Cuban spy’s prison term cut from life to 30 years after original sentence ruled too severe

Cuban spy’s prison term cut from life to 30 years

MIAMI — A convicted Cuban spy’s prison term has been reduced from life to 30 years after an appeals court ruled the original sentence was too severe.

A federal judge in Miami imposed the lesser sentence Tuesday on 46-year-old Ramon Labanino (RAH’-mohn lah-bah-’NEE-noh) after his attorney and prosecutors worked out an agreement.

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals tossed out the life sentence as unduly harsh.

Labanino is one of the so-called “Cuban Five” convicted of seeking in the 1990s to infiltrate U.S. military bases and law enforcement agencies, and monitor Cuban exile groups and politicians in Miami. The men are lionized in Cuba as heroes.

A second convicted spy is also scheduled to get a reduced sentence later Tuesday.