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The Nation : Plane Hijacker Gives Up

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A man described by the pilot as “very stressed out” and gripping a briefcase he said contained explosives surrendered in San Juan, Puerto Rico, after trying to hijack a seaplane to Cuba. Eduardo Ramon Mena of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, a former policeman and Vietnam veteran, told the pilot about 20 miles outside San Juan: “I want to go to Cuba.” The pilot said he did not have enough fuel, and the man returned to the cabin. After landing, he allowed the two crew members and 16 passengers to leave the plane, then threatened to blow it up if he was not flown to Cuba. He surrendered after seven hours. The briefcase reportedly held explosives.

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