Secret Navy SEAL Missions

Operation “Mongoose”

This was a CIA led covert operation to remove Fidel Castro and his Communist regime from power in Cuba in 1959. In the spring of 1962 the SEALs were used to conduct beach landing reconnaissance to identify places where the invading Marine force could land. While the CIA operation would lead to the disaster in the, “Bay of Pigs”, the SEALs were establishing themselves as a very effective amphibious Special Operations Force.

CIA’s Phoenix Program

SEAL Teams 1 & 2 carried out numerous direct action and gorilla warfare missions during Vietnam and had an amazing win rate with very little casualties and a 200:1 kill ratio.

The unit also participated in the CIA’s “Phoenix” assassination program with great success.

There were usually up to 5 active SEAL platoons in Vietnam, each platoon consisting of around twelve operators. Some were farmed out to the Phoenix program separately.