124-10218-10058] AGENCY INFORMATION AGENCY: FBI RECORD NUMBER: — 124-10218-10058 RECORD SERIES: HO AGENCY FILE NUMBER: 2-2173-1ST NR 130 , » DOCUMENT INFORMATION ORIGINATOR: DOS FROM: . SAUNDERS. HAROLD H. ° . TO: THE SECRETARY DATE: 10/18/1976 PAGES: 10 ‘SUBJECT: CASTRO, FIDEL, SPEECH, ALLEGATIONS, CIA INVOLVEMENT, CUBANA AIRLINER, BOMBING DOCUMENT TYPE: PAPER. TEXTUAL DOCUMENT ORIGINAL secret | NEW | CLASSIFICATION: CLASSIFICATION: REVIEW_DATE: 05/12/1998 | UPDATE DATE: STATUS. _ Redact : a . RESTRICTIONS: JFK Act 6 (1)(B) ‘JFK Act 6 (4) ~ COMMENTS: INC MEMO HY 50953 Boctd: 32296782 Page 1
ydditional 1 Questions (answers. and comments needed by late 2 HOPBEDG) C8) October 20) r OC bees Binpincas Be: Sn CUA had any relationship with - Posada’ s tnveatigative are ney oF any other business he may: have had? Lo: What was ‘the nature of the ‘contacts CLA had with ‘Posada “after he w g terminated? . Nhat did the contacts have to do with, Cuba? ).. ciate : 3. Gino w was “the visa ‘for that Posada ap roached the cra and onthe. defe SQ attache about in June’ 19762 ) Pn gt 3 ae: “Doas. ‘the CIA believe that the sourcé of “EDFIR pB-315/10256 '. deliberately, delayed passing. on Bosch's and Posada's.remarke about ‘hitting | a Cuban | ‘Plane | until” after, the’ incidents? | RINE cB SY “Bao. Doss ‘the CIA have any ‘additional relevant ‘information -On any of the people named in the draft memorandum, or any . ther infommation relating to the sabotage of the plane, a “which Lt has ‘not yet disseminated in TDFIR form? - oe 6a" Would CIA please provide whatever information it.has concerning Orlando Garcia and Ricardo Morales so that para. oD on, page 8 (of the ‘Graft memorandum can | be completed? nd. f- a. a ; a : ee: Ass SA TED “am aise HY 50953 DBoctd: 32296782 Page 2?
ere ree ee ER eT eee eT ee | . o SECRET ee acne SSENSITIVE = ( Y = 2 _ Le ‘by Cuban counterrevolutionaries. -Now we. Doe ; | “decidedly believe the first assumption is correct. oe The CIA directly participated in ‘the destruction | “of the Cubana, aircraft in Barbados." - ~ s-the principal leaders of ‘Cuban exile terrorist: “groups are closely Linked through the CORU organi “zation to CIA activities against cuba. In his speech, Castro did ‘not make any "specific alle- °° gations concerning a ‘USG relationship with orlando Bosch, oe 7 or Luis Posada, (two Cuban exile activists who were arrested > by Venezuelan authorities ain connection with the ‘Cubana /- erash)- , However, ‘the Link with Bosch is implied since. he ae is, reported to be chief of CORU, the umbrella organization ee OF Cuban exile terrorists. fe aw a ete na AbeSate Individuals Allegedly Involved a a Boe ee en od | Hernan Ricardo. Lozano. co Se eae ae. Involvement in the Crash: . He was arrested. in i . J eat eee j - @rinidad on suspicion of ‘having planted a bomb in the Cubana: P plane. ~ Caracas radio announced on ‘October 1g that he 7 LS). : confessed to ‘sabotaging the airliner. a Gra] source. in. 7 €aracas reports that Ricardo may have. been trained in the e use of explosives: and investigative techniques by Luis | -Posada.. Ftd SECRET HY 50953 DBoctd: 32296782 Page 3
“SECRET _ SENSITIVE oy E —™ . =. sRicardo, a. Venezuelan citizens,” a 1 photographer enploye sa Late . + : e dh peaely whee ee : nerd - sat : by Posada “in his: industrial security: firm in: Caracas. G&S) | - Gx] s source says that Ricardo is also a part time © employee | o. 7 bs ntmac ve sheen OF | the Venezuelan, Intelligence Service (1st). “He reportedly Phase : 2}. gathered ‘photographic material on groups and individuals of "interest to DISIP and the Venezuelan Government. “He was “hired “by DISIP “when Pasada was Official of that organization. y |The eae says that the Wenezuelan Government is, | cli iain eat ne cot chatas Kita seh ttt et ate jaca sects one senaiemeatiiasint Sesh Cacaadotien oe Relationship » with vi ‘(EIN states 1 it, has had no» moe contact | with Ricardo. The: us Legal. Attache in Caracas, “ Jose h eo says that he has had. some dealings with, Ricardo for. ~ help in in enpogi ting visa application for a’ ‘DISIP official’ 5 oo id eo ae bavuetff . Radu were Huiriey usu c eo ew Te son, Sl fe Coil tn also contacted i aa ee f - photd graphs and biographical data on members of ‘the Cuban . me Emba sy.in Caracas. “Apparently, ‘the material’ came. ‘from DISIP. an 9 Araneio aff ON - £ileg. During one visit, attempt,’ to solicit suggestions, ae : ‘pO seat atone avis Sete nsane vetane Ann ah tte _. the egal Attache on activities which might be directed : al ~against the Cuban Embassy by an anti-Castro group to. which he eo aS ea secumnmnsishei melita enaresnmar tenstaic eo ema tone atone 8 terete HY 50953 Boctd: 32296782 Page 4
HY e ’ * aa . “ > -; See eg! ° LN. “SECRET oe “ ; rn ae SENSITIVE ee o . , oy moe A Ricardo never repeated the-suggestion. = | . Freday Lugo Trinidad with Ricardo. On suspicion of having planted the bomb aboard the Cubana’ ‘plane. GPs alleges: that Lugo. / apparently was only, periphe rally involved in the boitbing and vis: ‘not considered to. be one of: the: leading participants.) oe Lugo, a “Venezuelan cl tig en Ls also a. photographer ; 7 Cs): o employed by Posada! s compan ye According to res cra) Source» he. . oe for Ricardo, "furnished to Lugo by, Posada. -. Lhis Posada cartiles oe Involvement in the crash: “Luge. | was arrested in terrorist activities by anti-Castro groups-in the US, and — ~. also. worked for: DISEP under. ‘the same arrangements noted above. be Relationship withs US: Em states, ‘that “it: has. had ae ) - ~ no ‘contact with a name cand "phone. number of. us Legal “attache, Leo were discovered. in bu 150) Ss. address: book "when ‘he, _ was arrested in Trinidad. _ Leo says, that he has had oe a. Involvement “in ‘Crash: ‘Posada was arrested on - October 14 in Venezuela along with orlando ‘Bosch and three NS ae .}. SECRET. ey cae ne SENSITIVE others accused: of conspiring to sabotage ‘the plane. ‘Posada, a Cuban exile who is now a Venezuelan citizen, is vehemently ~~ contact with Lugo and speculat S hat his name and phone. were anti- “Castro and is _suspectéd | "OE “having been the. main | supporter Of Bosch during - the ‘latter’ Ss stay. in | Venezuela - prior to being 50957 BDoclda: 322967682 Page 5
Poe ! eer ae ” SECRET. SENSITIVE i i arrested in. November 1974. - ‘Posada was “formerly chief of the 8 counterintelligence « division of the Venezuelan intelligence oe + service, DISIP. ob Relationship 1 with US. an says. that Posada. was a ene | When he lost his position in DISIP in March 1974, CIA Zone sal, a “when CIA ]aeclinea to assist Posada on a visa’ sa matter. 7S) Oe - “The us army attache has" also used a “Posada business. on) ed ~ - partner (also ‘a Cuban exile, whose name we do not have) as. an informant (though 1 not as an agent). vot, oe Our ‘Legal Attache (Joseph Leo) became acquginted with; cee Posada during the latter’ s ‘employnent [by bist and after: rot i “his resignation, Posada continued to contact Leo on rare’ “occasions, usually in order to ‘obtain ‘persdhal service in - “regard ‘to visa requests for relatives. and business associates, vane | Sespyem GO 30,1496 Mun CDE 197 ‘oof 4 / the last being Ricardo on Oezeber ty —-ti6. Leo says he has A\8 4 . ie ‘seen Posada on. about three occasions since 1973, the last’ being el n' June 1976 when: Posada inquired if the: FBI had. interest in Les a Venezuelan who had hired ‘tuo. of his "operatives" as ‘body | Te a ea A ee eee ee a ae AMET HY 50953 Boctd: 32296782 Page 6
group headed by, Bosch planned to bomb a “Cubana flight Se ‘Panama ‘and Havana. An FBI source has all eged that ‘one ate = “ah _ was: made but the bomb did not detonate. OR second | try ocen Se ee in ‘Jamaica on July 9, but the. bor exploded before the subt- “Orlando Bosch arrested in: Venezuela for alleged involvement in the © Cabana” ; crash. ‘In late June, a CIA source “reported that an exile case in which it was carried ‘was’ put aboard the plane. andres: Perez. is: said to. be sympathetic | to" Bosch, and has. _ te SECRET. a SENSITIVE | Sas. Involvenent in crash: As “noted above, Bos bach was G CE , | Recording to Gra sources} Venezuelan. President Carlos. permitted him to travel freely in the count ery ana solicit funds. “with the understanding. ‘that Venezuela would | ‘not be used as pa : 3 "base « of operations | or place of refuge. Bosch reportedly pr omised - 7 not to. engage “in terrorist | activity while in “Venezuela and: : os . receives a token $500 contribution From Perez. Gnotner CIA : soured] reported that after Bosch' S arrival in Caracas in ‘September, | he stated during | a fund raising dinner that “Now that our 8s oy ee | organization ‘has come out of the Letelier job looking good, we | are going to try something else. "A. ew days later, Posada. | - allegedly said, "We: are going to nit Cuban. airliner and | Tortando: (Bosch) has the details." . - | . , be Relationship with US. Ga says. there are no current | or recent agency contacts with Orlando Bosch] The ‘us ds, | Mal a atte mca HY 50957 - currently. attempting to have Bosch . deported | ‘from Venezuela SENSITIVE ae Boclda: 3227967682 Page 7
" _ SECRET. ; SENSITIVE | “to the US, where he is subject to immediate imprisonment for ~ ~ parole violation Lapel > Frank Castro “ae. Involvenent_in crasl sh: Venezuelan officials weportedly believe that Castro, — (head of” the PLNC terrorist t ofganization, | on choca component group’ in CORU) a deeply” involved in the cxash, _ though we have no details of his supposed involvenent. Frank a “| Castro: was in “Venezuela ‘in ‘late September 1976, and. in mid ~ october was back in Miami. Frank Castro has admitted to FBI. “+ agents” that ‘he met with Bosch . in “Caracas, on “September | 26 or - - ~ cubana plane. — we oo a fe ee OAT eet a Relationship with US; Gra: says there | are no “current” “or | recent agency contacts with Frank castro e, who, is pan 97, but denies. any. personal knowledge of ‘the ombing” OF the — © american citizen with permanent. residence in Santo | Domingo. a - orlando ¢ Garcia and Ricardo Morales Navarrete A eats | Be a Involvement in Crash: Orlando Garcia is President _ _ Downs security and intelligence advisor, and Morales is 's Garcia’ s “deputy; both are Cuban exiles who are now Venezuelan citizens. of: CIA sourcdf2aaine: that Garcia. was “directed to protect. ‘and assist Bosch during his stay ; in Venezuela. [Another CIA soured) reported that Garcia ana Posada ‘met Bosch upon his. arrival and _ escorted him to his hotel. . Both Garcia and Morales reportedly a. attended the fund-raising dinner during which Bosch allegedly aa made the remark about the "Letelier job," and a after the Cubana | (@ SECRET 0 SENSITIVE HY 50953 Boctd: 32296782 Page 6
fg “SECRET, : = SENSITIVE ' oo crash Garcia may have made an effort, to get Bosch out of - venezuela. It-is possible, ‘therefore that Garcia and/or Morales 1 may have known | in advance about, the operation which . dea 4 £O the bombing. of the plane. - Be Relationship with US: So '  Pelix Martinez Suarez >> a. © Involvement in Crash: “None, except by the allegea association with Ricardo, contained in. Fidel Castro's charges. | b. Relationship with vs: [ ] ) ) : ] - | | - castro’ s: allegation regarding CORU: With regard to . | castro! s charge on CIA links with CORY, an FBI ‘report Of oO | september. 17 states» that "a confidential. source abroad" claims J to hi have been told by Roberto Carballo (leader of the association, ° st of Veterans of the Bay of Pigs, AVEC, one of the component. . ene a 7 4|1y _ organizations of CORD), that in » July of this. year Carballo. and 4! three other Cuban exiles had been “approached by representatives, Be —® gece me Et Oe Co eee POD os SENET ITUR CT ae HY 50953 DBoctd: 32296782 Page 9