Luis Posada Carriles

Luis Posada Carriles
Luis Posada at Fort Benning, Georgia, U.S., 1962
Born	(1928-02-15) February 15, 1928 (age 89) Cienfuegos, Cuba
Known for	United States backed terrorist activities against Cuba

Luis Clemente Faustino Posada Carriles (born February 15, 1928) (nicknamed Bambi) is a Cuban exile militant and former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) agent. He is considered a terrorist by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Government of Cuba, among others; he is widely considered responsible for the bombing of Cubana flight 455, which killed 73 people. He was a long-time member of the Coordination of United Revolutionary Organizations, described by the FBI as "an anti-Castro terrorist umbrella organization".

Born in Cienfuegos, Posada Carriles came into contact with Fidel Castro while still a student. However, he developed misgivings about the revolution, and fled to the United States after a spell of anti-Castro activism. He helped organize the Bay of Pigs invasion, and after it failed, became an agent for the CIA. He received training at Fort Benning, and from 1964 to 1968 was involved with a series of bombings and other anti-Castro covert activities.

After migrating to Venezuela in 1968, Posada spent the years until 1985 involved in various terrorist activities in the region; until 1976, he continued to have ties to the CIA. He was convicted in absentia in Panama of involvement in various terrorist attacks and plots in the Americas, including 1976 bombing of a Cuban airliner that killed 73 people; however, he has always denied involvement. Along with Orlando Bosch, he was also involved in founding the Coordination of United Revolutionary Organizations, described by the FBI as a terrorist outfit. In 1985, he re-established links to the CIA, and moved to Central America, where he became involved with United States support to the Contras, and later admitted to playing a part in the Iran-Contra affair.