Brothers to the Rescue
Brothers to the Rescue (Spanish: Hermanos al Rescate) is a Miami-based organization formed in May of 1991. It is opposed to Cuban President Fidel Castro. The organization has repeatedly sent small, unarmed airplanes over the Straits of Florida into Cuban airspace, to assist rafters escaping Cuba and drop leaflets over the country.
The organization, headed by José Basulto, has entered Cuban airspace approximately twenty five times.
The Cuban government has accused the group of seeking to disrupt the communist government of Fidel Castro through incursions into Cuban airspace. In February of 1996, the Cuban Air Force shot down two Brothers to the Rescue planes, killing pilots Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre, Jr., Mario de la Peña, and Pablo Morales. The incident garnered condemnation of Cuba by U.S. President Bill Clinton and from various European nations.