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October 7, 1960 and February 13,1961: CIA Poisons Cigars for Castro

1960-10-07

A CIA official laces a box of Fidel Castro’s favorite cigars with botulinum toxin that is “so potent… a person would die after putting in his mouth.” The box of poisoned cigars is then delivered to an unnamed person who is instructed to deliver them to Castro. It is not known what happens to the cigars or if Castro ever receives them. [US Congress, 12/18/1975; Central Intelligence Agency Inspector General, 1/1996]