From Herald Staff and Wire Reports

 SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- A judge trying six Cuban exiles for plotting to kill
 Cuban President Fidel Castro denied defense motions on Tuesday to drop the
 charge against five of the men after the prosecution rested, but delayed ruling on
 the sixth.

 ``There's . . . [enough] circumstantial evidence to continue the trial of five
 defendants, federal Judge Hector Laffitte said. But he said he has ``doubts about
 the evidence presented against Miami businessman Alfredo Otero, 62.

 Defense lawyers routinely file motions to dismiss charges for lack of evidence
 after prosecutors wind up their case. But lawyers in this case believed the
 evidence of a conspiracy to kill Castro was so weak that they stood a good
 chance of winning Laffitte's agreement.

 Laffitte's quick rejection means the jury of eight women and two men will decide
 the first U.S. prosecution of anyone accused of plotting to kill the Cuban
 president.

 DEFENSE STARTS

 Laffitte said he would rule on Otero anytime after the defense starts presenting its
 case today. Defense attorneys have said they plan to call 20 to 30 witnesses over
 the next seven to 10 days.

 Seven exiles stand accused of plotting to kill Castro when he visited the
 Venezuelan island of Margarita in 1997. Four were arrested in Puerto Rico when
 two powerful .50-caliber rifles were found hidden aboard their Miami-registered
 yacht, the Esperanza. Three others were indicted later.

 Facing life in prison if convicted are Otero, Jose Antonio Llama, Angel Alfonso,
 Francisco Cordova, Juan Marquez, Angel Hernandez and Jose Rodriguez-Sosa.
 All are from South Florida except Alfonso, who lives in New Jersey. Llama is a
 member of the Cuban American National Foundation's board of directors.

 Marquez is not on trial because he suffers from cancer.

 The evidence against Otero showed only that he had asked a Miami ham radio
 enthusiast to monitor a specific frequency for calls from the Esperanza as it
 sailed to Margarita, saying it had a bad motor and could break down.

 Defense lawyers say the men were indeed plotting to sail the Esperanza to
 Margarita, but only to stage peaceful demonstrations against Castro and carry
 away possible defectors from his entourage.

 RIFLE MAKER

 Prosecutors Miguel Pereira and Scott Glick wound up their case Tuesday by
 putting on the stand Ronnie Barrett, the manufacturer of the .50-caliber rifles, to
 testify about their deadly power and accuracy.

 The 2-ounce bullets fired by the rifles can penetrate armored cars and low-flying
 aircraft, and can travel on a flat trajectory to targets as far away as one mile
 without being affected by cross winds.

 Laffitte also rejected a prosecution request to keep the trial from turning ``into a
 political circus by requiring defense lawyers to hand over a full list of their
 witnesses. But he warned the defense that it will have to prove that each witness
 is pertinent to the case as he or she is called to the stand.

 Defense lawyers are expected to try to call several witnesses to testify that the
 rifles were needed aboard the Esperanza because the Cuban armed forces have
 in the past shot down or rammed exile aircraft and boats.