Manuel Portuondo was still a teenager in 1960 when his family, like thousands of others, fled Cuba for Miami, following the culmination of the Cuban Revolution a year earlier.

Soon after, while still attending school, Portuondo learned of a military force of Cuban refugees being organized by the United States government. He and several classmates decided to enlist.

“As an 18-year-old with a lot of ideals and a big heart, I wanted to be back in my country and be free and be able to do what I wanted,” Portuondo said. “I enrolled in the invasion and shipped to Guatemala for training.”

About 1,500 Cuban exiles, with the backing of the CIA, attempted to invade the island nation at the Bay of Pigs on April 17, 1961, in an attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro’s fledgling Communist government. More than 100 of the U.S.-backed fighters either drowned or were killed in action. Another 1,200 of the fighters, known as Brigade 2506, were taken prisoner after running out of ammunition and spent about 20 months in captivity before their release was negotiated.

Today, only about 200 of the veterans remain, the youngest of whom are in their 80s. They’re hosting the grand reopening of the Bay of Pigs Brigade 2506 Museum and Library in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood this month to coincide with the 65th anniversary of the Bay of Pigs Invasion.

“The museum’s purpose is not only to cement the legacy of what thousands of men did on that day, but also, from a historic perspective, to tell the new generations that freedom has a price,” Portuondo said.

Rafael Montalvo, president of the Brigade 2506 Veterans Association, said the museum will also educate visitors about the harm caused by decades of Communist dictatorship.

“The Bay of Pigs is a historical moment that defined the future of Cuba, of the United States, of Miami, and of many Latin American countries, because the failure of that intervention made communism stay in Cuba forever and change the country completely,” Montalvo said.

The Cuban Revolution started in 1953 as an armed revolt, led by Castro, against the U.S.-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista. Following an early failed attack, revolutionaries reorganized as a guerrilla force, and the movement gained support among Cuban citizens dissatisfied with inequality and corruption. Batista fled the island on Jan. 1, 1959, leaving Castro to take power, establish a socialist state, nationalized foreign assets and become allies with the former Soviet Union. Nearly a quarter million Cubans had fled to the U.S. by the time of the Cuban missile crisis in October 1962.

Like most older Cuban Americans, most Brigade members have historically leaned conservative. But the group broke with a half-century tradition of not endorsing individual candidates by officially supporting U.S. President Donald Trump ‘s first campaign and then reaffirming that endorsement four years later.

“You have to understand that Trump, in 2016, he came here and campaigned,” Montalvo said. “And we, for the first time ever, backed a president — politically backed him. And he made certain promises to us when he was here.”

Those promises included adding new sanctions to Cuba and reversing former President Barack Obama’s policies that loosened restrictions on travel and commerce. Now they’re hoping that Trump can finally remove the current Cuban government for good, which will likely require action from the U.S. military.

This comes as ongoing talks between the U.S. and Cuba continue, with Trump and Rubio calling for regime change

Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have called for a change in Cuba’s leadership, with ongoing talks between the U.S. and Cuba in their early stages, according to Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel. A punishing U.S. blockade has led to increased blackouts, with just a single fuel delivery in the past three months.

While Montalvo sees the need for the U.S. military, he doesn’t want a U.S. invasion and occupation of Cuba. The ideal situation would be a revolt by Cuban citizens with backing from the U.S., followed by American investment and infrastructure to redevelop the island.

“I don’t want to see American boots on the ground in Cuba,” Montalvo said. “I would hate to see an American soldier die because of Cuba’s freedom. I mean, we have to die ourselves before that happens.”

Montalvo said his group trusts Rubio, a Miami-born Cuban American, to guide Trump. But whatever happens, Montalvo said the current government in Cuba needs to be removed completely.

“We ask them that if they’re not going to get rid of the mafia that is in power right now, don’t do anything,” Montalvo said. “Because to make a change in Cuba that is just for the photographs, like they did in Venezuela, in Cuba it’s not going to work.”

In January, Trump directed the U.S. military to enter Venezuela and capture then-President Nicolas Maduro. Maduro’s party remains in power, and Maduro’s former vice president now leads the country.

Carlos Leon, a member of Brigade 2506, said he might be more naive than his brothers. Still, despite never questioning or regretting his own participation in the Bay of Pigs Invasion, he just doesn’t see how dropping bombs and killing people is going to improve anything in Cuba. Leon acknowledged that Trump’s war in Iran has made it even less clear that his administration can effectively liberate Cuba.

“How many Cubans are you going to kill? How many more enemies in Cuba are you going to create by killing all those Cubans?” Leon said. “How do you feel because the gringos send the Marines and the Air Force and kill or mutilate X number of Cubans? What kind of a country, what kind of morale do you have as a Cuban?”

The new Bay of Pigs museum will officially open with a ceremony for the veterans and their families

The original Bay of Pigs museum opened in 1988 at an old home in Little Havana. It held a collection of photographs, documents and other memorabilia, as well as a documentary film about the three-day invasion. The new two-story, 11,000-square-foot facility was constructed on the same spot with funding from Miami-Dade County, the state of Florida and private donors.

The new building officially opens Friday with a ceremony for Brigade members and their families. The museum will reopen to the public after that.

Ernesto Freyre said joining Brigade 2506 was the most important action he has taken in his life.

“It was the biggest purpose and commitment that I took upon myself,” Freyre said.

Freyre said he’s been dreaming of a liberated Cuba since almost immediately after Castro took over. After nearly seven decades, he’s not sure if that will happen in his lifetime, with or without U.S. help.

“But at least I’m hoping that my descendants do see it,” Freyre said.

KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Miami County in Kansas and Cass County in Missouri. He also covers agricultural topics. Ryan has extensively covered stories in Miami County over the past two years. The Sheriff’s Department took him on a tour of the damage in Hillsdale on Tuesday. If you want to share your story and what the path forward looks like, reach out. Share your story idea with Ryan.

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Miami County leaders are preparing to sign a state of emergency on Wednesday as Hillsdale residents clean up from Monday night’s tornado before the next batch of storms arrive.

Miami County leaders take action to get disaster aid after Hillsdale tornado

The Miami County government will officially sign the declaration to secure outside resources and aid for a rebuild.

The county of 44,000 people does not budget for disasters of this scale.

Presiding Commissioner George Pretz told KSHB 41 News Miami County Reporter Ryan Gamboa that he (Pretz) entered into a verbal agreement on Monday night, but the county will officially declare a disaster declaration at its Wednesday meeting.

“It’s get with it, and get through it, and take care of the people as quick as you can,” Pretz said.

The move follows action taken by Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, who issued her own declaration of disaster on Monday night for areas impacted by major storms.

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“Due to the severe weather that impacted the state overnight, I’ve declared a disaster emergency to ensure state assistance was readily available if needed,” Gov. Kelly said in a news release. “I encourage all Kansans to have an emergency kit and a family plan in preparation for a tornado. Stay updated on local weather conditions by listening to a NOAA weather radio or local TV and radio stations. Once a warning is activated, it is important to take cover.”

The Kansas Division of Management has activated the State Emergency Operations Center and is monitoring the situation, according to a news release.

Ryan Gamboa/KSHB

Miami County Undersheriff Matt Kelly said the declaration is necessary to facilitate a remedy to the disaster.

“More resources, funding, things like that to get the community back to where it was prior to the storm,” Kelly said. “There was verbal declarations done early last night when the storms came through, and because of that, we were able to get the resources that we did. We were seeing state resources coming in as far away as Pottawatomie County and south as far as Wichita to help us.”

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Those declarations go farther at the county level according to Pretz.

It opens of the county to more resources and the county can even apply for additional federal aid.

78-year-old Ron Warhurst spent Tuesday afternoon operating a chainsaw to help his friend, Carol, clean up her property. The tornado passed about 100 yards from Carol’s home, damaging trees and her car. Warhurst also worked to save a sapling trapped under a fallen tree.

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“Over there is where the tornado came through,” Warhurst said to Gamboa.

Neighbors in unincorporated Hillsdale are leaving brush piles along the road for collection on Wednesday.

“The county is supposed to come by tomorrow,” Warhurst said.

Ryan Gamboa/KSHB

Miami County Undersheriff Kelly told Gamboa that Tuesday’s efforts were to ensure the roads, structures, and community were safe to move around in.

A larger effort to clear debris and get rid of trash will begin on Wednesday, weather permitting.

“Tomorrow, we will start the cleanup phase,” Kelly said. “Without taking care of that, we can’t do the clean-up phase. That’s where we are at because we’re looking at more weather today… We couldn’t have been able to do that without these declarations, and that’s why they’re so important and crucial to make these successful recoveries.”

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For now, the ultimate goal for the community is to get back to regular life.

Pretz estimates a large bulk of the clean-up, if the storms hold off, should be much better by Friday. He said the goal is to get all power restored by late Wednesday.

“This is truly local government here, all hands on deck, making a difference,” Pretz added. “Miami County government has got to do everything we can to get them [Hillsdale] up and going.”

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Undersheriff Kelly released the latest details on the impacted structures in the Hillsdale area on Tuesday afternoon.

• Nearly 300 structures were searched
• 113 structures affected
• 41 structures significantly damaged or destroyed
• All residents have been accounted for
• Only one minor injury has been reported

Volunteers are needed to assist in the clean-up effort on Wednesday morning. Those who want to help are asked to sign up at Hillsdale Presbyterian Church, 22875 W 255th Street.

The cleanup is expected to begin at 8:30 a.m.

“We’re already seeing people step up in this community,” Kelly said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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Forward Brant Byers, who ranked second behind Peter Suder in scoring for the Miami RedHawks last season with 14.2 points per game, has committed to the Penn State Nittany Lions, according to a report via Twitter/X from DraftExpress’ Jonathan Givony.

Byers’ hometown of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, is about two hours south of State College.

Byers reportedly entered the transfer portal in March.

Byers also averaged 4.1 rebounds per game, and shot 47.8 percent from the field and 39.2 percent from 3-point range as a redshirt sophomore for the RedHawks. He was named an all-Mid-American Conference second-team selection.

Byers started 33 of the 34 games in which he played for the 32-2 RedHawks in 2025-26. He averaged 8.4 points per game off the bench one season earlier, as a freshman. Byers redshirted during the 2023-24 season.

Former Cincinnati Bearcats forward Josh Reed and former Xavier Musketeers forward Sasa Ciani are on the Nittany Lions’ roster.

The RedHawks received a commitment April 14 from Ball State transfer forward Preston Copeland.