Sheffield Edwards

Sheffield "Shef" Edwards was the first director of the Office of Security at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and the principal architect of security programs at the agency. Edwards was directly involved in several assassination attempts against Fidel Castro. He was also one of the grand designers of Project BLUEBIRD.

Life Edwards was born 12 June 1902, in San Francisco.

During World War II, Edwards worked for the United States Army Air Forces, as chief of staff of the 8th Air Support Command, transferred to become the chief of staff for the 9th Fighter Command, and later the Executive Officer of the Command Air Section of the I British Corps.

Later during the war, Edwards was transferred a command position in the G3 Headquarters of the 12th Army Group. During Phase I of that operation, which called to use the Mafia to smuggle Botulinum toxin in pill form into Cuba, and feed them to Castro. Edwards infamously tested the pills on some Guinea pigs to see if they worked.

Edwards and William King Harvey hired Sam Giancana and John Roselli for a contract hit on Castro, but the CIA soon learned that the two men were being investigated by the office of Robert F. Kennedy. Kennedy, when informed by the CIA, said: "The next time you deal with the Mafia, come to me first."

From 1963 to 1970, Edwards was the President of "Sheffield Edwards Security and Management Consultants," in Washington, D.C..