Gary Lennon From The Documentary Castro's Spies

Published: May 20, 2022, 5 p.m.

Castro's Spies tells the largely unknown story of an unofficial Cuban civil war fought for decades across the Florida Straits. This Irish documentary is a fascinating narrative of intrigue, intelligence and espionage, told in first-hand testimony from those that lived this remarkable story; from the spies and their wives, to the groups they infiltrated in the U.S. and the law enforcement agencies that would eventually dismantle their spy cell.

The film features real FBI surveillance footage of the spies in action and never-before-seen colour archive of the Cuban Revolution. The 'Cuban Five' trial remains the largest multiple defendant espionage case ever prosecuted in the U.S. The most serious charges were conspiracy to commit espionage and conspiracy to commit murder. The arrest of the Cuban 5 and other members of the "Wasp Network" was seen as a major victory against Cuban espionage in Florida. By both the US authorities and the groups they infiltrated.


The filmmakers confirm they had un-restricted access to the Cuban Film Institute's archive. 'Immersing ourselves in the world of a Cuban Spy cell was an exhilarating process.