Francesco/who-killed-jfk huggingface dataset:
[104-10214-10034.pdf — page 48]
SECRET-EYES ONLY4 May 1951The Director, at a meeting of the Special Group, reported a new anti-Trujillo plot, saying that we never knew if one of these would work or not.5 May 1951Headquarters cabled the station:"Regret delay but release of the submachine guns awaits high level State Department decision."8 May 1961Headquarters cabled the station:.."State Department has disapproved passing [submachine guns].16 May 1961Cable from the station:"For Achilles and Coerr from Dearborn: Thomas Stocker called on me night May 15. Stated he emissary from action group which plans execute action against Trujillo night May 16. Stocker's mission was urgently request me to furnish group with few machine guns which it understood US agents have in Dom Rep . . . ."(Comment: There is an unsigned and almost incomprehensible memorandum in the E-DEED files. It is dated 17 May 1961 and concerns a meeting with Mrs. Flerida Berry. The transmittal dispatch makes.- 48 -SECRET-EYES ONLY
[104-10214-10034.pdf — page 49]
SECRET-EVES CALYit clear that the author was Isabel Cintron, the station's administrative assistant. This is our interpretation of what Miss Cintron was trying to say: Sometine during the second week of May, Wimpy Berry asked Thomas Stocker to return the three carbines Eerry had given Stocker for the plotters. Stocker at first refused but finally agreed. / Presumably Berry then passed them to Antonio de la Maza. J On 15 May, Stocker again saw Berry at the supermarket, said he had the carbines back in his possession, and his group planned to carry out the assassination the following night. The group that was to do the job was not the group that Berry had been working with on behalf of the consulate. 3OCRATES (Luis Baquero) arrived at the supermarket while Stocker was stil with Wimpy. After Stocker left, Mrs. Berry asked Baquero if he had given the Carbines back to Stocker. Baquero said he was certain not, although he and the man who had the carbines and vas.... to do the job did not know each other's identities. While Mrs. Berry was talking with Baquero, the man to whom Berry had last given the weapons (presumably Antonio de la Mazal arrived at the supermarket. Mrs. Berry asked him if he had returned the carbines to Stocker. He replied that he had not that that, if she wanted confirmation, she could look in the trunk of his car where he always carried then.)- 49 -SECRET-EYES ONLY
[104-10214-10034.pdf — page 50]
SECRET-EYES ONLY18 May 1951There was discussion at a Special Group meeting of planning with respect to the Dominican Republic. Chester Bowles said he thought that an internal State planning paper outlining an ambitious paramilitary plan (and alleging Special Group approval) exceeded the Special Group's action. Mr. Parrott's notes supported that impression. The following is an excerpt from the minutes:"General Cabell noted that the internal dissidents were pressing for the release to them of certain small arms now in U.S. hands in the Dominican Republic. He inquired whether the feeling of the Group remained that these arms should not be passed. The members showed no inclination to take a contrary position at this time." *25 May 1961The agenda of the Special Group meeting for this date proposed discussion of "further guidance to Dearborn re contacts with dissidents." The minutes of the meeting, however, make no mention of the subject.27 May 1961The station cabled:"Department from Dearborn: 'May 26 I had long talk with Andreas Freitas. . . Freitas made no request for arms which indicates group has accepted fact it must do with what it has.- 50 -* The small arms to which General Cabell referred were the submachine guns, which were pouched to the station but were never passed to the dissidents.SECRET-EYES ONLY
[104-10214-10034.pdf — page 51]
SECRET-EYES ONLYHis only statement on this subject was that group has arms but is somewhat concerned whether enough."He stated action group planning overthrow Trujillo for past 3 weeks and representing anti-communist pro-democratic elements of which he member remains on brink final performance and determined as ever. Said he could give me no date because action depends when Trujillo follows awaited pattern which not known in advance. Group has arrangement for being informed sufficiently in advance to get into assigned positions once signal given. He asked if United States prepared assist pro-United States Dominicans quickly if they succeed overthrow Trujillo.""I replied . . . speed with which assistance could be given would be increased considerably if we could have prior info on such subjects as timing, plans for action, personalities involved and identity of proposed junta. . . . He replied participants were not prepared give their names until afterward and could not give time for reasons stated earlier. . .""Re timing Freitas stressed event could happen any day and could in fact have happened 3 times in last 2 weeks except that necessary juxtaposition of forces did not materialize."29 May 1961Headquarters cabled the station:"For Dearborn from State . . . We must not run risk of U.S. association with political assassination, since U.S.. as matter of general policy cannot condone assassination. This last principal is overriding and must prevail in doubtful situation. . . . You must request and receive further specific instruction for any specific covert activity. At the present time we are unable to transfer arms to dissidents. . . ."(Comment: Both Dearborn and the chief of station sent cables commenting on this guidance cable. Their cables were filed- 51 -SECRET-EYES ONLY
[104-10214-10034.pdf — page 52]
SECRET-EVES ONLYin Ciudad Trujillo on 30 May but were not received in Washingtonuntil the early morning hours of 31 May--about eight hoursafter the assassination took place. Excerpts follow.)31 May 1961Cable from the station:"State from Dearborn . . . If attempt is made by U.S.friends assassinate Trujillo there will be accusations againstus and best we can do is see there is no proof. Greatest dangerpoint is Thomas Stocker. He was given small number arms bydissident agent to hold several days and has told several personsdissidents obtained these items from consulate. Stocker told mesame and I have informed him this cannot be true or I would knowand when he requested ze supply arms through him for dissidentsI told him this impossible. . . . "Cable from chief of station:"Assume [the 29 May policy cable from State to Dearborn] isfinal word on present policy on which CIA work here must be based.This for practical purposes retreat from previous policy.However Hqs aware extent to which U.S. Government alreadyassociated with assassination. If we are to at least try 'coverup tracks.' CIA personnel directly involved in assassinationpreparation must be withdrawn now. . . . If assassinationtried and not successful, imediate evacuation of the chief ofstation, the operations officer, and the administrativeassistant mandatory. "- 52 -SECRET-EYES ONLY
[104-10214-10034.pdf — page 53]
SECRET-EVES ONLY31 May 1951Received in Headquarters Signal Center at 0341 hours,Washington time:FLASH SECRET CRITIC CIA CIUDAD TRUJILLO TUMBER 1. APFR 2.SOURCE DISSIDENT IN DIRECT TOUCH WITH DISSIDENT ACTION GROUP (C).SOURCE AT 2330 HOURS LOCAL TIME 30 MAY RECEIVED PREARRANGED SIGNALWHICH MEANT TRUJILLO KITLED BY ASSASSINATION SAME MICHT. AMERICANCONSULATE PERSONNEL ENCOUNTERED ROADBLOCKS ON CIUDAD TRUJILLO RIOHALNA SUPER HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 0030 ECURS LOCAL TIME 31 MAY.INDIVIDUALS FORMING BLOCKS APPEARED HASTILY ORGANIZED MILITIA ONLYFEW OF WHOM ARMED WITH FIREARMS OTHERS WITH MACHETES. NOCONFIRMATION TRUJILLO ASSASSINATION AS OF 0100 MAY 31. FILED 06002.[0200 Washington time](Comment: The station's follow-up operational cableidentified the source of Critic No. 1 as Lorenzo (Wimpy) Berry,who gave the information in person to Consul General Dearbornand Chief of Station Owen at the consulate. At about 0100 hours,Dominican time, Andres Freitas telephoned Dearborn "to askcryptically whether we had the news." Freitas said he would adddetails when he had them.)- 53 -SECRET-EYES ONLY
[104-10214-10034.pdf — page 54]
SECRET-EYES ONLY3 June 1961Memorandum for the record signed by J. D. Esterline, in part:"The evening of 2 June, it was decided to immediately move out of the Dominican Republic the Station Chief Cren, and Case Officer Cookson. It was also decided that Administrative Assistant Isabel Cintron should not return to Trujillo. Accordingly, an operaticcal imediate cable was sent to the station the afternoon of 2. June issuing appropriate instructions."9 June 1961Memorandum for the record signed by J. C. King, subject:"High-Level Meeting on Dominican Crisis"--in part:"The reeting was held at 1800 hours on 5 June 1961 in Room 7514 of the Department of State. Among those present were Vice President Lindoa Johnson, Secretary McMazara, General Lemnitzer, Under Secretary Bowles, Deputy Under Secretary Alexis Johnson, Mr. Ed Hurrow, Chief, USIA, Hr. Arthur Schlesinger, Mr. Richard Goodwin, Mr. Ted Achilles, Mr. Win Coerr, Mr. Morales Carrion and Mr. Jameson.""Vice President Lyndon Johnson referred to another message from Consul General Dearborn which was in an alarmist tone as to the possibility of implicating the United States in the delivery of arms to the dissidents. The Vice President then asked what was the timing and authority on the delivery of arms."(Comment: The message to which Vice President_Johnson- referred is not in the EMDEED operational files. We did not find a copy in a search of Cable Secretariat archives. Jake Esterline, who appears to have ridden heri on post-assassination planning, does not recall having heard of Vice President Johnson'sSECRET-EYES ONLY
[104-10214-10034.pdf — page 55]
SECRET-EYES ONLYquery. The record suggests that he knew of it but does not now remember. There is an unsigned memorandum in the EXCEED file dated 6 June 1961 (the day after the meeting at State), subject: "CDACID Views on Passage of Arms to Dominican Dissidents."The memorandum summarizes State Department-Consulate involvement in having weapons furnished to the dissidents. The routing and record sheet attached to the memorandum shows it was originated by John Poulter, WH3/DP&H, and was forwarded to C/OPS/WH (Esterline).. Esterline initialed the routing and record sheet and returned the memorandum to Poulter. This suggests to us that J. C. King, upon returning from the meeting at State, asked Esterline to have a summary pulled together.J. C. King remembers the meeting at which the Vice President asked about the delivery of arms. He does not now recall the specific query. Re-reading his memorandum record of the meeting leads him to believe that the Vice President's question was directed to one of the State representatives. He feels that, if it had been directed to CIA, he would have made mention of that fact in his record of the meeting.A memorandum for the record prepared by J. C. King of a White House meeting on the Dominican crisis on 7 June 1961 makes no mention of U.S. involvement in passing weapons to the assassins. The meeting was chaired by the President, and Vice President Johnson was present.- 54 - a -SECRET-EYES ONLY
[104-10214-10034.pdf — page 56]
SECRET-EYES ONLYThe preceding, quite detailed, and almost wholly documentary account of U.S. Government involvement with persons plotting the overthrow of Trujillo carries through the actual assassination.Early in the report we explained why the coup that was to follow the assassination never took place. Another essential part of the story is the roll-up of the assassination group and the discovery of U.S. involvement with them. The consulate cabled through CIA channels on 9 December 1961 that the 7 December issue of the Dominican newspaper La Nacion carried a story"... based on Huascar Tejeda Pimentel's statement to Judge of Instruction that Wimpy (Lorenzo A. Berry) provided the caliber 30 M-1 Garand automatic carbines used to kill Trujillo."Wimpy's involvement with the plotters, including passing weapons from the U.S. consulate to them, became known to the Dominican Military Intelligence Service (SIM) as early as 3 June from its interrogations of the captured assassins. The following summary is drawn from the FBI's report of its interviews of Ortiz, the SIM officer who headed the investigation of the assassination.Immediately after the slaying, all of the assassins assembled at the house of General Juan Tomas Diaz. Dr. Robert Reid Cabral was called to treat the most seriously wounded assassin. Dr. Reid was the cousin of Donald Reid Cabral, one of the key political plotters, but appears not to have been in on the plot himself. Since Dr. Reid- 55 -SECRET-EYES ONLY
[104-10214-10034.pdf — page 57]
SECRET-EVES CALYin being called as a physician leamed the identities of the assassins,General Diaz said he could not allow Dr. Reid to go free. GeneralDiaz forced Dr. Reid to furnish refuge in Reid's house for fourof the assassins (General Diaz, Antonio de la Maza, SalvadorEstrella, and Roberto Pastoriza). The other assassins vent theirseparate ways.Within hours after entering Dr. Reid's house, General Diazand his three companions began to panic. (it might be noted herethat the assassins were so sure that the coup would follow and theywould all be national heroes that they had made absolutely knowplans for hiding or escape.) De la Maza called for Mrs. Reid andordered Dr. Reid out of the room. De la Maza thereupon raped Mrs.Reid in the presence of his companions. Pastoriza and Estrella verehighly incensed over the rape. Pastoriza left the house soon aftera near-fight and a drawn-weapons confrontation. Estrella left aftera few hours. Diaz and de le Maza left later and were killed in agunfight while resisting arrest. Both Pastoriza and Estrella verecaptured, tortured, and confessed. The following are excerpts fromthe FBI's report of its interviews with Ortiz, the SIM investigator." . . . after Pastoriza left General Juan Tomas Diaz composeda telegran addressed to President Romulo Petancourt of Venezuela,which said, 'We who have killed Trujillo urgently need your helpin order to flee the country. Signed General Juan Tomas Diaz.'- 56 -SECRET-EYES ONLY
[104-10214-10034.pdf — page 58]
SECRET-EYES ONLYDiaz requested Dr. Reid to take this telegram to 'Wimpy,' an American who owned a supermarket in Ciudad Trujillo, and to tell 'Wimpy' to take the telegram immediately to the American Consul and to ask the Consul to code the telegram and send it through the proper channels to Betancourt."Reid refused to take the telegram on the basis that he had already implicated himself greatly in the plot through no fault of his own and stated that he thought Diaz was trying to have him killed by asking him to make this telegram to 'Wimpy.' With that de la Maza became so incensed that he punched Reid and pushed him around and even went so far as to hold his revolver against the head of Reid's young son. Reid then said that the plotters could kill the entire Reid family if they wished but that he would not deliver the telegram to 'Wimpy.'""Estrella was asked to furnish what he knew concerning 'Wimpy's' alleged connection with the conspiracy. Estrella related that 'Wimpy' is the one who facilitated the obtaining of the shotgun and the automatic rifle for de la Maza and General Diaz. He was asked if 'Wimpy' knew the purpose for which these weapons were secured and Estrella replied that 'Wimpy' was aware of the purpose. Estrella further related that 'Wimpy' works for the FBI, the State Department, or some other agency of the U.S. Government.""Estrella was asked to explain how he knew 'Wimpy' was connected with the Americans and he replied that he had heard from the other conspirators that 'Wimpy' was the intermediary between the American Consulate and the conspirators. Estrella stated that 'Wimpy' was a friend of General Diaz, Antonio de la Maza and Luis Amiaza Tio, and that 'Wimpy' had been the inter- mediary through the American Consulate when these three discussed their proposed coup with American authorities."" . . . the source mentioned that during the interrogation of the conspirators who mentioned that United States officials were involved, they were all asked to identify the United States officials, but none of the conspirators were able to identify these officials by name and mentioned only that they were high functionaries of the United States Department of State. The only name of any American official which was disclosed during- 57 -SECRET-EYES ONLY
[104-10214-10034.pdf — page 59]
SECREET-EVES ONLYthese interrogations was the name of American Consul Hill in connection with the telegram that General Diaz wanted to send to Betancourt."... the source noted that the telegram never reached Consul Hill because Diaz tore it up after the incident in Dr. Reid's house.""(... the source commented that the interrogators themselves did not believe at this time that the U.S. Department of State was in any way involved with the plot. They thought the disclosures concerning the alleged involvement... was simply a method by which Amiama induced General Roman to give his approval to the plot. ... it was the interrogators opinion at that time that if the North Americans had been involved in this plot, the plot would have been much better organized and the coup would have succeeded.)"... by the latter part of June 1961, the investigation had pretty well established the identities of all the individuals involved in the plot, many of whom had been arrested and interrogated. The only ones not accounted for were Luis Amiama Tio and Antonio Imbert Barreras. As previously related, General Juan Tomas Diaz, Antonio de la Maza, and Lieutenant Amado Garcia Guerrero were killed when resisting arrest. (At this point the source related that if General Diaz, Lieut. Garcia, de la Maza, Amiama, and Inbert had been captured, and made to talk, it is certain that many many more prisoners would have been taken.)"As far as the source is aware, the only individuals who were arrested as a result of the assassination of Trujillo, who were brought before the courts were Tavares and General Roman. As far as the source is aware, no other individual arrested in connection with this plot was brought before any Dominican court. 'Wimpy,' the North American, was to have been brought before a court to be deported; however, Ramfis crdered that he was not to be molested in any way and as far as the source is aware, no action was taken against 'Wimpy.'"- 58 -SECRET-EVES CHLY
[104-10214-10034.pdf — page 60]
SECRET-EVES CILY"Winry" Perry, his wife, and their children were allowed to leave the Dominican Republic. They went to Florida and subsequently visited Washington. While in Washington, Berry was given $2,000 for "expenses" by CIA. After amnesty was granted the plotters in December 1961, the Berrys returned to Santo Domingo and resumed operating their supersarket. They, especially Mrs. Berry, continued to involve themselves in political intrigues. They were staunch, supporters of the conservative Antonio Inbert/Wessin y Wessin faction and were involved in the actions that led to the overthrows of the goverments headed by Juan Bosch and later by Donald Reid Cabral.To recap:a. Assistant Secretary of State Rubottom told J. C. King on 28 Jume 1960 that the U.S. Government was prepared to partici- pate in the overthrow of the Trujillo regime to the extent of providing a small number of sniper rifles for the removal of key Trujillo people from the scene. General Cabell, as Acting DCI, on 1 July 1960 approved delivering 12 Springfield rifles to the Dominican dissidents by air drop or by sea. The rifles were never delivered.b. On 10 February 1961 the chief of station cabled a suggestion that one small-size, high-fire-power weapon be forwarded in each pouch. This suggestion was not acted upon.- 59 -SECRET-EVES ONLY
[104-10214-10034.pdf — page 61]
SECRET-EYES ONLYc. On 17 March 1961, the chief of station cabled a requestof Consul General Dearbon for the pouching of three 38 caliberSmith and Wesson Special pistols for delivery to key membersof the dissident group. Headquarters was preparing to pouchthe pistols but apparently did not do so. There is no indicationin the EMDEED operational files that the pistols were actuallypouched. The request for pistols appears to have been overtakenby a subsquent request for submachine guns.d. On 26 March 1961 the station cabled a request forpermission to pass three semi-automatic M-l carbines plusammunition to Dr. Severo Cabral. The carbines and ammunitionwere in the consulate, having been left by departed naval personnel.The station requested that headquarters pouch magazines. Head-quarters approved passing the carbines and ammunition and pouchedthe magazines. The cable authorizing passing the carbines wasreleased by the DD/P (Bissell). The station said it would fileoff the carbines' serial numbers. The station cabled that thecarbines were passed to "Wimpy" Berry by the station's femaleadministrative assistant on 7 April 1961. Berry, at the requestof the dissidents, gave the carbines to S. Thomas Stocker fortemporary safekeeping. Berry later recovered the carbines fromStocker and gave them to Antonio de la Maza, who reportedly keptSECRET-EYES ONLY
[104-10214-10034.pdf — page 62]
SECRET-EVES ONLYthem in the trunk of his automobile. It is probable that at leastone of the carbines was taken to the scene of the assassinationby de la Maza, but we have no evidence that it was actually usedin the shooting. Ortiz, the SDM investigator, told the FBI thatthe assassins who were apprehended and interrogated spoke onlyof the firing of a sawed-off shotgun, revolvers, and pistols.e. While at headquarters for consultations in early April1961, Chief of Station Robert Cen evidently prevailed uponheadquarters, to pouch four M-3 submachine guns and ammunitionto the station. The submachine guns were pouched and arrivedat the station on 19 April 1961. Headquarters cabled the stationon 17 April that the submachine guns were not to be passed tothe dissidents without additional headquarters approval. Despiterepeated pleas from the Chief of Station and from the ConsulGeneral, Washington continued to refuse authorization to passthem. We think it is safe to conclude that the submachine gunsvere never passed to the dissidents.A final, and rather sorry, footnote: We do not know themotivations of men such as: Jordi Brossa, Juan Vicini, Severo Cabral,.Amiama Tio, and Antonio Imbert. The SIM interrogations of the plottersit captured revealed that they were not greatly motivated by a desire- 61 -SECRET-EVES ONLY
[104-10214-10034.pdf — page 63]
SECRET-EVES ONLYto live in a free and democratic republic. Most of then were seekingvengeance or personal gain. General Poman, who was to have taken overand form an interim government, admitted that he had had no intentionof pemitting free elections. He had planned to establish himselfas the new Dominican "strongman" replacing Trujillo. Ceneral JuanTomas Diaz was bitter over having been publicly disgraced by Trujilloand then cashiered from the army. Antonio de la Maza also had apersonal grudge. His broer, Octavio, had been killed by theTrujillos to conceal his and their participation in the slayingof Gerald Murphy in the Galindez case. Host of the others alsohad personal reasons for wishing Trujillo dead.SECRET-EYES ONLY