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Arsenal? What arsenal? Charges against Cuban ‘liberator’ reduced without explanation by Emilio Paz When it comes to “good terrorism,” federal prosecutors are willing to be sympathetic. Such appears to be the case when it comes to Cuban-born Robert Ferro, a California man who bought a huge arsenal for use against Cubans on the island.
The arsenal -- the largest ever impounded from a civilian -- included 35 machine guns, 130 silencers, three short-barreled rifles, and 89,000 rounds of ammunition. From five charges to one At first, Ferro said he had bought the weapons with money supplied by the anti-Castro group Alpha 66, for the purpose of “liberating Cuba” in the course of a U.S.-supported invasion. From Miami, Alpha 66 denied the claim. Then, Ferro claimed that he worked for the Central Intelligence Agency and that the agency had authorized him to buy and hide the guns, in preparation for the invasion. The CIA denied that claim. Despite the huge number of weapons and ammunition in Ferro's home, federal prosecutors at the U.S. District Court in Riverside originally charged him with only five charges of illegal weapons possession. Last week, the prosecutors reduced those charges to only one -- for possession of 17 firearms and one hand grenade. The U.S. Attorney's Office refused to explain the move, other than to say that it was based on “legal and tactical issues.” The wrong definition As in the case of Luis Posada Carriles, Ferro was never charged with conspiracy to commit terrorism, not even with suspicion to commit it. Despite Ferro's own admission that the guns would be used to kill Cubans, the word “terrorism” was not used in the indictment. Ferro, it should be said, was a convicted felon, which made this particular arrest more significant. In the 1990s, he served two years in prison for possession of five pounds of C-4 plastique, an explosive often used in terrorist attacks. So, why did the prosecutors behave so leniently toward Ferro and why are they willing to lose this case by reducing it to such a relatively minor infraction? Think “Posada.” By using the wrong indictment and all-but-dropping the charges, the prosecutors could almost be assured that the defendant will go free with barely a tap on the wrist -- particularly if the judge is cooperative and rules that Ferro has served enough time in jail. Or that Ferro is an old man who deserves leniency. Can an old man be a terrorist? Is old age an excuse? Think “Posada.” The case goes to trial on July 24. Feds shuffle Ferro case 5 charges now 1 in trial involving home arsenal by Rod Leveque RIVERSIDE - Federal prosecutors have dropped four of the five criminal counts against Robert Ferro, the Upland man accused of illegally storing more than 1,500 guns inside his home. It appears the decision was a tactical move by prosecutors to streamline their case in anticipation of a trial set to begin July 24. A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office, however, declined to explain the move last week. Thom Mrozek said it was based on "legal and tactical issues that I will not discuss." Ferro faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted - likely not too different from what he would have faced with five charges. Authorities say they found Ferro's huge gun collection inside his home on Tapia Way while searching for a fugitive in April 2006. The weapons included machine guns, silencers, rifles, a rocket-launcher tube and 89,000 rounds of ammunition. Ferro has claimed he had the weapons as a member of Alpha-66, a militant group created to launch commando- style raids against the government of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. Ferro, who has a prior conviction for possession of explosives, contends he amassed the weapons with the blessing of the U.S. government. The previous indictment against Ferro charged him with two counts of being a felon in possession of firearms and three counts of possession of unregistered guns. Altogether, the five counts applied to 17 guns and one hand grenade that authorities say they found inside Ferro's house. The new indictment accuses Ferro of only one count of being a felon in possession of guns, but that single count now applies to all but one of the same weapons referenced in the old charges. Ferro's Florida-based attorney, Arturo Hernandez, said he believes prosecutors reduced the charges in response to a defense motion that sought to split the original five counts so they could be decided by two separate juries. That motion claimed jurors deciding the unregistered- firearms charges should not be allowed to hear evidence of Ferro's prior felony conviction. Prosecutors must present that evidence at trial to prove the charges of gun possession by a felon. Ferro's lawyers contended the only fair resolution would be to split the two categories of charges into separate trials. The new indictment makes the issue moot. Hernandez said he did not expect it to delay Ferro's trial. See a photo gallery of the arsenal seizure
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¿Arsenal? ¿Qué arsenal? Sin explicación, reducen cargos contra ‘libertador’ cubano por Emilio Paz
Cuando se trata del “buen terrorismo”, los fiscales federales son propensos a la simpatía. Así parece ser en el caso del cubano Robert Ferro, un residente de California que compró un enorme arsenal para uso contra los cubanos de la isla. Ferro, de 62 años, fue arrestado en abril del 2006 después de que la policía encontrara más de 1,500 armas de fuego en su casa en un suburbio de Los Angeles. El arsenal --el más grande jamás incautado a un civil-- incluía 35 ametralladoras, 130 silenciadores, tres escopetas recortadas, y 89,000 municiones. De cinco cargos a uno Al principio, Ferro dijo que había comprado las armas con dinero suministrado por el grupo anticastrista Alpha 66, para el propósito de “liberar a Cuba” durante una invasión apoyada por Estados Unidos. Desde Miami, Alpha 66 negó esa aseveración. Después, Ferro alegó que trabajaba para la Agencia Central de Inteligencia y que la agencia lo había autorizado a comprar y esconder las armas con antelación a la invasión. La CIA negó esa declaración. A pesar del gran número de armas y municiones en el hogar de Ferro, los fiscales federales en la Corte de Distrito de Riverside inicialmente lo acusaron con cinco cargos de posesión ilegal de armas de fuego. La semana pasada, los fiscales redujeron esos cargos a sólo uno --por posesión de 17 armas de fuego y una granada. La fiscalía rehusó explicar esa movida, diciendo solamente que fue basada en “consideraciones legales y tácticas”. Una definición equivocada Como en el caso de Luis Posada Carriles, Ferro nunca fue acusado de conjura para cometer terrorismo, ni siquiera de sospecha de cometerlo. A pesar de la admisión de Ferro de que las armas serían utilizadas para matar a cubanos, la palabra “terrorismo” no fue usada en la acusación formal. Vale mencionar que Ferro es un felón convicto, lo que le da más significado a este arresto. En la década de 1990, fue sentenciado a dos años de prisión por poseer cinco libras de plastique C-4, un explosivo frecuentemente utilizado en ataques terroristas. Entonces, ¿por qué los fiscales se portaron con tanta lenidad con Ferro y por qué están dispuestos a perder este caso al reducir los cargos a una infracción relativamente leve? Piense usted en Posada. Al utilizar la imputación equivocada y al casi abandonar los cargos, los fiscales casi pueden asegurarse de que el acusado saldrá libre con apenas una palmadita en la mano --especialmente si el juez coopera y falla que Ferro ya ha cumplido suficiente castigo en la cárcel. O que Ferro es un anciano que merece lenidad. ¿Es que un anciano puede ser un terrorista? ¿Sirve la vejez de excusa? Piense en Posada. El juicio está programado para comenzar el 24 de julio.
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Ferro, 62, was arrested in April 2006 after police found more than 1,500 firearms in his home in a Los Angeles suburb.
