◆ SpookStack

to get the story.* Unfortunately, however, the B-26's piloted by Jose Crespo in the attack on Libertad was hit by ground fire; and Crespo was able to make an , emergency landing at the Boca Chica Naval Air Station . in Key West. Fortunately, neither Crespo nor his navigator, Lorenzo Perez Lorenzo were injured, and * Even after it had been exposed as false, the cover story which required Zuniga to land at Miami after the first air strike continued to cause problems. The pilot's first story was that the B-26 belonged to Castro's air force, and the plane of course carried Cuban markings. Taking this story at face value, Harris and Com- pany,a Miami advertising agency which claimed the Cuban Government owed it money for tourist advertising,· obtained from the Superior Court of Dade County a writ of attachment on the aircraft. The.advertising agency had previously tried to attach Cubana Airlines planes to satisfy a judgment against Cuba. The B-26 had been under US Customs guard since arrival. To keep the Dade County sheriff from seizing it, DPD arranged with the Customs Service to hav€ the US Attorney in the Miami area file action under Section 1934, 401, Title 22, of the US Code. This section dealt with the unauthorized entrance into the United States of arms, armed vehicles, or aircraft and specified that such equipment would be forfeited to the Secretary of Defense for disposition. Federal action would super- sede the Dade County writ. On 27 April Chester Emerick, Assistant Commissioner of Customs for Investigations, informed DPD that the action had been filed and that the US Marshal had taken over custody of the B-26. DPD then planned to have an Air Force crew move the plane at night to Field 3 at Eglin Air Force Base. ~/ - 219 -