Latest news with #anti-Castro
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
A gunshot tore brothers apart decades ago. The FSU shooting split them up for good
Ricardo and Robert Morales parted ways in 1982 after a gunshot killed their father, a Cuban-American exile turned CIA informant in Miami known as "Monkey," and tore their family apart. It took over three decades for the brothers to reconnect after finding each other online. But on Thursday, a second gunshot divided the brothers for good. Robert, 57, was one of the two people killed in a shooting at Florida State University's campus in Tallahassee, according to Ricardo. Five others were injured by gunshots. "It's just eating me up inside that this is the way people in my family are going out," Ricardo, 61, who lives in Michigan, said. "He was such a good person. He didn't deserve that." Robert was working as FSU's dining coordinator and worked in the student union center, where police say the 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner opened fire around noon. The brothers grew up hundreds of miles south of Tallahassee, in Miami. While they were raised by different mothers and lived in separate households, the two remained close as kids. "He remembers more than I do, that I taught him karate when we were little, when we were like 12 or something," Robert said. "He remembers it vividly." "It was the first memory he remembered telling me when we saw each other again after years," he added. Their father, Ricardo Morales Sr. — known in Miami media as "Monkey" — was an anti-Castro militant, counter-intelligence chief for Venezuela, FBI, CIA and Miami police informant and drug dealer, according to archived news articles on the CIA's website. Morales Sr. was portrayed in the Netflix series "Griselda," inspired by the true story of Colombian drug trafficker Griselda Blanco, starring Sofía Vergara. Morales Sr.'s life around crime and counterintelligence ultimately led up to his own killing, according to the old news clips. In December of 1982, Morales Sr. was shot in the back of the head in a bar brawl in Miami, which started because he thought someone called him a gay slur in Spanish, according to the CIA. Ricardo said his father's death caused the family to splinter off throughout the country, as they feared retaliation from his father's long list of powerful friends and enemies. "We separated after my dad died because the family scattered to the winds," Ricardo said. "And back then, there was no internet or anything." Robert went to FSU and graduated with a bachelor's degree in criminology, according to his LinkedIn profile. Over the last decade, he'd been working at the university as its dining coordinator. Ricardo said that although he went to FSU and worked at the university, he was actually a University of Miami Hurricanes fan. "He rooted for them second, because he had to," Ricardo said of FSU. "But they knew deep down inside, he was a Hurricane." In his free time, Robert coached high school football in Tallahassee. On Friday, the Leon High School Athletics Department called Robert a "beloved member of the athletic community." "His commitment to the game and shaping the lives of his players extended far beyond the field," the department said in a statement. "He was a trusted coach, respected colleague, and a cherished friend to many." Seven years ago, after separately rebuilding their lives away from their father's past of criminality in Miami, Ricardo said Robert found his brother on Twitter. "I was tweeting about something, and he goes, 'Hey, I think you're my brother,'" Ricardo recalled. "I asked him what his dad's name was, and he told me his dad's name and I go 'Yeah, you're my brother! How you doing?' That's how we reconnected the friendship.'" The brothers began speaking on the phone daily. Robert, his wife, and only daughter also began making regular trips to visit Ricardo, his wife, and daughter in Michigan. On Thursday, Ricardo said Robert's daughter was on a flight to visit her cousin, Ricardo's daughter, in Minneapolis when Robert was killed. "He was a big teddy bear. He was a huge guy, but very, very soft," Ricardo said. "And I just love that he was a great father." "He loved his daughter so much, his family," he added. "He was a family man through and through." Ricardo said his brother was suffering from a loss of kidney function and received a kidney transplant two years ago. The transplant recently failed. "He'd been doing dialysis three days a week to survive, to stay alive, fighting to stay alive for his family, and waiting for that next kidney that was hopefully going to come," Ricardo said. "And then this happens." Given his condition, Ricardo said he tried encouraging his brother to quit his job and collect disability. But his brother insisted that the job kept his mind off his ailing health. "He liked to be around the kids, made sure they were getting what they needed," he said. "And he loved his job. That's why he was there." It is unclear how Robert ultimately crossed paths with Ikner on Thursday. Ricardo said that as of Thursday evening, he had not been briefed by authorities in Florida, though other family members had. Officials identified Ikner, 20, as the suspect in the shooting and revealed he is the stepson of a sheriff's deputy who had access to one of her weapons. Police did not identify a motive. Ikner was an FSU student and classmates told NBC News that he harbored white supremacist views. Ricardo said that while he is "all for the Second Amendment," he hopes for some gun reform to help limit the carnage that has long plagued his family. However, he's not hopeful. "I don't believe anything will come of this. You can quote me on that one," he said. "We would love for the world to go in the direction of caring about people over money and business, because this is where this problem comes from, trying to make a buck." This article was originally published on
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Yahoo
Robert Morales Named as FSU Shooting Victim
Robert Morales was identified as one of the two Florida State University (FSU) shooting victims who were killed in the mass shooting. His brother, Ricardo Morales Jr., confirmed his death on X. "Today we lost my younger Brother, He was one of the victims killed at FSU. He loved his job at FSU and his beautiful Wife and Daughter. I'm glad you were in my Life. Him with our Dad on the left and with our other Brother Sister, Gma and cousin," he wrote, sharing a series of photos showing Robert Morales with family members. According to NBC Miami, Morales was a native of South Florida. Morales's friend Carlos Cruz told NBC Miami that Morales "was one of the original founders of Gordos Cuban Cuisine, a very popular Cuban restaurant in Tallahassee." He was a graduate of Hialeah Senior High School and Florida State University, "where he worked as the dining director on campus," according to the television station. Morales was one of two victims who died in the attack. Authorities said in an April 17 news conference that the suspect, Phoenix Ikner, is the son of a Leon County Sheriff's deputy. They said six other people were also injured in the mass shooting, and Ikner is in the hospital after being shot by first responders. Morales's brother added on X, "You deserved better Robert. Thank you for being in my life." According to The Miami Herald, Morales was attending a meeting on campus when he was killed. The newspaper noted that Morales was the son of Ricardo Morales, "a shadowy Cuban-American CIA operative and anti-Castro militant throughout the 1960s and '70s who died in a bar fight in Miami in 1982." CBS News reported that the living victims are in stable condition as of April 18. The second deceased victim has not yet been identified.
CBS News
18-04-2025
- CBS News
FSU shooting victim Robert Morales had deep ties to South Florida
New information is emerging about 57-year-old Robert Morales, one of two people killed Thursday in a shooting on Florida State University' s campus. Morales, who worked in FSU's dining services department for the past nine years, had deep roots in South Florida, growing up in Hialeah and was the son of the late Ricardo "Monkey" Morales, a former CIA operative and anti-Castro militant. He had gathered for a work meeting when gunfire erupted, ending his life and shaking the university community. Morales was raised in Hialeah and maintained strong ties to Miami. According to The Miami Herald , he was the son of Ricardo "Monkey" Morales, a Cuban-American CIA operative who took part in the failed Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961 and remained involved in anti-Castro operations throughout the 1960s and 1970s. His father died in 1982 during a bar fight in Key Biscayne at the age of 43, a loss that, according to Morales' brother, left a lasting impact on Robert during his teenage years. Robert's brother, Ricardo Morales Jr., posted on X in the hours following the shooting, sharing his anguish as he tried unsuccessfully to reach his sibling. "Today we lost my younger brother," he later wrote. "He loved his job at FSU and his beautiful wife and daughter. I'm glad you were in my life." The family had previously called Robert's recovery from a 2021 kidney transplant a "miracle," detailing his medical struggles on a GoFundMe page. Also killed in the shooting was Tiru Chabba , a regional Vice President at Aramark Collegiate Hospitality. In a statement, Aramark confirmed the loss, "We are heartbroken to confirm that an Aramark employee was among those killed at FSU yesterday in that senseless act of violence. We are absolutely shaken by the news and our deepest sympathies are with the family and our entire Aramark community." Ricardo Morales Jr. told CBS News Miami that he would not be offering further comment until Robert's wife issued a statement.
NBC News
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- NBC News
A gunshot tore brothers apart decades ago. The FSU shooting split them up for good
Ricardo and Robert Morales parted ways in 1982 after a gunshot killed their father, a Cuban-American exile turned CIA informant in Miami known as "Monkey," and tore their family apart. It took over three decades for the brothers to reconnect after finding each other online. But on Thursday, a second gunshot divided the brothers for good. Robert, 57, was one of the two people killed in a shooting at Florida State University's campus in Tallahassee, according to Ricardo. Five others were injured by gunshots. "It's just eating me up inside that this is the way people in my family are going out," Ricardo, 61, who lives in Michigan, said. "He was such a good person. He didn't deserve that." Robert was working as FSU's dining coordinator and worked in the student union center, where police say the 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner opened fire around noon. The brothers grew up hundreds of miles south of Tallahassee, in Miami. While they were raised by different mothers and lived in separate households, the two remained close as kids. "He remembers more than I do, that I taught him karate when we were little, when we were like 12 or something," Robert said. "He remembers it vividly." "It was the first memory he remembered telling me when we saw each other again after years," he added. Their father, Ricardo Morales Sr. — known in Miami media as "Monkey" — was an anti-Castro militant, counter-intelligence chief for Venezuela, FBI, CIA and Miami police informant and drug dealer, according to archived news articles on the CIA's website. Morales Sr. was portrayed in the Netflix series "Griselda," inspired by the true story of Colombian drug trafficker Griselda Blanco, starring Sofía Vergara. Morales Sr.'s life around crime and counterintelligence ultimately led up to his own killing, according to the old news clips. In December of 1982, Morales Sr. was shot in the back of the head in a bar brawl in Miami, which started because he thought someone called him a gay slur in Spanish, according to the CIA. Ricardo said his father's death caused the family to splinter off throughout the country, as they feared retaliation from his father's long list of powerful friends and enemies. "We separated after my dad died because the family scattered to the winds," Ricardo said. "And back then, there was no internet or anything." Robert went to FSU and graduated with a bachelor's degree in criminology, according to his LinkedIn profile. Over the last decade, he'd been working at the university as its dining coordinator. Ricardo said that although he went to FSU and worked at the university, he was actually a University of Miami Hurricanes fan. "He rooted for them second, because he had to," Ricardo said of FSU. "But they knew deep down inside, he was a Hurricane." In his free time, Robert coached high school football in Tallahassee. On Friday, the Leon High School Athletics Department called Robert a "beloved member of the athletic community." "His commitment to the game and shaping the lives of his players extended far beyond the field," the department said in a statement. "He was a trusted coach, respected colleague, and a cherished friend to many." Seven years ago, after separately rebuilding their lives away from their father's past of criminality in Miami, Ricardo said Robert found his brother on Twitter. "I was tweeting about something, and he goes, 'Hey, I think you're my brother,'" Ricardo recalled. "I asked him what his dad's name was, and he told me his dad's name and I go 'Yeah, you're my brother! How you doing?' That's how we reconnected the friendship.'" The brothers began speaking on the phone daily. Robert, his wife, and only daughter also began making regular trips to visit Ricardo, his wife, and daughter in Michigan. On Thursday, Robert said his daughter was on a flight to visit her cousin, Ricardo's daughter, in Minneapolis when Ricardo was killed. "He was a big teddy bear. He was a huge guy, but very, very soft," Ricardo said. "And I just love that he was a great father." "He loved his daughter so much, his family," he added. "He was a family man through and through." Ricardo said his brother was suffering from a loss of kidney function and received a kidney transplant two years ago. The transplant recently failed. "He'd been doing dialysis three days a week to survive, to stay alive, fighting to stay alive for his family, and waiting for that next kidney that was hopefully going to come," Ricardo said. "And then this happens." Given his condition, Ricardo said he tried encouraging his brother to quit his job and collect disability. But his brother insisted that the job kept his mind off his ailing health. "He liked to be around the kids, made sure they were getting what they needed," he said. "And he loved his job. That's why he was there." It is unclear how Robert ultimately crossed paths with Ikner on Thursday. Ricardo said that as of Thursday evening, he had not been briefed by authorities in Florida, though other family members had. O f icials identified Ikner, 20, as the suspect in the shooting and revealed he is the stepson of a sheriff's deputy who had access to one of her weapons. Police did not identify a motive. Ikner was an FSU student and classmates told NBC News that he harbored white supremacist views. Ricardo said that while he is "all for the Second Amendment," he hopes for some gun reform to help limit the carnage that has long plagued his family. However, he's not hopeful. "I don't believe anything will come of this. You can quote me on that one," he said. "We would love for the world to go in the direction of caring about people over money and business, because this is where this problem comes from, trying to make a buck."
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Victim in FSU shooting was son of notorious Cold War Cuban-American CIA operative
One of the two people killed in Thursday's shootings at Florida State University was the son of Ricardo 'Monkey' Morales, a shadowy Cuban-American CIA operative and anti-Castro militant throughout the 1960s and '70s who died in a bar fight in Miami in 1982. Roberto Morales, 57, was among several university employees who had gathered for a meeting when the shooting began, his brother, Ricardo Morales Jr. said. He worked at the university's department of dining services. 'Today we lost my younger brother, He was one of the victims killed at FSU. He loved his job at FSU and his beautiful Wife and Daughter. I'm glad you were in my Life,' Ricardo Morales Jr. wrote Thursday night in his X account. Roberto Morales was one of two people, neither of whom were FSU students, who were killed. Five others were hospitalized in the shootings, which began shortly before noon. Authorities said the shooter, who is in custody, is the son of a Leon County Schools deputy and had used one of her weapons. Roberto Morales had been deeply affected by his father's death while he was a teenager, his brother said. His father, who had been a central figure in Cold War-era espionage and anti-Castro militancy, was killed in a Key Biscayne bar on December 20, 1982, during a fight. He was 43. Police ruled the incident a justifiable homicide, though his controversial past has long fueled speculation about the true nature of his death. 'Monkey' Morales operated in the shadowy realms of intelligence and counterintelligence for multiple agencies — including the CIA, FBI, DEA, the Israeli Mossad and Venezuela's DISIP. His legacy is marked by covert operations, bombings and alleged ties to drug trafficking. Despite numerous brushes with the law, he was frequently shielded from prosecution, feeding theories about his connections to high-level covert U.S. operations. In the 1960s and '70s, Morales, who took part in the failed Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba in 1961, was one of many Cuban exiles collaborating with the CIA to undermine Fidel Castro's regime. In a 2021 radio interview in Miami, Ricardo Morales Jr. claimed that his father had ties to Lee Harvey Oswald, the accused assassin of President John F. Kennedy. Morales said his father, who served as a sniper instructor in the early 1960s at secret camps where Cuban exiles and others were trained for missions against Cuba, recognized Oswald as one of his former trainees in the hours following Kennedy's assassination in Dallas in 1963.
