Cuba Archive - Case 5716

Case ID: 5716

Title: N/A

First name: Juan

Last name: Tuñón

Suffix: N/A

Aliases: N/A

Name also reported as: N/A

Age: N/A

Gender: Male

Date of Birth: N/A

Civil Status: Unknown

Date of death/disappearance: Day:17 / Month:2 / Year:1965

Citizenship: N/A

Last known address: N/A

Last known city: N/A

Last known province-TOD: N/A

Last known province current: N/A

Last known country: United States

Location death-address: N/A

Location of death - city: Bunia

Location of death province - at TOD: N/A

Location of death province - current: N/A

Location of death - country: Democratic Republic of Congo

Trial held?: No

Docket Number: N/A

Sentence details: N/A

Arrest or detention at time of death: Yes

Date of arrest: N/A

Imprisoned/Detained: Location: N/A

How long imprisoned/detained: N/A

Death attributed to: Castro regime

Death attribution detail: African forces supported by Cuba.

Associated Event: Congo War

Case description:

Part of a contingent of Cuban exile pilots and fighters, most veterans of the Bay of Pigs invasion, recruited by the CIA for a covert program to stop a Communist takeover of the Congo by simba guerrillas supported by the USSR and Cuba. Tuñon was pilot of a T-28 aircraft. Flying a mission with another plane, they hit a storm and ran out of fuel. He landed his plane and was never seen again. Months later, missionaries working in the Congo reported he had been captured, killed and partly eaten by the Simba rebels, who believed that eating the flesh and vital organs of the enemies gained them strength. Some of his remains were later recovered. He left a wife and two sons.
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Parte de un contingente de pilotos y combatientes exiliados cubanos, la mayoría veteranos de la invasión de Bahía de Cochinos, reclutados por la CIA en un programa encubierto para detener la toma del Congo por guerrilleros comunistas Simba apoyados por la URSS y Cuba. Tuñón era piloto de un avión T-28. Volando una misión con otro avión, se encontraropn con una tormenta y se quedaron sin combustible. Aterrizó su avión y nunca más fue visto. Meses después, los misioneros que trabajaban en el Congo informaron que había sido capturado, asesinado y parcialmente devorado por los rebeldes Simba, quienes creían que comer la carne y los órganos vitales de los enemigos les daba fuerza. Algunos de sus restos fueron recuperados posteriormente. Dejó esposa y dos hijos.

Sources: Conflict of Evidence:

Violation Status: Confirmed with primary source(s)

Cause of Death: - Combat: Fatality or Missing in Action

Occupations: - Transportation and Material Moving Occupations

External Files: N/A

Relatives in Archive: N/A

Victim Type: - Anti-Castro insurgent or resistance member

Affiliations: N/A

Other Victims Same Event: N/A

Case Record - Juan Tuñón