Operations Safe Haven and Safe Passage
Operations Safe Haven and Safe Passage were operations by the United States Joint Task Force designed to relieve the overcrowded migrant camps at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. Safe Haven established four camps on Empire Range, Panama, to provide a safe haven for up to ten thousand Cuban migrants. Safe Passage then returned the migrants to Guantanamo after the crowded conditions could be alleviated. These migrants had attempted to enter the United States illegally by crossing the Florida Straits in summer 1994. The operation was conducted under the command of General Barry McCaffrey and the direction of Clinton administration.
History
Relocation
Operation Safe Haven began in September 1994, when the first Cubans arrived in Panama from Guantanamo. Camps were established in Panama as a result of an agreement between the US and Panamanian governments that permitted the Cubans to remain in Panama for six months. Cuban migrants continued to arrive until the camps reached their peak occupancy of 8,600. Of these 8,600, approximately 1,280 Cubans entered the United States in mid-October 1994 as a result of a program of parole entry by the US Department of Justice. In addition, 110 Cubans were accepted by Spain, and 10 by Venezuela.Disturbances
Due in part to uncertainty about their future, some of the Cuban migrants became increasingly restless as the weeks went by. The growing tension led to disturbances and riots on December 7–8, 1994, which were quickly controlled by US military members. During the riots, more than 200 US military personnel and 30 Cubans were injured and at least 2 Cuban migrants drowned in the Panama Canal while attempting to flee from the camps. There was also considerable property damage, including the destruction of various military vehicles, computers, and telephones.Approximately three days after the initial riot, a joint operation took place to regain control of camp five, the last camp under Cuban immigrant control. The Cuban migrants were taken into custody and the instigators and leaders of the riots were identified.
During the riots, the 258th Military Police Co. partnered with Marine forces to stop rioting Cuban immigrants who had broken out of the camps and were making their way to Panama City. The fighting during this engagement went back and forth, until 2nd Ranger Battalion, 1st Battalion 502nd Infantry Regiment, and 5th/87th Infantry retook the camps. Other personnel there were the 2nd Rangers, 2nd Battalion 505th Airborne Infantry, 82d Airborne Division, 2nd Battalion 502 Infantry Regiment and the 194th Army Military Police of the 101st ABN division. The 8th Engineer Battalion of the 1st Cavalry Division was deployed in a no-notice deployment December 1994 at the start of the riots bringing M113 Armored Personnel Carriers to provide additional riot support. After the riots were contained, the 8th EN BN remained to serve security patrol for the 5 camps for the duration of Operation Safe Haven making numerous contributions to the engineering and sustainment of the mission. Also present was the 170th MP CO from Ft Lewis, WA. No U.S. soldiers were killed during the confrontation, but over 400 were injured. The 95th Security Forces were used to help quell both riots. They were then assigned to Camp 2 where they lived in far less comfort than the Cuban rioters. They were also instrumental in developing a jail environment for rioters who had been recognized as actors in the riots, rapists who raped and killed an Army Specialist inside of the Camps when the riots began. Over 33 Cuban migrants were killed during the riots and 11 U.S. Military were killed in the riots mainly by being run over by vehicles the Cubans had captured Ater pushing down the fence line and taking the vehicles. They reportedly were killed in training accidents. This has NEVER been covered.