From the famous exploding cigars to poison pills hidden in a cold-cream jar, the CIA and Cuban exile groups spent nearly 50 years devising ways to kill Fidel Castro. The idea was that the molluscs would be painted in vivid colours to attract the attention of an underwater Castro. Escalante, who retired in 1996, recounted the plots in his book, Executive Action: 634 Ways to Kill Castro, which was the subject of a 2007 Channel 4 film of (almost) the same name: 638 Ways to Kill Castro. Posada retired to Florida, home of most of the Cuban exile community. However, the Cuban security service remained wary of any gifts sent by foreign “well-wishers”.

Source: The Guardian November 26, 2016 13:41 UTC