In April of 1961, the CIA launched a clandestine attack, later known as "The Bay of Pigs Invasion", in an attempt to topple Fidel Castro with full-scale invasion of Cuba using 1,400 American-trained Cuban exiles living in Miami.
However, the invasion did not go well. The invaders landed in Cuba's southern shore known as the Bay of Pigs and were badly outnumbered by Castro’s troops, and they surrendered after less than 24 hours of fighting. 114 were killed and over 1,100 were taken prisoner.
The Cuban exiles carrying out the invasion actually believed that President Kennedy would send US forces to help them during their invasion of Cuba, but Kennedy didn't send help fearing that doing so would start World War III, so he left the men on their own.
