(404-10170-10058 rs eee thor d : oe] e “a z E RET Ceclutes rym auien3t.. . . A302 he eoaageating 513 ; nr? Gecdage: 1.044 4 September 1962 MEMORANDUM: Chief, ‘Task Force W SUBJECT : British Press Speculation that DRE Raiders may have used British Territory as a Base REFERENCE : DIR 32616 (OUT 70518) This memorandum is for your information only, and does not recommend action, Bits and pieces of infor- mation have suddenly and recently appeared concerning Cuban exile activity in the Bahamas, and of equally _ sudden and recent probes by non- Cuban Bahamian resi- dents, which may or may not mean something.. I also continue to be somewhat puzzled, as mentioned below, by_the unusual attitude of [Chief, | “Special. -Branch, > oY “Bahamian. Polica with regard to the. Anguila Island query. 1, In response to a recent request from the London Station for fcuidance in the event it is querie concerning the DRE raid on Cuba, mainly resulting from Bri eculation that the raiders may have ‘used. a secret base in the Bahamas, the Station was informed that the DRE, in a press conference of 25 August, said that the boats had sailed from | Marathon in the Florida keys, and that British territory apparently was not involved. Also that the raid was launched without our knowledge or Support, 2. Inaddition, on 27 August 1962, the FBI informed Mr. Wallen that S it had received an inquiry by way of its ‘Miami field office from Mr. Gregg 06 sow % “Bentley, néw_liead of Special Branch if thé, Bahamas}~ ‘concerning his recent ; investigation of a number of Cuban exiles on the island of Anguila who allegedly told him they were there ona CIA mission, Mr. Bentley}claimed to_be. concerned 06 r [through the Colonial>24 because he would.of course have to report the mat rough | Office}: but would very much disliké having to do this if it was-actually a CIA operation, Mr, Wallen suggested that the Bureau might inform Mr, (Béntiey}- 06 . that the activity was definitely not Agency sponsored, but that we might get in touch with him at some point thr ough n this and similar problems, 24 C/TFW, in being informed of this report, stated that he also had recently re-. ceived the same query from the lin Washington, D. C. sed . The above was brought to London and had also-denied any Agency involvement, Station's attention with the comment that because of coincidence and logical placement Anguila conceivably could have een used by the raiders as a staging | area and base. G ~/ 2 on ~ 2 GO ‘SECRET sera A packaou nd ues HBR.
14-00000 . 3 It has since come to our attention that maritime operation PARROT mounted by WAVE on 22 August involved a scheduled rendezvous on languila _ -key|between a WAVE asset. and-two UR internal.officials, ‘The operation ” was unsuccessful in thatthe two: UR officials failed to make the rendezvous . a8 scheduled. - WAVE is now ‘planning to rerun the operation 0 on, 1 30/31 August. - 4, The above is being brought to your attention since our ‘knowledge of the use of Anguila as a ren ndezvous point may possibly cause some future . embarrassment if the(B British should learn of it and mistakenly ¢ associate it with the activities ° the exile group. investigated by. Mr, (Bentley) = ) 6. Another development, at least peripherally involving the Bahamas, is described below: a The U. §. Coast Guard on 21 August 1962 inquired as to any interest we might have in one W. Carney, who, in turn, Is interested in obtalning rights on the Island of Navassa. Navassa was described as lying thirty miles due west of the. _ westernmost tip of Haiti, and is under Coast Guard adminis- tration, According to TFW/PM we have looked into the island and found it uninhabited---and possibly uninhabitable---with no water or harbor facilities. CI/Liaisoun, at our instraction, ‘has informed the Coast Guard that we are not sponsoring Carney, but probably had no objection, and would like more details. , . b, Carney describes himself as a retired marine engineer, who owns property in the Bahamas, and who takes out private fishing parties. He wants to use Navassa as a private fishing resort, a refueling station,. and a watering point: The Coast Guard has apparently reminded him that there is no water and no harborage on  Navassa,, but he is still interested, c. The Coast Guard has an unmanned radio station on the island. For some legal reasons they cannot sell, or-even Jease, . property on the island, but they could give Carney a five year revocable permit, maintaining the right to Inspect and approve _any construction, SEGRET oll LS
14-00000 d. The Coast Guard is continuing to check into Carney, and will probably give him the permission he is seeking if they find “nothing; derogatory on him, Although Carney is a permanent “¥esident of the Bahamas, he‘also has a. New York address which “+. was given as 655 Pelham Parkway, North, Bronx 67, New York,” , 6. In addition, an Agency contact, a resident of the Bahamas, who. . travels extensively. throughout the islands, recently reported that he had “personally obsérved during a trip through the southern keys that several “of the keys which previously were uninhabited were now occupied by a _- number of Cuban exiles, According to source, the (British. authorities) i\ apparently are puzzled as to their presence there “as is to what to do about it. 7, Much of the above indicates that a number of Cuban exiles are showing up in remote areas of the Bahamas, and:the British\are no. doubt concerned over thelr. presence ‘and possible CIA involvement... Mr. Bentley's > ‘query concerning the grouv of exiles he allegedly. investigated on Anguilla 96 \\ Istand. emphasizes. sritish roncern|- It also Sounds somewhat provocative ob.in that: Mr (Bentleyjc claims to hav thought it prudent, after having been ‘hy an ninamsd Cuhan evile leader ‘that the : é - os 2 - VICTOR WALLEN C/TFW/CI SEGRET ~$ 19K leet ee