With support from the University of Richmond

History News Network

History News Network puts current events into historical perspective. Subscribe to our newsletter for new perspectives on the ways history continues to resonate in the present. Explore our archive of thousands of original op-eds and curated stories from around the web. Join us to learn more about the past, now.

US man given 15 years for 1968 Cuba hijack

A US man of Cuban origin has been sentenced to 15 years in jail for hijacking a plane from New York to Cuba in 1968.

Luis Armando Pena Soltren, 67, boarded the Puerto Rico-bound plane with a pistol and a knife.

He forced the pilots to divert the plane, carrying 103 passengers and crew, to Havana.

Pena Soltren returned to the US from Cuba in 2009 reportedly to see his family. He pleaded guilty last March.

He was charged with conspiracy to commit air piracy, interfering with a flight crew and kidnapping....

Read entire article at BBC