NewsMax.com. Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2000
The federal agents who took part in the raid that snatched a terrified Elian Gonzalez from the home of his Miami relatives are heading for Georgia next week for an awards ceremony where they will be honored for their thuggish behavior.
According to today’s Miami Herald, the ceremony was arranged by Immigration and Naturalization Service Commissioner Doris Meissner, who wants to reward the pepper- and mace-spraying agents for "a job well done," said INS spokeswoman Maria Cardona.
"They were people who did an extraordinary job under extraordinary circumstances,'' Cardona told the Herald.
As many as 131 agents were involved in the raid on the tiny Lazaro Gonzalez Miami home where only a handful of relatives were present with Elian when the pre-dawn raid struck. Most were not present in the house itself, Cardona said.
Relatives recalled that the agents sprayed some of them with pepper spray, pushed them around and used foul and abusive language during the raid. And an NBC cameraman was so badly injured while trying to cover the event that he was later hospitalized.
All of the agents being recognized will receive plaques, Cardona told the Herald. A few will also be rewarded with bonus vacation days, at the suggestion of Miami District Director Bob Wallis.
The only agent who was identified by name as part of the raid was Betty Ann Mills, a Spanish speaker who rushed the terrified youngster, wrapped in a white blanket, from the house. Mills is based in South Florida, and has been the target of threats after the raid, requiring special security
measures for some time after the raid.
The awards event is scheduled for Aug. 14-15 and will be held at Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia.
While the agents are honored for their disgraceful behavior, Elian remains in a Cuban facility where he is being given psychiatric care designed to make him a good and obedient communist.
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