Cuban spy leader jailed for life

The leader of a Cuban spy ring has been sentenced to life in prison for trying to infiltrate U.S. military bases.

They are also accused of betraying the lives of four Cuban-Americans whose private planes were shot down by the Cuban government in 1996.

Gerardo Hernandez, 36, received the maximum sentence after a 20-minute speech in which he denounced his trial as a propaganda show and blamed his prosecution on the political clout of Miami's Cuban exile community.

Hernandez was one of five men convicted on June 8 of operating as unregistered foreign agents and conspiring to do so.

"This was a crime against America," prosecutor Caroline Miller said. "The threat was to the country at large and to this community."

Hernandez was the only one charged and convicted of murder conspiracy in the death of four Brothers to the Rescue members whose planes were shot down February 24, 1996, by Cuban jet fighters in international airspace.

The exile group patrols the sea between Florida and Cuba, looking for refugees.

Prosecutors accused Hernandez of knowing about the plot to shoot down the planes.

Hernandez denied he played a role in the attack or plotted espionage against the United States.