305. Editorial Note

On March 31, 1963, British and Bahamian armed forces captured on Exuma Island in the Bahamas an armed motor boat, the Violynn III, carrying 16 Cuban exiles and 1 American. The United States had informed British/Bahamian authorities that the Violynn was seeking to refuel in preperation for an attack on a Soviet tanker.

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At the 510th meeting of the National Security Council, April 2, the President and the Council discussed the status of the arrested raiders. According to Bromley Smith’s summary record, April 2, the discussion went as follows:

“At this point Assistant Secretary Martin and Mr. Dungan joined the group at the President’s request to discuss the current status of the Cuban raiders who have been arrested by the British in the Bahama Islands.

“Mr. Martin said the present plan was for the British to turn the raiders loose on their boat three miles off the Bahamas. The U.S. Coast Guard would pick them up there. If they refuse to go to Miami, the question before us is what do we then do?

“After a discussion of the legal points involved, the President expressed his view that we should ask the British to take away from the raiders all their ammunition, and that we would ask the leaders to come peacefully to a U.S. port. If they refuse to come into the U.S. territorial waters, the U.S. Coast Guard ship would follow them but not fire on them. We would soon know the names of the raiders on the ship and would seek to apply pressures on them to agree to enter a U.S. port. If a threat to prevent them ever again from entering the U.S. was not effective, the Coast Guard would report the situation to Washington for additional guidance.” (Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Meetings and Memoranda Series, NSC Meetings)

According to a memorandum from Chase to Dungan, April 2, the U.S. Government’s plan was to ask the British to confiscate the raiders’ ammunition. When, and apparently if, it returned to Miami, the Violynn would be impounded, and the American and Cubans who were not parolees would be questioned and released within a few hours. Parolees would be questioned and released in 24 to 36 hours. (Ibid., Countries Series, Cuba, Exiles, 4/63)