Pan Am Hijacker Arrested In JFK After 40 Years In Havana

The FBI's longest wanted fugitive was arrested at JFK yesterday, where he had arrived from Cuba after spending more than four decades outside the feds' grasp. Louis Armando Peña Soltren, 66, was arrested at the same airport where his crime originated: On November 24th, 1968 he left the airport with two accomplices on a Pan Am 707 bound for Puerto Rico. During the flight they forced their way into the plane's cabin and ordered the crew to fly to Havana, threatening them with guns and knives quaintly smuggled on board in a diaper bag.

The hijacking was not unusual for the '60s; the Times notes that in 1968 alone, over 30 planes were hijacked or attempted to have been hijacked to Cuba, including two that day! Soltren's hijacked flight was escorted by Cuban Air Force fighter jets as it approached the island, and it's believed that the hijackers had connections to the Puerto Rican Movement for Liberation. (One of the hijackers had scrawled inside the plane, “Long live free Puerto Rico.") No one was injured. Soltren's accomplices were apprehended in the decade following the hijacking and sentenced to 15 years each; they've since been released from prison

An F.B.I. spokesman says Soltren had arranged his return with the F.B.I. and State Department because he wanted to see his family, including his wife, who lived in either Puerto Rico or Florida. Soltren will be arraigned today, bringing things full circle for Manhattan's undead DA Robert M. Morgenthau, who signed the original indictment when he was the 49-year-old United States attorney for the Southern District of New York.

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By John Del Signore in News on October 12, 2009 10:09 AM

Comments [rss]

S.K.

Will cop killer JoAnne (Assata Shakur) Chesimard be next?

thefacts

Soltren's facing life. His two other conspirators surrendered years ago and received 12 to 15 years. Or don't you know those facts?

You wanna bet he gets nowhere near that?

ANGRYGOD11

Of course he won't serve as much time as his accomplices, because of his age and no criminal activity in decades.

But, you have no basis to assume any sort of advanced legal deal. And I would bet on that.

thefacts

I am not going to waste time debating the legal maneuvering of a 66-year old fugitive with some dyspeptic troll on Gothamist. You agree with me that he will not get a long sentence, like 12-15 years. Fine, so what's your gripe?

A couple of the Weathermen got relatively light sentences when they had their lawyer pre-arrange a surrender with the government. As did Ted Kozinski avoiding the death penalty when his brother made a deal with the government prior to turning him in. This is not uncommon. The Feds claim they got their man, the case is closed, justice is served, and, in return, the fugitive who would never otherwise be brought to justice gets off with a lighter sentence.

Incidentally, instead of questioning my user name, you should question your own. God is all-wise and all-knowing. All you have going for you is the 'angry' part.

ANGRYGOD11

Wow.

How...delicate.

I wasn't aiming for blood and hit the jugular.

BTW, think PAGAN god.

NannyState

Coincidentally, his luggage arrived yesterday as well.

Mr Mel

Funny.

longacre

Why bother arresting this guy, who didn't hurt anybody while Bill and Hill pardoned Puerto Rican terrorists who actually murdered New Yorkers?

thefacts

I bet he worked out a plea deal before surrendering that would give him only a couple of years, like some of the Weaathermen did. Otherwise, why surrender to spend the rest of his life in a US prison if he lived seemingly content in Cuba for 40 years.

ANGRYGOD11

I find it curious how many times thefacts starts comments with the same words: I BET.....

But, offers no facts to back anything he pulls out of his head. He might want to address that interesting contradiction.

thefacts

Soltren's facing life. His two other conspirators surrendered years ago and received 12 to 15 years. Or don't you know those facts?

You wanna bet he gets nowhere near that?

tnturner

One of the hijackers had scrawled inside the plane, “Long live free Puerto Rico."

Friggin' vandals.

Mordicai

That is longer than even Roman Polanski!

Kojak

"Puerto Rican Movement for Liberation"

lol Liberation? From what?

ANGRYGOD11

Pro-independent Puerto Rico never did better than 20 % of the voters. Today it's in the low single digits. When you compare it to level of popular support for an independent Quebec at their peak, it's a sad joke.

thefacts

From US rule. He wanted an independent country, something our founding fathers also wanted for the United States.

Kojak

I see, but I wonder if the group still exists now. Puerto Ricans seem pretty content with staying as a commonwealth.

S.D.

Semi. It's a hot button issue that comes up every few years.

Mordicai

Also the Confederate States, they wanted that too. As long as we are listing stuff. Oh, & crazy Texans. & some people in Long Island. Anarchists in college.

thefacts

Du-oh, the Confederates wanted to illegally break a contract and attacked the US when it was not allowed.

They were never unilaterally invaded and occupied for a hundred years. Reconstruction lasted about 15 years. Learn your history a little better before making dumb sarcastic comments.

Kojak asked a question. I answered it without sarcasm.

Try doing the same.

Kojak, Yes. Apparently the majority are content being a commonwealth, although as SD states, it pops up every few years. I believe statehood is coming up again this year at the behest of the PR governor.

ANGRYGOD11

Confederates, and most American today, always like to ignore the fact a large part of the Confederate population were black human beings. That always throws off the degree of popularity and legitimacy for the Confederacy.

hotstepper

spanish reggae.

HOTCUP

"undead DA Robert M. MorgenthauI"

Jen Chung

That hijacking is some crazy stuff. That plus the robberies at JFK (the ones described in Goodfellas) makes it seem like the 60s and 70s were this era of really outlandish crimes.