AGENCY INFORMATION AGENCY: FBI RECORD NUMBER: — 124-10285-10183 RECORD SERIES: HO AGENCY FILE NUMBER: CR 65-69402-24 DOCUMENT INFORMATION ORIGINATOR: FBI FROM: SAC. MM TO: DIRECTOR. FBI DATE: 06/23/1965 PAGES: 7 . SUBJECT: LB, EMP, ACA, REL, BKG, DESCR, RES, BOMB, ESPIONAGE ACT, EVID, LTR, FPT, TYW, SUSP, BENAVIDES, ELIO GONZALEZ _ DOCUMENT TYPE: PAPER. TEXTUAL DOCUMENT ORIGINAL Secret NEW CLASSIFICATION: - CLASSIFICATION: REVIEW DATE: — 07/02/1998 UPDATE DATE: STATUS » Redact RESTRICTIONS: JFK Act 6 (1)(B) JFK Act 6 (1)(C) JFK Act 6 (4) COMMENTS: INC LAB WORK SHEET ¢ Docld: 32304171 Page 1
© & 'e OPTIONAL FORM NO. 10 : 5010-108 2 Sy" MAP 198s EDITION : 3 GSA GEN. REG. NO. 27 a . a sO , - UNITED STATES mae URNMENT ( _ Memorandum . ; | : SECREL, TO : DIRECTOR, _FBI ces cose _.. “DATE: 6/23/65. (Attention; FBI Laboratory) | FROM ~ - SAC, MIAMI (65-3066) (P) bh inzeor tras comtarnep eh) CHANGED . °FTED EXCEPY a oud ae (FNU jenavides; O05. LASSIFIED B’ GE Sib ae DECLASSIF'Y ¥ OWN i: RSX ESPIO . ol, ig Ai ESPIONAGE — CUBA i “ (00:“ New York) . ad Deas n Trae Title Vy pence to add the aka (FNU) Benavides, Le 4 ‘which aka was determined as a result of investigation. fa madd ReBulet to New York 6/4/65. 2)(u) Enclosedfor the Laborator Ss airmail envelope (name and address of sender and recéiver torn from | envelope) and two mimeographed pages beginning, "New York, + 1965, Estimado amigo :” and ending, "Un compatriota.", which "REQUEST OF LABORATORY N \ ee The Laboratory is requested to process enclosures ‘ for latent fingerprints. It is also requested that the mY __ typewriting appearing on the mimeographed letter, as well . asthe typewriting set out near the bottom of the first page of the letter, be compared with other available .) spécimens from any espionage or double agent sources. In this regard, the mimeographed letter appears to be ‘ identical with letters previously submitted to the Bureau d (Attention: FBI Laboratory), including a letter furnished Qo to the Bureau on April ws CUBA’ in the case entitled, . "MARIO BLANCO, ESPIONAGE except aie secommo= - Vy — se fi bi low \| om an i" Be Y few! (Enc- So K) « REC- 42 a ~ - New York (65-23630) (Rm)) 16 JUN 54965 5 — Miami- m2, 34-1136, MARIA ESTHER MORENO -MERCANTITY) (1 05-1998, Cuban Intelligence Activities in U.SJ)/ (1 -[105-8749, Double Agent Operations - Cuba <5 Nos (1 - -2959, JOE SURVEY) oe KN ied _ MEF i811 at OF 3 03k8 91498 amet or ‘eas sd DoclId: 32304171 Page 2?
‘MM 65-3066 | a a6 OT . . is ¥ child, LUISA BALBUNA, having arrived on a visa waiver at Miami-on July. 6, 1962. She has two other children, NORA BALBUENA, age 11, and FRANCIS BALBUENA, age 10, which she was unable to secure visa waivers for, and left them . behind with her mother and father, MERCEDES and SAEVADOR - MORENO, in Guantanamo. They were to secure visa waivers for the two children and send them to the United States to be with MARIA BALBUENA. However, to date, MARIA BALBUENA has been unsuccessful in getting them to the— United States. Her husband, LUIS BALBUENA, was subse- quently brought to the United States by the U. S. Navy. MARIA BALBUENA had written many letters to her parents in Guantanamo expressing her homesickness and her desire to see the children, as well as get them to the United States, but she has never indicated a desire or interest in returning to Cuba. She has paid approximately $200 ° to several persons in the Miami area in an effort to get visas for them to come to the United States but on each occasion, the persons were unsuccessful. Recently, MARIA BALBUENA has been sending money to a priest in Spain in an effort to get visas for her daughters, to get to that country. On or about May 7, 1965, MARIA BALBUENA called her father in Guantanamo, Cuba. He told her he had recently been to the Immigration Service at Santiago de Cuba concerning the daughters and the Immigration authority informed him that for the daughters to leave Cuba, all the property belonging to the parents would have to be turned over to the Cuban Government. The grandfather explained to the Immigration authorities — that all the parents' property had previously been con- fiscated. The Cuban Immigration official then.informed MARIA BALBUENA's father that it might be possible for the | . daughters to obtain a departure permit in the latter part of May, 1965. ° ' MARGA BALBUENA has a distant<relative named OSMEL |FRANCIS, who was associated with the Cuban Government and ~~ has been a Communist for many years. When she left, Cuba in 1962, he W h international attorney employed at the Rancho Boyeros Airport in Cuba. Prior to her departure, she went to see him for assistance and at that’ time, he refused and stated that if it became necessary, he would kill MARIA BALBUENA's husband in order to protect the Cuban Government. -~3- DoclId: 32304171 Page 4
MM 65-3066 Sh fe 7 8 MARIA BALBUENA stated she intends to take no action concerning the matter out of fear of jeopardizing her chances of getting her daughters: to this country. However, should she receive any subsequent letters, she will immediately advise the FBI. She furnished the Ayag Ay H 0. Eu eng following background data cone RRS. neg Bie NOKEAL BUENA Name MARIA ESTHE Hate AMERCANTITY Date of birth _ August _10, 1929 ‘Place of birth Guantanamo... Cuba ) Height" erg 2 te pope fe | Weight . 150. pounds. Man 4a €& Kinouers | | Hair Black , Eyes Black Complexion Dark INS Number Al2 838 737 : | U.S. Entry July 6, 1962, Miami, Florida, \ on visa waiver ; Cuban address Calle Luz Caballero #1051, | Guantanamo, Cuba \ U.S. Address 418 S.W. 10th Street, _ ae Miami,_Florida—..--, Xn ore NO Mother C jie le MERCEDESXMERCANTITYA fECHEVARRIAS ee ae ‘ ; age 58, residing at Calle Luz _ | A Opeok!%7 Caballero.#%+051,,,@antanamo,...cuba.... Father ” ‘SALVADORAMORENGACASTILLO, age 61, residing \ with wife B.A BA LPROK L904 ’ ‘Brothers None _ Sisters — None Husband LUIS ALBUENA ALZADILLA, residing . at 418_S.W. 10th Street, — . Miami, Florida Lb Children a tLe ALBUENAXMORENO , age ll, CAppaes OSS Cs = Luz. Caz A. Lh fee LOL ans resiting SELBUEN grandparents; [ Be ~FRANCI ORENO, age 10, + ~ VANT ent atains, UEBe residing with randparents ; 7 2#%«¢ LUIS /SALBUENAYMORENO , age 33, residing with parents 4.4/;607 //64__. CVBA Yi & 5, eT ieee ADMINISTRATIVE DATA , sat? nia Ay eT i é ’ Ve ft : S71 ae o The enclosed mimeographed letter which i is identical to previous letters submitted to the Bureau in similar cases, an \ 3 DoclId: 32304171 Page 5
| eae aaah _ oo ~ ~ - wa ~ ° ff . . : € ‘ . a ‘« c z e a « ao ~~ ey MM 65-3066 SEU be WE Loe | | WW . except for thegaccommodation address in cunts capts to solicit the recipients' assistance in furnishing informa- tion of an intelligence nature to the Cub i eonbining It also anseaue cs in, the, use_of secret i 2 ompjning lemgn juiceran a he&accommodation addres urnished A is euro ONZALEZ{BENAVIDES, Campanario #709;¥bajos, between bd Ma ja and nd Estrella, — Havana, Cuba ince the content of E Of the GRIM) NR ene ema ponibetecens ae eet ee * letter is the Same as “previous iétters submitted to the Bureau, English translation of enclosure is not furnished] J) , 7 MARIA BALBUENA stated she does not want to:‘furnish information to the Cuban Government as requested in the enclosure out of fear of jeopardizing her daughters’ chances of coming to this country. She stated, however, were it not for her daughters, she would ladlyyrite a letter to the accommodation address in Cubag@#She said she would immediately advise the FBI should she receive further correspondence from the Cuban Government. In view of this; it appears MARIA BALBUENA has only a limited use as a, PSI; however, Bureau authority is requested to maintain contact with her in the event she should receive subsequent correspondence from the Cuban Government It is noted MARIA BALBUENA's husband, LUIS BALBUENA CALZADILLA, was a former source of the Miami ' Office concerning anti-CASTRO activities and is the subject of Miami file 134-903. MARIA BALBUENA is the subject of Miami file 157-781 in case entitled, "UNSUB; Bombing of Residence of MARIA BALBUENA, 912 S.W. 5th Avenue, Miami, Florida, March 31, 1963 - BOMBING MATTERS." This file reveals that shortly prior to midnight on March 31, 1963, the front door of the residence of MARIA BALBUENA, as well as the windows of the house, were destroyed, as a result of a bomb explosion. No one - was injured and investigation in the matter was con- ducted by the Miami Police Department. - LEADS - _NEW YORK - AT NEW YORK, NEW YORK . Will search indices of_the New York Office for pertinent information regarding {(FNU) BENAVIDES a = ee pee “Ps ~° SECRED DoclId: 32304171 Page 6