14-00000
104-10172-10001
2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992
16-7
No. of pyesis
23
import xat
Poral File No:
Nos of Pan
Report Made Dr. Howard_i_Antall
Distribution:sh (2)
By copy to: (knx (1)
10(na (1)
Files (1)
Crally to:
Nate available to the Embassy and G-2
1
Source Cryptonym: Sources Identifiod
Source, Operational Data, and Comments:
23.
References:
[TH] 15 indicated that the Headquarters of the Garithean Legion wore being
transferred to Panuma" whore it could count on the aid of the ARIAS government",
and that Julio LOPEZ Masegoza, motive in the 
Caribbean Legion, would remain
in Mexico dedicating himself to the 
purchase of gold and its clandestine
exportation to Guatemala and Panama.
TAM 7 659 requested confirmation of the above information.
It is possible that the attached report may tend to confirm part of this
informatione
FOOK RO.
Fce 1940
01-10
Classification
RETURN TO CIA
Background Use Only
Do Not 
Reproduce
16
80
14-00000
:
ビーン
Leve
Subject: Gold Shipments
16-7
: [Panama City,
Place Acquired: Panama City, Panama
Evaluation: C
Bource:
"
23
0: (727764
Report No:
Date of Information: May-July 1950
Date Acquired: Juno-July 1950
Date of Report: 10 July 1950
.
i
1. G-2 reported that on 7 May 1950 a B-26 type boater arrived in David, Panama,
from 
Brownsville, Texas, due to a low gasoline supply. The plane, was headed for
Tocumen Airport in Parina City, and carried as.& crew the following according to
Ges
-
Frark ORGFL, U.S. Citizen, Pilot.
0. MARTINEZ, U.S. Citizen, Co-Pilot
Steve HURRAY, U.S. Citizen, Nechanic
Mauricio CASTRO, Panamanian, Passenger
05
"JT (A tirs blew out at Lavid, and [Mr. John LERCH!] Civil deronautics technician at
Tocumen Airport was instrumental in getting a spare tire to them,
05itt Zato je ka
2. Mr. Radvised this office that he had not Stove LURRAY in Havana in
Apr 1950 in company with a fellow razed ZORILLO, who claimed to have sCIO
✓ connection with the Secret Police, in-exico described NURRAY þas an
adventurer who had been 
in the Philipires and the Far East and-whom he suspected
of gold smuggling 
activities. (LR) sold that MURRAY was pilot of the plere
and he 
thought it was unusual that co fest a plane is this and as expensive to
operate 
was being used when it had comparatively little cargo space.
In Way
1950, when KURRAY was in Panama, be told that he was buying orchid bults.
05
3. On 16 June 1950 the following information was received (from Civil Intelligence
Section, 
Panama Canal,) regarding this matters
"It-has-been-reported-that Very frequently a B-26 airplane (N5546N- & Kartin
Marauder) 
makes trips between Tocumen and David, R.P. It is piloted by
Steve MURRAY, 
and at least two other Americans ride on the plane, which-16 whom
sometimes met at 
Tocumen Airport by either Tito, Harmodito or Toni ARIAS.
On landing 
at the airport it goes directly to a hangar, and allegedly the
only ones who 
visit it are the ARIAS brothers, PASTOR Ponce, Chief of the
hairport, and one (Inu) LINARES, Chief of Customs at Tocumen.
Informant stated that it was believed et first that the plane was engaged
in 
arms 
contraband, but later it appeared more logical to assume that it
was involved 
in another type of smuggling, poscibly drugs.
✓ Virgilio RAVIPEZ, then Chief of the Control Tower, is said to have stated
that the 
plane cras and without being registered at the airport under
orders of 
PO
Kanager; that the plane lands without signalfing
FONO,
7E 1840
$1.60
30.9.27
14-00000
;
by radio or talking to anyom for fear of detection at Altrook Field, but
signaled by us of a 11 
which infirates that the fold 10. f
free 
for landing, demomile denant, 
or Jimny ; told
atvice that Pancras air agreement with 
the United States regarding landing
rules was therely belig; violated, and that 
these two men wore afterwards
reacted from their jobs.
infant adds that the above plane landed at Tocumen from Mavid on 11 kay.
5:45 p.z., on 12 kay at 6:51 p.n., on 14 
May at 6:19 p.m. and on 16 May
at 9:26 &..
The above information was allegedly given to President ARIAS by the Kinister
of Goverment and Justico, and he apparently 
showed little interest in the
subject, screly stating that the ratter 
should be investigated to see what
there is to it.*
Upea receipt of this information it appeared that Virgilio RAMIREZ might have.
been the source, since he was fired from his 
post at Tocumen Airport and was
dised about it. It was ascertained that 
the information contained in
the above paragraph, in which RAMIRES 
is mentioned, was reported by RAVIHEZ but
the siner information came from other Civil 
Intelligence sources.
.05 in the flame mentioned alonso
4. On 6 July Ur. LRC advised that the above-plare-and Stevo LURRAY had re-
turned to Farma and that the Hinister of 
Government had ordered that the plane
be dismantled and searched, but he could not 
ascertain the basis for the search.
[
brated talked to the Kanager of the 
airport, Rafael PASTOR Ponce, and with
Toni S, Director General of Civil Aeronautics, ani 
a nephew of President
Ariss, to indicated that they were aware of 
the Minister of Government's order
but did not know what was behind it. Both felt 
that it was an extreme measure,
which should not be carried out.
5. On 6 July 1950 Kr. MURRAY called at the Embassy to obtain assistance in
securing the release of his plane. Brially 
he stated that he had departed
from Nexico City via Managua and arrived 
at Tocumen at 7:30 p.m. $ July. His
passport reflected the following:
Name: Steven T. Murray
Passport No.: 1824
Issued: Manila, December 2, 1946.
Renewed: Manila, December 27, 1948
Expires: Decenter 1, 1950
He furnished the following additional informations
Type of Planes Converted B-26
U.S. Registry: N 5546 N
Pilot and Owners Steven T. Murray
Co-plots Frank Oorgel, U.S. citizon
✓ Flist Engineers Cristobal Martinez, Noxican citizen
Pasagers Mauricio Dr. CASTRO, Panamanian citizen (bearer of official
pasaport), passenger from Koxico City to Tocumen
Destinations Brownsville, Texas
Purpose of Trips Business
3/800
14-00000
D
s
aut
ut
He stated that he was in the export-import business and that be dealt in gold.
He said that he had come to Panera to see a 
man by the name of SAS, & gold
dealer from Buenos Aires, about 
gold shipments..
མ:,,
8. On 8 July, Minister of Government Alfredo ALEMAN reported the matter to
the U.S. Ambassador, stating that prior 
to arriving in Panama the plane had
beon signaled, that all was not well at the 
airport and that, the crew had
Jettisoned cargo prior to arrival (A 
check with the Air Force authorities
does not confirm that any 
such message was sent and NURRAY denies that any
thing was jettisoned. Ho insisted that 
ho was coming to Panana to discuss the
gold business but that he had no cargo.) / 
The Minister also advised the Ambassador
that PASTOR Ponce had been fired as Head 
of the airport.
nemores
Ranged
7. In a conversation with PASTCR Ponce and MURRAY on the night of 8 July [ROM]
05
was advised that PASTOR Ponce had, in fact, beon fired 
and that he was deter-
mined to bump off Toni ARIAS. Both RAY and 
PASTOR Fonce claixed that Toni
ARIAS was behind it all but that 
PASTOR Ponce was the fall guy.
8. The L'exican/referred to,^Cristobal Land, arai the Lozica,..
are believed to be identical. SAS has 
toon identified as Borradors, a gold
dealer, who operates in Buenos Aires and Montevideo
. Civil Intelligence Sec-
tion has advised that SAS was staying 
with Toni ARIAS and that--And departed.
from Panama hastily. CIS-also-advised that 
President ARIES at first-had given
orders for the dismissal of both his nephew
, Toni AVIAS, and PASTOR Ponce, but
it was later agreed that Toni ARIAS would 
not be fired to avoid a public scandle
involving the President's family.
hiiged
9. (The present status of the matter is that the plane has been searched with
negative results, that the plane is still being held by the Panamanian authori❤
ties and that "URRAY and others are 
endeavoring by every means possible to
secure the release of the plane. The head 
of the Roczen Airport, PASTOR Ponce,
has been dismissed and Toni ARIAS, the President's 
rephew, will probably be
allowed to withdraw from his position gracefully
.)"
0
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