TONY CORTÉS · SHADOW CRIMES / BOOK II
One man. One account.
The trail of money.
The story of Ramón Milián Rodríguez, explored through an investigation into crime, power, and the questions that remain unanswered.
Lord of Money · English edition · Palmetto Publishing
THE INVESTIGATION, IN PRINT.01 / THE BOOK
Tony Cortés places Ramón Milián Rodríguez at the center of Lord of Money, the second installment in his Shadow Crimes series.
According to its publisher’s description, the book draws on sixteen years of research involving interviews, case files, and historical documents. It explores Milián’s life and the tensions between ideology, finance, and organized crime.
This collection brings together voices and documents that illuminate the book’s context.
Purchases are completed on Amazon. Prices, formats, and shipping vary by country and seller. This synopsis is based on the publisher’s description, not a reading of the complete book.
IN THE PRESS
El Heraldo introduces Tony Cortés’s book and his sixteen-year investigation into Ramón Milián Rodríguez, drawing on interviews, archives, and court records.
Read in El Heraldo ↗Original article in Spanish.02 / RAMÓN MILIÁN RODRÍGUEZ
A journey through documented events and personal accounts, with a source linked to every chapter of the timeline.
On May 4, federal agents stopped his plane before a flight to Panama. A later court opinion describes nearly $5.5 million in cash and records of financial transactions.
Read the case record ↗The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed the convictions under appeal. Its opinion identifies Milián as a certified public accountant based in Florida.
Read the opinion ↗Milián testified before the subcommittee chaired by John Kerry. PBS included portions of his testimony in Guns, Drugs and the CIA, broadcast in May of that year.
Explore the archive ↓Palmetto Publishing releases Lord of Money by Tony Cortés in English, offering a new entry point into a story that continues to raise questions.
View the book listing ↗EDUCATION, PRISON, AND TESTIMONY
An accountant and economist, Ramón Milián Rodríguez shares documents from his education in commerce and his professional career. His biography also includes a period in prison: according to his own testimony, he spent 25 years there. This figure is presented as part of his personal account.
Explore his personal archive ↓The interviews present their subjects’ accounts. Claims about intelligence operations and Contra funding have been disputed; testimony alone does not establish them as judicially proven facts. The CIA Inspector General’s report, archived by FAS provides another documentary perspective.
03 / VOICES FROM THE ARCHIVE
An archival recording preserves Milián’s exchange with the U.S. Senate committee: a young man at the microphone, answering the senator’s questions.
KERRY COMMITTEE ARCHIVE · APPROX. 16 MIN
The Kerry Committee: Banks, Cartels, and Money Laundering.
Copy posted by akchuk on YouTube. Contains archival footage; this is not the complete hearing.
04 / FIRST-PERSON ACCOUNTS
Conversations with Ramón Milián and Tony Cortés exploring the book’s context and the research behind it.
Videos play in their original language; YouTube subtitles are available where provided.
LISTEN / WEISSOLOGY · 2021
A conversation with Ramón Milián Rodríguez about Cuba. Approximately 71 minutes.
05 / PERSONAL ARCHIVE
Portraits, journeys, documents, and objects shared by Ramón Milián Rodríguez. A personal archive to accompany the book.
Enlarge the images to explore their details. Captions distinguish what each photograph shows from the memories recounted by its subject.
Three videos shared by Ramón, preserving their footage and original audio. Titles and descriptions are available in both languages.
Visible video credit: @ALPROFIT.
During his visit to Cachita Universal Studios, Ramón presents his account of his role in past events. His statements are preserved as the interviewee’s testimony.
Visible video credit: Cachita Universal Studios.
A personal-archive sequence showing the roof-opening mechanism of a white Mercedes-Benz and a moment at the wheel.
Video shared by Ramón Milián Rodríguez.
Automobiles: a selection of pieces especially valued and cherished by Ramón Milián Rodríguez.
A studio portrait from the archive shared for this proposal.
University of Santa Clara diploma in the name of Ramon M. Rodriguez. The document states Bachelor of Science in Commerce and is dated June 16, 1973.
An archival photograph on an airport apron.
The photograph shows a copy of Shadow Justice by Tony Cortés. It is a different book from Lord of Money, within the author’s publishing career.
An image from the shared archive, taken in a television studio.
A portrait in a suit and tie, with foliage in the background.
Two people beside an aircraft with its door open.
A photograph beside a light-colored classic automobile.
A nighttime photograph between two sports cars.
A detail of an object bearing the inscription Banco del Caribe S.A.
Promotional artwork for Lord of Money presenting the project as a television series. Displayed as archival material, not as the book cover or an announcement of a confirmed release.
A scene at the wheel of a black convertible.
An archival portrait of a man wearing glasses and holding a book.
A photograph from the back seat of a classic automobile, with the door open.
A portrait beside a black classic automobile.
Another view from the photo session beside the automobile.
An archival portrait in a tuxedo and bow tie.
Four commemorative pieces bearing the names of figures from Cuban history.
The interior of a presentation case bearing the inscription Banco Nacional de Cuba.
An archival photograph of two men in front of an aircraft. Their identities and the date require further context.
An archival portrait with a patterned head covering.
A street portrait with a tram in the background.
A photograph outside a building displaying WeSpace and Société Générale signs.
An urban scene outside a railway station displaying the SBB CFF FFS emblem.
A closer view of the portrait outside the building.
An outdoor portrait with boats and buildings in the background.
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants certificate in the name of Ramon Milian-Rodriguez, showing an admission date of July 31, 1977.
Florida State Board of Accountancy certificate in the name of Ramon Milian-Rodriguez, dated March 4, 1977. Presented as a historical document; it does not by itself establish a current license.
Cuban American Certified Public Accountants Association, Inc. membership certificate in the name of Ramon Milian Rodriguez, dated September 8, 1980.
Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants membership certificate in the name of Ramon Milian Rodriguez, dated 1977.
A portrait wearing a hat at the wheel of a black convertible.
A nighttime portrait beside a white sports car.
Ramón Milián Rodríguez identifies this portrait as a photograph of himself taken in 1972 at the School of the Americas. Identification and date are based on his own account.
An outdoor portrait on a black Indian motorcycle.
A portrait in a white jacket and neck scarf, against a press backdrop.
A photograph with a guest in front of the Premios TV Latinos backdrop.
A group image during the gala’s photo session.
A black Porsche beside classic cars in a covered area.
Three Rolls-Royce cars photographed from the front, with different body styles.
An informal portrait under a palm-thatched roof.
An archival photograph in a cap and sportswear. The date and location have not been specified.
A portrait seated at a table, wearing a jacket and scarf.
A portrait in a blue jacket beside a brick-and-wood doorway.
A conversation beside a polo player on horseback.
A standing portrait beside the playing field. The screenshot is preserved as shared.
A portrait at the wheel of a white Mercedes-Benz with the roof open.
Another nighttime image beside the white sports car.
Two people aboard a black classic convertible.
A portrait beside the open door of a black classic car.
A moment beside the driver’s seat of the same car.
07 / FURTHER READING
U.S. Court of Appeals · 1987 · Court opinion on Justia
U.S. Department of State · 1988 · Printed page 49
PBS / FRONTLINE · May 17, 1988 · Transcript
Larry Collins Papers · March 18, 1988 · Archival record; access restrictions may apply