Today is Sunday, June 28, 2020.

On this day in 1960, dictator Fidel Castro began seizing control of American oil refineries in Cuba.

The incident caused the relationship between the United States and Cuba to deteriorate beyond

repair for decades.

Welcome to today in True Crime, a parcast original.

Today we're covering dictator Fidel Castro's hostile takeover of American oil refineries in Cuba.

Let's go back to June 28th, 1960 in Santiago de Cuba.

Fidel Castro reportedly signed a document, threatening to seize the foreign owned oil refineries if certain demands were not met.

It was a sign of the times, The Cold War between the United States, the Soviet Union, and Cuba was growing more volatile by the day.

By the following morning, as 33-year-old American Clifford Drake Jr. arrived for work at the Texaco

oil refinery in Santiago de Cuba, there was a tension in the air. He sipped his coffee and watched his crew work.

In the months prior, the U.S. advised Drake to downsize the number of American employees in the refinery,

anticipating a Cuban takeover at some point.

Armored militiamen marched in,

followed by members of Cuba's National Institute of Petroleum.

Drake asked the men what was going on.

The Cuban Institute of Petroleum Representatives demanded Drake and Texaco accept and process between 20,000

and 25,000 barrels of oil from the Soviet Union. Following his own orders from the United States

government, Drake refused. They would not do business with the USSR. The

petroleum reps asked one more time, saying they had many of the oil barrels with them.

Texaco could start processing right now and appease Fidel Castro.

Drake stood his ground and refused.

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