from the white house uh they wanted. me to bring a lawyer that the why I was. going to pay for I say look uh I have. done nothing wrong if I have to bring a. lawyer for what I did I am in the wrong.

country and I don't believe I am in the. wrong country so they told me no you. don't understand you know you know how. these Congressman are they might ask you. to push you into saying something that. might heard the vice president and I. refused so I was the only one who went. without lawyer and without immunity and. uh he came out find and the only guy. that I really don't like at all because. after that he he asked me to testify in. his committee was John KY why didn't you. like John KY he a. funny uh he was no war hero to be honest.

with you I I I was invited when when he. run for president the Vietnam veteran. for the truth make a big rally in the. west wing of the capital and at that. time they asked me to be one of the. speaker against him because what he did. to me you know he accused me of. receiving $10 million from the Milan. cartel for the contract which wasn't. true you know I was it was a pain it was. very hard for my family cuz I was flying. El Salvador and my wife called me said. look it's from PTI in the Miami Herald.

your picture when you were in the army. that you received $10 million from the. Medan cartel I said you know that's not. TR she said I know but here is SOA from. Senator Curry's committee so I called. from El Salvador Senator Curry's and I. asked them I said look uh you don't need. a soena with me but send the ticket in. Easter because I doing mileage which. they did so I flew to Washington we. spent four hours in in a deposition with. him uh he was represented by by um by a. man there was a u uh M McConnell was the.

minority so there was Robinette. representing M McConnell and another guy. who represented him after we finished. the testimony they wanted a close. hearing we wanted an open hearing there. was nothing classified about it I had. retire in 76 we are talking something. that happened 1985 but carry didn't want. the truth to come out so he refused to. have an open hearing we have to go into. a close here when I had the opportunity. at the time when I first came in they. asked me if I wanted to something there. was all the senator and they asked me.

and say you want to say something I say. yes I look at him and say senator this. will be the hardest testimony of my life. say why do you say that Mr Rodriguez I. said Senator it's very hard to have to. ask a question for somebody that you do. not respect I don't respect you what you. are doing here Mr Rodriguez because we. disagree with you we are no less. patriotic than you are I Senator you. didn't even have the gut throw your own. medal when you were protesting the. Vietnam War don't believe everything you. see in the Press I know that the hell of. a lot of better that you do Senator he. said that was a veteran who asked me to.

throw his medal I said it was. everybody perception was your medal you. were throwing over the White House fans. so really didn't hit very well during. that hitting at all and uh then I talked. to a lot of people who work with him do. you know that he was never ever wounded. in combat he doesn't have one bullet. hole in his body and he claimed three. three uh P hard to be able to leave. Vietnam he knew that there was an. unwritten law that if you get wounded. three times in one tour you could. request to leave Vietnam yes and that's.

exactly what he did what he did he. scratched himself he claim it was from a. from a h grenade he never got a bullet. hole he got scratches I always claimed. that he had been wounded that time get a. get a a Purple Heart the third one they. he was denied the guy didn't say was he. was worth it he had to wait until they. change that guy to be able to convince. the other guy to give him the third uh. purple heart and that's why he left. Vietnam and then he went with Jane Fonda. uh talking about the our people in there.

uh was a shame because today I see how. our people treat the military with. respect in the plane at the time when I. came back they would not even wear their. uniform because they were all war. criminals and all of that because of JN. Kerry and Jame. Fondo. cowards so what was the resolution of. Iran country you. testified well at at the end really uh. actually when you look at it uh it was. they they didn't have a case at all.

because the only reason they brought the. Iran Contra hearing was because the. violation of the B amendment of using US. money to support Nar resistance so what. happened is when General Secor did some. transaction uh with the Iran remember uh. with Israel uh he got the millions of. dollars from that transaction the. Congress determined that that money that. he had belonged to the US government not. to C court it's still in court today. he still in court today he over $8.

million and he used a million and a half. to help the Naran resistant with that. money so because of that since the. Congress determined that was money that. belonged to the US government they. violated the Bing Amendment that's how. he came together and put up the uh the. the Iran Contra hearings and committees. and all of that that I went through let. me tell you it wasn't it was uh it. wasn't easy because um after so many. question I I was tired and before that. my son my daughter went to see I had an. FBI agent that always I been in contact.

with them for my security I learned. recently he already died from his widow. that my son my daughter went to see him. before I testify in Congress and they. told him L Carlos uh everybody's telling. us if my father doesn't bring a lawyer. he will go to prison please convince him. to bring a lawyer with him so he he. didn't tell me that he came to see me. and say look Felix you're going to. testify in Congress and you're going to. be on the rose you cannot lie no matter. what happen you cannot lie because if.

you do uh they would ask the same. question in 15 different way and they. they would know now there is some sense. you are not very happy with it or you. are not very content with it you don't. remember you don't remember they going. to do anything but don't lie and I never. lie so I came out fine how did you have. you ever wondered how you live so long. having been through all these. conflicts I believe honestly I believe. in God for example when I was in Vietnam. my boss Ted shakley who was a legend.

with the CIA used to tell people that I. had a death wish that I wanted to get. killed which was not at all I was so. convinced toer that no Bulet was going. to hit me God gave me that conviction so. I could sit in the helicopter sit there. shooting may come out and shoot at them. because I knew he wasn't going to touch. me and I never did so it wasn't not. bravery it was my conviction that I knew. he wasn't going to to and you were a. married man at that point I had two kids. already. and you were never worried about getting. killed I knew I wasn't going to get.

killed not even wounded I didn't I had. people wounded next to me my helicopter. took 30 different occasion to fire took. hits in the helicopter body but I was. shut down five times Vietnam One. Salvador for never you were shot down. five times yeah but you know my back is. in bad shape but U prob still alive and. I believe it was God who definitely was. his hand on me that's why I didn't worry. about it not that I was Brave I was. convinced nothing was going to happen to.

me you were right it turned out oh yeah. absolutely what was Ted shackley like oh. he was was the most uh intelligent man. that I have ever met in my life he was. the one responsive for the Berlin tunnel. yeah he was station in Miami and we. became close friends until the day he. died uh and we were close we used to. meet he was the head of a station in. Saigon and uh we we had we developed a. personal uh friendship uh he's the one.

who one time told me not to fly and they. had a a Defector in Paris who have said. that they were hijack we're going to. hijack the plane of the Cuban involved. in the assassination of Shara so chle. called me at the station and say we are. going to Miami bacation don't fly into. Miami so what I did I flew into Atlanta. rent a car went back spending Christmas. with my family and back then I went back. to Atlanta on the 6th of January of 1971. and I had a c in there so she was at the. airport I had a fight who leave Atlanta.

Houston Houston San Francisco had like 4. hours overlay in San Francisco and then. I found out there was another plane. stopping in Dallas one hour later so I. changed that to stay with my cin one. more hour so when I got to Vietnam. nobody was waiting for me so when I got. in there I went to the EM to Dog Hotel. our hotel changed when I got to the. Embassy they told me and said what are. you doing here I said what do you mean I. supposed to arrive today nobody was. waiting for me I said no no no your. plane was hijacked to Cuba we're trying. to find out how the hell we can get you. out of there that's why when we went uh.

the agency sent me and my family to. Argentina in 1970 in. 1973 they got our passport I'm our. passport of my wife and I said place of. birst Colorado in stad of Cuba for that. trip so in case I Got Hijacked they. could claim me as a US citizen that was. the only time I was a US citizen by. birth for about a year I have copy of. the passport amazing did you ever meet. Fidel Castro no. I wish I had because he would not be. there long time ago what what do you.

think of Cuban. now uh it's a disaster uh I don't know. how they are still be able to stand the. way it is the economy is completely on. the. ground I I can understand the people who. talk about socialism who talk about. Progressive uh look whatever socialism. touch completely destroyed look what. happened to CU was was one of the most. prosper Island in in. 1958 you know the dollar if you know it.

was the Q PES was higher 3 Cent than the. dollar you wanted to buy Cuban PES you. have to pay $13 for the Cuban dollar the. same that Dominican Republic it. destroyed the economy look at Venezuela. the richest country in in in America. with reserving oil unbelievable and look. how it is whatever they touch they. destroy that what have been very. concerned in this country of all of. these people talking about socialism all. of that they have no no idea what it is. unfortunately we have a lot of Professor.

in the University that inculcate this. idea that they have never lived through. that's what I tell people when I talk. today people can tell you what socialism. is when they had never leave it when you. leave in there you see what happened to. you you understand what socialism is and. we know because we suffered that in our. own flesh have you ever been back no I. can't I have three death sentencing. Absentia well I was back the last time I. was in 1965 but I was uh with a team to. photograph a Soviet the submarine base. in laua in the a of pine but that's the.

only time that I touched Gan soil but I. never I how did you you said you you. went back a number of times yes on in a. clandestine way how did you get in by. both clandestinely and we had people. working for us in the inside who will. contact us at the the at the co and you. trusted them you were never worried. about being betrayed or executed we had. to trust them we had no choice there. were there were people that were. betrayed later on but I was lucky as. hell really I was very very look did. they get out the people who helped you.

uh some of them they some of them are. still living in there but they have been. but nobody knew that they work help us. you just go from Key West or how did you. well it was in between Key West we West. and and and Islam they will both will. pick us up in there take off to the. mother boat and then we'll take off for. for Cuba from there for the operation. inside Cuba in and out only one thing. from the Bay of pig people who enter. Cuba only one team made it by air they.

were parachuted in only five people most. of us entered by boat clandestinely and. there was a group of about five or six. who came in through the airport with the. real names with cover story that they. were coming back from American. universities but most of us came in. clandestinely by Bo and the mechanism. was we will go to the coastline there. was a reception team there uh with. lights we disembark then there was a guy. who take off maybe four five kilometer. into the main Highway where a car from.

the movement will pick us up and take us. to a safe house in Havana we had to. trust them we had no idea who they were. but we were lucky was anyone from the. CIA any of these teams ever caught no P. personal from the CIA itself they never. participated in inside Cuba they didn't. allow them to do that were only Cubans. involved in that operation with CIA case. officer we don't call it the controller. we call it case officer were any of them. ever caught though by the Cuban. government no no not our people did yes.

yeah from my infiltration team uh four. of them were executed by firing a squad. uh one of them uh was killed defending a. safe house and there were 17 of them who. spent uh 20 years in Cuban prison. because when the treaty became to. release the Brigade from prison our. people even though we were Brigade. member were not considered who landed. military they consider us a spy because. we G Des so we were not part of that. exchange of prisoner so my people from.

my infiltration team has spent 18 20. years in prison before they were. released did they come to the US when. they got. out amazing so a lot of people got. caught and kill oh. yes it was a. disaster what do you think of the CIA. now it's not what we used to be uh I. recall in my time we were given a task. we would run up operation if there is. any problem then we went to our legal.

service you know the the the the council. to ask you know how we solve the problem. because of the situation that happened. in the past that a lot of agent have. lost their retirement all of that. because of operation now they go when. they are giving a mission they go to the. lawyer first and find out what they can. do and what they cannot do and they put. a tremendous disadvantage on us uh in my. in my time you could do a hell of a lot. of more thing than they can do right now. they tried their best. anyway but um and and the guy who really.

destroyed the CIA was Jimmy Carter how. well I I talked to Shak he told me about. it we had very high penetration for. example in alqaeda and in Sendero. luminoso if we had those people 911. would have never happened when Jimmy. Carter became president he asked for a. briefing from the CIA he wanted to know. how those penetration were handled so. chakle was the one in charge because he. told me personally he was going in. charge to brief the President Carter on.

that so he told the president that you. have a guy who infiltrated into a cell. the guy was becoming to more and more. access higher in the. organization he will come up for example. with an operation that we're going to do. a terrorist operation so there is a very. pragmatic group who will study the. operation it was a very minimal uh. damages they will allow the operation to. go through because if every time you. have a guy inside and the operation fail. they know some body's infiltrated in. there so there you have to allow some.

operation to go through with minimal. casualties G car say it was immoral to. do that so he actually ordered all of. those penetration to be terminated so. people that took years to be able to be. able to get them and set them in inside. the Nets like in alqaeda or cero. luminoso they had to be told sorry we. cannot support you anymore we recommend. that you leave the cell we cannot pay. you anymore and terminate so we lost all. of our eyes and ears inside the. terrorist group when you Carter and he. put a lot of emphasis on satellite.

satellite doesn't get inside the the. head of people so we lost that that's. why we had 911 we had the Certo luminoso. take over the embassy of Japan in in. Peru at that time if we had what we had. before that would have never happened. then it was authorized but it take a. long time to rebuild that type of. situation did the CIA um it seems more a. military force now than it once did do. you think that's accurate No we have we. have always we have the CLA and the CIA. military branch we have our own for.

example Air Force we have our own Navy. with different specific equipment that. nobody else has that have been developed. for a special operation with us and. there is a paramilitary appar that which. I did belong to the spe we used to call. a special operation division now they. call a special activity division that. operates a paramilitary operation in. areas that uh and they do a tremendous. job that's that's the the the thing that. that we never get Rec for it uh people. are blamed CIA is blamed for many things.

that happen but there is a lot of. success that can never be told we have. saved a lot of life in the process that. nobody knows about it and nobody can. take credit for the situation we have in. our world several star with more than. 100 people had died within the CIA most. of them doesn't even have the name in. their only one star because they were so. classified that the name never appear so. you have to be dedicated to that because. you is one of the organization that. receive very little credit and do a lot.

of what do where do you think this. country is going right. now well I hope it changed uh a lot of. people used to say in qba it could not. happen here a lot of people say it. couldn't happen in the United States. after what happened in Cuba what I have. seen other places I am concerned about. this country I hope that we can regain. the presidency because uh this thing. goes to what they call socialism of uh. it will be a disaster we will never know.

United State the way it is I am. concerned because I know what happened. in Cuba and unfortunately we have a lot. of Professor high level University who. are leftist who brainwash in the head of. a lot of our bright student and that's a. very concern to me have you seen that in. other. countries but more in the United States. than any place else they have. concentrated in state because they know. the importance of the United States and. and that's what I really concern me this.

this country here I think this coming. election is very important I don't know. who the hell is going to be the. president but if the Democrat get the. power in there and they continue the way. they are with the open border and all of. that uh in a few years we will know know. the United States the way it is now. today we can lost the United State I I. never thought I could say that but now I. can say that I'm very. concerned how can it be stopped well I. hope that people realize what's going on. in the world what's going on in the. United States and people realize and and.

vote intelligently this time see the. reality of what's going on I don't want. to say more I think people in tell will. be able to understand. that looking back my last question if. you. could do something different with your. life would you have I mean it seems like. you got into this kind of. amazing line of work almost accident. entally I always wanted to be a civil.

engineer really really uh my grandson. now is in the third year of civil. engineering at the University of. Washington and George Washington. University but that's what I wanted to. be and look uh history took me to a. different place I was never able to. graduate from high I graduated from high. school from never from University my my. son my daughter did my wife did when she. was at bar University but I didn't but I. don't complain I think that I had a a. life that I can see myself and and think.

that I contributed a little bit to have. a better world that we have today then I. I don't regret what I did not one bit of. it Well you certainly had the most. interesting life almost anyone I've ever. talked to so that's thank you sir worth. a lot Mr Rodriguez thank you very much. for telling us all that. bless free speech is bigger than any one. person or any one organization societies. are by what they will not permit what. we're watching is the total inversion of.

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