---
aliases:
- Fidel Castro
- Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz
born: 1926-08-13
category: Intelligence & Government
created: 2026-05-17
died: 2016-11-25
location: Birán, Oriente, Cuba
summary: Leader of Cuba targeted by CIA assassination plots involving organized crime
  figures Sam Giancana, Johnny Rosselli, and Santos Trafficante.
tags:
- Person
- Cuba
- DarkAllianceInvestigation
- Politician
- Military
- ColdWar
title: Fidel Castro
updated: 2026-05-17
---

Fidel Castro was the leader of [Cuba](/places/cuba/). In 1960, the [CIA](/organizations/central-intelligence-agency/) initiated a series of assassination attempts against him. These operations involved [Robert Maheu](/people/robert-maheu/) as a "cut-out," who contacted organized-crime leaders [Sam Giancana](/people/sam-giancana/), [Johnny Rosselli](/people/johnny-rosselli/), and [Santos Trafficante, Jr.](/people/santos-trafficante-jr/). These individuals, in turn, enlisted the direct assistance of Cuban exiles in the assassination plots.[^1]

### Dark Alliance Investigation

Fidel Castro was the Cuban president whose government served as a foil for U.S. anti-Communist operations in [Central America](/places/central-america/), including the [Contra](/organizations/contras/) war. The anti-Castro Cuban exile networks built during the [Bay of Pigs](/events/bay-of-pigs/) era were later repurposed by the [Central Intelligence Agency](/organizations/central-intelligence-agency/) for Contra operations.[^2]

When the CIA needed operatives for the Contra war, it drew from the pool of anti-Castro Cuban exiles who had been trained and organized since the failed 1961 invasion. [Felix Rodriguez](/people/felix-rodriguez/), who participated in the capture and execution of Che Guevara in [Cuba](/places/cuba/) under Castro's government, was sent to [San Salvador](/places/san-salvador/) to manage the Contra resupply operation at Ilopango Air Base. [Noriega](/people/manuel-noriega/) brokered deals with Castro, acting as liaison between the Cuban government and U.S. intelligence. The [Sandinistas](/organizations/sandinistas/) in [Nicaragua](/places/nicaragua/) maintained close ties with Castro's government, which the Reagan administration cited as justification for the Contra war.[^3]

[^1]: Seymour, Cheri. *The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro's Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal*. First Edition. TrineDay, 2010.
[^2]: Webb, Gary. *Dark Alliance: The CIA, the Contras, and the Crack Cocaine Explosion.* Seven Stories Press, 1998. Chapter 6: "They were doing their patriotic duty"
[^3]: Webb, Gary. *Dark Alliance: The CIA, the Contras, and the Crack Cocaine Explosion.* Seven Stories Press, 1998. Chapter 6, Chapter 10