- with the operation. before his encounter with WerBell. Originall daveloped there and he had to move the operation out. -He on to the Dominican Republic with its grew to set up | base” there. Meanwhile, a supply of arms .that were especially | fabricated for JBRE In California were selzed in Call fornia; Ray sald he also recails that Rogelio Cisneros was at that JURE hieeting. When told that a fife review revealed that Cisneros was reportedly scheduled to be Involved In a pick-up of a cbebe of arms on Regaldo Cay on November 23, 19635, a date which was changed to November 25th at the jast minute, Ray said he recalled generally such an ; operation. "We had a boat In Costa Rica and we were supposed. - to pick up some weapons. there but there was a mix up. I _ can't recall the details or the date eaactly," he said. “Actually, Cisneros was the coordinator of such operations. |! was Informed of them, but he was the direct coordinator after they were Improved.” Ray was asked about his relationship with Andrew St. George who, according to file review, was with him on an attempted Inflitration Into Cuba. "I think | first met him In Havana,” sald Ray, "when he passed through there on the way to the Sterra Maestras to see Castro. |! met him several times tater when | came Into exile and we exchanged information and ideas, -He has something about him, a sincerity, that 1 Ray said he was not aware of the close relationship between. Andrew St. George and Mitchel! Livingston WerBell Itf. Asked If-he had ever had any dealings with WerBell, Ray. said: "The sunavabIitch. | would like to punch him In the nose, if you wlll forgive my saying that." Ray said his feelings about WerBell are based on an Incldent that happened In the Dominican Republle In 1965. At the time, after two. fallures, a final major Inflltration operation Into Cuba was being planned. "This was to be the first of a series of tong and. siow steps to bulld.a permanent opposition a movement against Castro inside Cuba. This’ was supposed to be a very signiflcant operation, not Just another quick a raid." Ray sald he had already had his share of problems ~ ; It was to be based: out:of Costa Rica, but political problems? made arrangements to send the Inflitration boat, the Venus, (They had been financed, sald Ray, by a major "Buy-A-RIfle-Foi $92" campaign among Cuban exiles; more than $100,000 was ; raised.) Then came the revolution In the Dominican Republic = and the appearance on the scene of Mitchell WerBell. Ray sald he frantically made arrangements with the Venezuelan government to move his base of operations there and sent $750° of his personal money to the crew of the Venus for fuel to move the bod’t as quickly as possible to Venezuela and out from between the warring factions In the Dominican Repubile. Howevor, | -more= nT ROTC a od eenene pe en mean rie wee RE OES 18 my NNER SOO RT ORNS RESEND UNON Fn <i lA HR: een ENN NE ate me agin A YER tec One nee ee cpeecwnppnee: Gio e upprntee nee
broke." Ray sald he never did find out why WerBell was - tn the Dominican Republic or why he stole the boat from . (This is. the’ first time j learned about. that." 8. what he later discovered, Ray sald, was that WerBell was conspiring with his boat's crew, and matnly its leader, Jose Rabelf, to convince them to go to MlamIl with the boat Instead of Venezuela. That, of course, aborted the inflitration operatton. "That's how WerBell stole our boat from us,” sald Ray. “After that our whole effort to get going again failed. By that time |! was completely them, "I belleve he was a CIA man," safd Ray. Ray sald he“ eventually wound up giving the boat to Nino Diaz for his _anti- -Castro operations. = F Ray was asked about the Incldent concerning the visit ‘of aa"Leon Oswald" to Stivia Odio. Ray sald that when he was | first questioned about it by the FBI, he was asked mostly about his feellngs about her rellabllity and accuracy. "They told me that she said she had met Oswald,” he sald. "I don't remember them telling me. that the men who came to her, said they were: members of JURE and were Interested tn buying arias. i don't think that was toid to me. ft toid them that {| knew she had some domestic problems and that - she was under.emotional strain from her divorce when she was tiving here In Puerto Rico, but | told them 1! would say she was sane. I! think she was a good person, a very bright ‘person and a sane person. Ray was. asked Tf he was over told that Slivia Odio! s syster also saw the three men who.visited her apartment. He ‘seemed. surprised. “"? never did know that!" he sald. "That to me -has.a-lot of bearing. They never did tell me that. Ray sald that at the. ‘time he knew of no members of JURE ~-gotng through Dallas In search of. ‘money of arms, He . does: not recall “anyone by the name. of Leopoldo. or Angelo. assoctated with SURE” at the time. Ray sald she had no . Amertcan: contacts In Dallas or major. fInanclat support from anydne there." me . . Ryy. also. ‘sald he did: not recognize. or had no assoclation with: Individuals of the following names: Justin= ‘McCarthy, Bernardo. DeTorres, Sam Acosta, Larrle Schmidt, Robert Morris, Tony Sforza, Warren Frank and David Morales. He also sald he had no assoclation: with Laureano Batista, but heard that Frank. Flortnl was working with him at one time, eet