AGENCY INFORMATION AGENCY: FBI _ RECORD NUMBER: — 124-10220-10013 RECORD SERIES: HO AGENCY FILE NUMBER: 2-2173-207 DOCUMENT INFORMATION ORIGINATOR: FBI FROM: DIRECTOR. FBI TO: KISSINGER. HENRY A. | \ TITLE: ; DATE: 10/20/1976 PAGES: 5 SUBJECT: CUBANA AIRLINES FLIGHT 455, CRASHED, SUSP, GARCIA, JOSE VAZQUEZ, LUGO, FREDDY, OBA, ACA DOCUMENT TYPE: PAPER. TEXTUAL DOCUMENT ORIGINAL Secret NEW CLASSIFICATION: CLASSIFICATION: REVIEW _DATE: = 05/14/1998 UPDATE DATE: STATUS  Redact | . RESTRICTIONS: JFK Act 6 (1)(B) JFK Act 6 (4) COMMENTS: Docld: 32297737 Page 1
y eased under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1997 (44 Usc 2107 Hofer. DATE: 11-14-2017. SH} s a. ‘ cea : i-wMr.R.G. Held 7 l= Mr. J. B. Adams =, ClA HAS NO OBJ IECTION TO 1 - Mr. D. W. Moore DECLASSIFIGATION A MATION ; i - Mr. F.C. Fehl RELEASE OF OEENT Vv SmuTIZEb October 20, 1976 IN THIS DOCU *y lag. 313K 1 - Mr. R. J. Gallagher l- Mr. T. W. Leavitt . . il- Mr. J.. 0. Ingram _» » Honorable Henry A. Kissinger Ll = Mr. V. V. Kolombatovic a The Secretary of State il = Mr. S.-S. Mignosa | fy Washington, D.C. 20520 ~ (Attn: R. T. Castonguay) . “ l= Mr. J. G.* Deegan: Dear Mr, Secretary: l= Mr. J. P. Graham nag as In connection with’ the loss of: €ubana’ Airlines ease Flight Number 455 on Octeber 6, 1976, in the Caribbean Sea, sh specific regard. to, the’ fact. ‘that: ‘the name of 21 Agent Joseph S. Leo of this. Bureau, our Legal Attache. (Legat) in Caracas,. Venezuela, was. found in ‘the possession of one of. the individuals. guspected as. being Heyy CRA 28 . ‘implicated in that disaster,. the following. recapitulation C of information is set. forth. for your assistance. \ 4 . - On October 6,.. 1976, a Cuban operated. pe=8 Aircraft, | “Cubana, Airlines Flight. ‘Number 455, crashed into thé séa Sone - ‘sixteen minutes after: ‘taking | oft “from Seawell Airport, Barbados, ‘en route to Kingston, Jamaica, and thereafter to Havana, Cuba. The pilot of the aircraft ‘was monitored as stating that. an be explosion. had occurred on board and he .was..then attempting to ‘eturn’ to Barbados’, ‘There ‘were: no ‘survivors . of ‘the crash, 8 Pollowing that incident, two Venezuelan: citizens,’ Jose is F nests gy eFes beats ESS de ap tee ey =e OF CORTATHED ICLASSIPIRD SRE SHOWA ‘Vazquez Garcia and Freddy Lugo, were detained by Trinidad and. Tebago authorities as suspects, in. the possible . sabotage of that: aircraft. In the possession of ‘Freddy. Lugo was an yo address: book which contained the following nbtation: “Embassy Od be J. Aneridan 2846111127 FBI Joseph Leo, 331511, " fu’ a RUE ALL INPoRyArT RIP pee ~ Loa E YN. SUN ” A confidential source abroad. who. has. reported reliable ‘information ip the past advised that Freddy | Lugo is employed - by Luis. ‘Posada, the former head of. the Venezuelan Counterintelligence i “Division, Directorate for the Service of Intelligence and (we soc, Dir, wnio Revention (DISIP) | Posada has been identified as a Cuban ep. AD In 2 Ss wi - AL. SHC: amp wy iy MAIS ~ BIN 3B 907 ppot AMMO “yn EX-105? SECRET SEE NOTE PAGE 6 aaa i! Nov 9 1976 ‘ Laboratory \ Legal Coun. \ Plan. & Eval, __ a . fo 7 be a ! rey & +e aw a # : ‘ Sat YK ew. GF WA SUES wd vo ‘ nat toe Fat "ft Yn : Training \) Telephone Rm. ie ° ; : Director Sec'y i MAIL ROOM a TELETYPE UNIT CJ , Pott rel Cc f SECR ET » 2D JAN pee ov? GPO : 1978 O - 207-526 oars Docld: 32297737 Page 2?
DATE: 11-14-2017 en ‘SECRET SECRET Honorable Heary Ae Kissinger exile who is inown for his anti-+Castro activities and who has reportedly assisted one Orlando Bosch Avila. ‘The latter individual is a known terrorist who is the head of Coéordinacion ge Organizaciones Revo lucionarias Unidas (Coordination of United Revolutionary Organizations) (CORU). The confidential “source referred to above has 211 but admitted that Posada ancl! Bosch engineered the bombing of the Cubana Aireratt. The same source also reported he was almost certain that the government of Venez mela was privy to the activities of those individuals] &) . CORU was formed in June, 1976, by five anti-Castro -terrorist groups at a meeting in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. CORU is headed by Bosch and one Frank Castro, who has also been identified as an anti-Castro Cuban exile. Since that time, CORU has publicly accepted responsibility for numerous acts of terrorism, including murders and bombings. Rove Gur Legat in Caracas bécame acquainted with Luis Posada[when Pogida was employed by DISIP. After resigning from DISIP in 1973 /3Posada continued his contacts with Legat,. Caracas, on few octasions, usually in connection with obtaining personal services involving visa requests. Posada referred his relatives and associates to Legat, Caracas, for visa information, On September 30, 1976, and again on October 1, 1976, Hernan Ricardo Lozano, one of Posada * employees, attempted to obtain a visa®* ,, - through hegat so that. he could travel to San Juan, Puerto RECO. ey Association of Legat Caracas, with Susp ects ‘on October @, 1976, the confidential source mentioned abeve reported that Jose Vazquez Garcia, one of the suspects . arrested by Trinidad and Tobago authorities, is actually identical with Hernan Ricardo Lozano and that both Ricardo and Lugo were part of the support group in the sabotage operation directed against. Cubana Airlines Plight Number 435. According to the same source, the bomb aboard the aircraft was supposed to explode prier to its takeoff from Barbados (3) pa) Legat, Caracas, advised that Ricardo Lozano became known to him in June,. 1974, when Ricardo sought visa eve thay 2 [for a child of DISIP’ official; Legat was led to believe tha (2 “fy . SECRET a 2 we . | A ALT3*Z07 Docld: 32297737 Page 3 aedy eS eacetnation_e ecords (pllieotsen tet of Lon dd US or OCe}.
y Teased under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 (44 Usc 7107 DATE: 11-14-2017 Oo ° ra fg ” ~~ ° ; * ‘ - o SECRET Honorable Henry A. Kissinger (Bicarao was an active nember of DISIP, subsequently, Legat becane aware that Ricardo was an auxiliary member of DISTP and in the personal employ of Posada, )Ricardo has also represe: hinself as a newspaper reporter anc photographer affiliated ‘with the magazine “Vision. "W . . ‘Ricardo eontacted Legat approximate ly four tines. — after the initial visit and on two ocea ne furnished Legat with information on members of Cuban Embassy which waa obviously obtained from DISIP Files ( 5) On September 30, 1976, Ricardo appeared unannounced - we the Amevican Embassy and requested assistente in. obtaining. a - oe ees Visa to U. & eineé he had a photographic assignment for “Wision” Magazine in Jamaica, He also plannéd a two-day stopovet in. Ricardo etated that he intended to leave on October ‘1, “1976, and sginee a travel agenéy told him the visa progess would take three days, he requested Legat's. neotstance, (EY eA) A review of Ricardo's passport diachosed that he éxaveled ftom Caracas to Port=of=Spain, Trinidad, on ‘August 29, 1976, and veturhned to Caracas,. Venenuela, on a September: 1, 1976. Legat, Caracas, recalled that the bombing 7 of the Guyanese Consulate in Port~ofsSpa occurred af rox! vtely 10:15 a.m., September i,. 1976, CORU bas publicly claimed responsibility fer that bombing, Legat, Caracas, informed the Chief, Nonimmigrant Vi Anerican Embassy, that he wished Bo special cohsideration ‘for 7 ~~ Bieardo and specifically wequested that the issuance of a visa to Ricardo be eonsidered on its own merits. - On Octobér 1, 1976, at the request of Ricardo, Legat . communicated with a Viee Consul who. wished to know if Legat believed Ricardo would geturn to Venezuela after his visit to the U. &., or if he was likely to remain th iijegal hegat. informed the Vice Consul he had - p enson ta believe Ricardo would not return to Caracas. (Fay _. On Ostober 1, 1976, whi le osciinaton with an official SEP, Legat, Caracas, nentioned Ricardo and advised it was spicion that Ricardo might have been involved in some manner in the bombing of the Guyanese Consulate, Portéof=Spain, . on September 1, 1976. The DISIP official responded that piste(S) F SECRET Docld: 32297737 Page 4
EReleased under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 (44 USC 2107 Hotes. DATE: 11-14-2017 . a ; Oo - ., "2 28 os . : JD ° o - i _ : . ‘ SECRET Honorable Henry A, Kissinger \ had no reason to believe that Ricardo was the caliber of individual who would be utilized in such an operation and further, that Ricardo was not known to have been involved in such activities: despite his easoctation with Posada. (6) _ On October Ji, 1976, the Deputy Commissioner, Trinidad and Tobago Police, whe has known Legat, Caracas, _ for several years, requested a meeting with Legat in Caracas for the purpose of discussing this inatter, At that meeting, Legat, Caracas, recounted the details of his casual acquaintance with suspect Hernan Ricardo Lozano. The Deputy Conmicsioner then told Legat that suspect Freddy Lugo had infotmed Tvinidad and Tobago Police _ investigators that he, Lugo, had been told"by his boss" (Posada) to contact Legat, Caracas, if he encountered a visa problem. As has been mentioned herein, suspect Ricardo actually contacted Legat, Caracas, on September 30 Lo7G,. and again on October 1, 1976, for visa assistance. (Pn _ This matter is being followed most closely and you will be kept completely informed of all pertinent developments, — : re Sincerely yours, ASA Cbg Que ys, - Aho : Clarence M. Kelley | Director l =~ The Attorney General 1 - The Deputy Attorney General SECRET 22-2793~207 Docld: 32297737 Page 5
d.under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 (44 TS 2107 Hotes. DATE: 11-14-2017 : 2 ge %% O . ; 6 . eo , — on alt AY or G,- S: é hat coe we wy 3 be me SECRET “Honorable Henry A, Kissinger NOTE: By memorandum Je G. Deegan to Mr. R, J, Gallagher, 10/12/76, details regarding the crash of Cubana airliner, the arrest of two Venezuelan citizens by the Trinidad and Tobago Police.and of the fact that: name of Legat, Caracas, was found i. the possession of one of the arrested suspects were furnished. 4 uy On 10/11/76, an American Embassy Georgetown (Guyana) to Department of State (DOS) teletype reflected that the Guyanese Prime Minister, after returning from Barbados, reported that Cuba intended to “sriear the U. S." with part of the blame for the crash, The Prime Minister said that. the Trinidad and Tobago Police were — suspicious of CIA involvenient (initially believing Legat, Caracasyy.k _ to be With CIA) and involvement of the U, S. Ainbassador with Eric . Sealy; - Sealy is a Barbadian suspected of being involved in the ~ kK aircraft sabotage and is apparently a friend of aU. 8. Ambassador, The Prime Minister. stated that the Cubans had seen the address. book containing Legat'ts name, Details not known regardi ealy*s © involvement with the U. S. Ambassador or with this case (2, i) i By teletype, 10/12/76, from Embassy Caracas. to DOS and Embassy Georgetown, it was. suggested that the Prime Minister be . reminded by Embassy Georgetown that the Prime Minister knows Legat | as do the Guyanese ‘Police since Legat has briefed the Prime Minister oh previous occasions, Algo it was pointed out that. Legat has no connection with cus wa) CIA has advised that a search of their files reflects no information regarding suspects Ricardo and Lugo,. According. to CIA, however, Luis Posada Carriles, former head of DISIP, is known to them, WEIA des¢ribed Posada as be “former, Agent of the |. . | CIA" who was amicably terminated in July, 1967, but with whom contact was reestablished in October, 1967. According to CIA, 6) | after Posada lost his position with DISIP in 1974 due to a change- A in the Venezuelan Government, fhe was contacted only occasionally... The last contact with him was in June, 1976, when\ Posada y° we 4 unsuccessaully sought assistance regarding a visa proble APPROVED Laboratory. Wf? 4, Assoc, Dir.. in. UK Legal Coun... — pee ng Dep. AD Ax most. Dire: SECRET Docld: 32297737 Page 6