Washington Examiner by Steven Nelson February 23, 2019
Cuban exile Antonio "Tony" Bascaro is preparing to leave federal prison, where he has spent most of his adult life serving the nation’s longest-known stretch for dealing marijuana. But the 84-year-old fears trading one cell for another.
That’s because Bascaro, a pilot who trained for the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion, is not a U.S. citizen and risks being detained and ejected from the country upon release. Bascaro says if he's returned to Cuba, he could spend the rest of his life as a political prisoner.
“My life will be in jeopardy, if deported,†Bascaro told the Washington Examiner from a federal prison in Miami. “But by experience, I'm ready [for] anything that may happen at my release.â€
Bascaro, who now walks with a cane, was arrested in 1980 for helping import more than a half-million pounds of pot, using his aviation skills to scout landing sites along Florida's coast. He was sentenced to 60 years in prison but will get out after about 40 for good behavior.
With about 100 days left in prison, Bascaro isn't sure what's next. He leaves prison on June 8 but must report to the local U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office on June 13.
"I don't have a lawyer at present, but I'm working on getting one specialized in immigration, within my economical situation, to be with me when I'll report to ICE," Bascaro said.
The aging exile has no immediate family in Cuba and contends it would violate international law to deport him to Cuba — or anywhere with a significant Cuban government presence.
Legal experts contacted for this story said they would need more information before commenting. A spokesman for ICE in Miami said he could not comment on the case.
More:
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/foreign/bay-of-pigs-veteran-serving-americas-longest-marijuana-sentence-may-be-headed-to-a-new-prison-cuba
