AGENCY RECORD NUMBER RECORD . SERIES AGENCY FILE NUMBER AGENCY ORIGINATOR FROM TO TITLE DATE PAGES SUBJECTS DOCUMENT TYPE CLASSIFICATION RESTRICTIONS CURRENT STATUS DATE OF LAST REVIEW COMMENTS Date: 01/19/05 JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM IDENTIFICATION FORM AGENCY INFORMATION >: CIA 104-10103-10156 JFK 80T01357A DOCUMENT INFORMATION CIA . FBI, PUERTO RICO FBI, HEADQUARTERS OPERATION ALPHA 66 08/08/1962 8 JFK ASSASSINATION BLANCH ANTONIO OPERATION ALPHA ‘PAPER SECRET 1B RELEASED IN PART PUBLIC - RELEASED WITH DELETIONS 06/21/04 ; JFK36 F29 : 20040112-1033521 {R] - ITEM IS RESTRICTED 104-10103-10156 AW 50529 Docld:32357021 Page 1
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION. | - In Reply, Please Refer to : ; Post Office Box 4312 i aid _ File No. -. §an Juan 21, Puerto Rico August 8, 1962 (i) OPERATION ALPHA 66 INTERNAL SECURITY - CUBA REGISTRATION ACT- CUBA The following information was furnished on a confi-. _dential basis on July 12, 1962 by SJ T-1: 2 — EO (0 OT Operation Alpha 56 is under the leadership of one ANTONIO VECIANA BLANCH, an exiled Cuban certified public accountant who was fornerly the president of the Certified Public Accountant Association in Havana, Cuba, VECIANA went into voluntary exile around December, 1961; arriving in Florida by means of a small boat from Cuba, VECIANA left Puerto Rico around July 5, 1962 en route to Chicago and New York City to collect funds to carry out the A 66 plans of action inside Cuba. - MICROFILMED | SJ T-1 stated that.VECIANA is the only spok sman iG 2 4 . for Alpha 66 in Puerto Rico, but he is supposed to hgve 1959 three or four other associates in Miami. These friengs OS. MICRO. ser | not further identified, are supposedly exile Cuban leaders mane in the Miami area. — He stated that Alpha 66.has no leader as such, VECIANA has attempted to impress the Cuban exiles that his movement is one of action to free Cubaas soon’as possible “and not an organization to seek membership andsit back and wait. for the United States to free Cuba. VECIANA told SJ T-1 that the United States Govern- ment has proven by its past actions that it does not intend to liberate Cuba in the near future. He bases this belief on the followin, 1) The U. 3. permitted CASTRO to take over Cuba. 2) The U, S. permitted CASTRO to confiscate property owned by U..S- citizens in Cuba without any action. HW tals sofbaraSTorons aye 2 Be Cf ARAL
as @ | | | | @ . os . - . . \ Fednbincredioa rry in, me RE OPERATION ALPHA 66 3) The U.S. sat by and let CASTRO's. Government shoot American citizens without any protest. - 4) The U. S. has permitted Russia to set up a base in Cuba without any protest. . , | $J T-1 stated that VECIANA is mt anti-American, | but feels that the Cubans cannot wait and depend on the United States to fight their battles. Accordingly, VECIANA has set up Alpha 66, a plan a to send 66 trained men of action into Cuba. and commit five (5) violent, separate actions against the CASTRO regime. The five - ‘actions are as follows: - 1) Kill the Russian Ambassador to Cuba or some “" s. other high Russian official in Cuba. — an 2) Blow up the isso Oil Refinery in the Regla section of Havana. a 3) Destroy the power plant at Talle Piedra, a ‘suburb of Havana... oo 4) Sink a Russian ship in Havana harbor. 5) Kill a high ranking Cuban official. / _ if the aforementioned actions. are successful, then Alpha 66 plans to sink a Greek or Canadian merchant ship | by using a fast yacht armed with bazookas. _ Names given to these aforementioned actions are man, "By "yt, and "C5 Cuba, spelled backwards. The first action, one of the above, is to be carried out at the end of July; the next two in August; and the last two by September” 22, 1962. SJ.T-1 does not know which .actions | are to take place first, second, etc. . phe target-completion, date of September 22, 1962, has been set by VECIANA.| VECIANA has been contacting the Cuban exile groups in Puerto Rico, Florida, Chicago and possibly New York ; City in order to collect $64,000 cash to carry out the plans of Alpha 66. As of July 3, 1962 he had collected only $10,089. HW #50529 Docld: 32357021 Page 3
. . 7 . ~ RE OPERATION’ ALPHA 66 - [If none of the actions are successful by September | 22, 1962, then Alpha 60 nas pledged tla it will return all -@Gonations to the donors. The money is being ecllected and placed in the Alpha 66 account at the Banco de Ponce, Santurce, suerto Rico. . All donators are. given receipts for money donated. The money is set. aside to cover each of the five actions. SJ T-l noted tiiat one of the larger donations, one of $500, came from LUIS FERRE, Puerto Rican Statehood Party leader. SJ Tl noted that FERRE has a reputation of ' always. donating to any aiti-CASTRO drive, without reservations. SJ T-l stated tnat VECIANA has indicated to him the names of thee individuals who are now ih Cuba who are expected to assist Alpne 66 in their plan of action. They are VINCENTE NOBLE, ,GUIDLERMO RUIZ an BERNARDO PARADELA. 3J T-l noted that he know all hrée as they had been connected in 1956 with the Servicio de Inteligencia Militar (SIM) in the Dominican Republic. According . to VECIANA, .PARADELA is. in jail in Cuba and SJ T-1 cannot figure out now he can be of much help. However, NOBLE and RUIZ are on the loose in | Cuba and, according to SJ T-1, are cold-blooded killers. SJ T-2advised on July 12, 1962 that ANTONIO VECIANA was formerly the Chief of Action of tue Movimiento Revolucionario del pueblo (MRP) in the Havana area. He was a member of the Christian Family Movement in Cuba and President of the Certified Public Accountant Association in Cuba. .He was a top executive of the Banco Financiero, Havana, Cuba, which bank was owned by JULIO LOBO, the "Cuban Sugar King", ‘According. to SJ T-e, VECIANA was in charge of the MRP plan "Liborrio" to ill FIDEL CASTRO. VECIANA's mother had rented an apartment across the street from CASTRO!S presidential palace in Havana, and VECIANA and friends set up bazookas to fire at CASTRO. However, wnen it came time for action, the bazookas were found: to be. defective and would not fire. Then someone talked.and VECIANA fled Cuba around the latter part of 1961 by a small boat to Florida. When VECIANA arrived in Florida, he. contacted other Cuban underground leaders he had known in Cuba who were now in exile and togetuer they had. decided on forming what HW 50529 Docld:32357021 Page 4 i
"RE. OPERATION ALPHA 66 is now referred to as Alpha 66, SJ T-2 does not know the identities of the other leaders of Alpha 66, with the exceps- tion of the figureheads in Puerto Rico, ‘These figureheads, who have nothin;; to say with the operational plans of Alpha, 66, are as follows: - 1) ISRAEL GONZALEZ, Certified Public Accountant, employed Banco de San Juan, Santurce, Puerto Rico; head of the local Cubanexile group known as the - Contadores Publicos en Exilio (Public Accountants in Exile). ~ : 2) ROBERTO I, CASTELLON, a public accountant and formerly head of the Triple AAA Cuban exile group; and - 3) L, CEBALLOS, another Cuban exile whose background is now known to 8J T-e. SJ T-2 stated that he was asked to join the Alpha 66 leadership by VECIANA, but declined to do so stating to VECIANA that while he was interested in helping any legi--. timate Cuban exile group, he does not plan to get involved as an officer in any such.group of action such as. Alpha 66. However, SJ T-2 stated that he would be willing to act as one of four selected Cuban exiles in Puerto Rico who would jointly endorse any checks or other donations to Alpha 66 to insure that the money obtained would be used for the stated purpose of Alpha 66; that is, to pay for the cost of sending 66 men into Cuba to commit five (5) actions against the Cuban CASTRO Government. SJ T-2 stated that he does not know what these five actions are with the exception of two, namely, to blow up the Esso Refinery at Regla, Cuba and to kill a high Cuban Government official. a Oe - gg T-2 stated that all these actions of Alpha 66. are to start from outside the United States and United States territories. He does not know the location of any base of opera- tions. SJ T-2 continued that JERONIMO ESTEVi ABRIL, the - aforementioned ROBERTO I, CASTELLON, an exiled Cuban priest, |. Padre LEON HERNANDEZ and one DEL VALLE (not further described), check all donations and issue receipts. If Alpha 66 is not successful in its plans, then the donations will be returned aie NW 50529 Docld:32357021 Page 5 aD
HW 50529 RE OPERATION ALPHA 66 r a - i to the donor. The money is banked in the Alpha 66 account “at the Banco de Ponce in San Juan, then ISRAEL GONZALEZ sends the money on to Miami where another account exists in the name of Alpha 66; identity of bank in Miami is unknown to oJ T-2. | SJ 7 2 noted that he had originally been introduced to VECIANA by ISRAEL GONZALEZ. He then listened to the plans of VECIANA, whom he hadace met through the Christian . Family Movement some years. previous in Cuba. SJ T- 2 stated — that he was impressed with the apparent sincerity of VECIANA and even went to Ponce, 1 Puerto Rico to speak in behalf of the Alpha 66. . SJ .- 2 stated that he has not | pressed VECIANA for details as he feels tlt the less Cubans who know about the operations of the group, the better chances are for some — success. He stated tht he feels tht the’ failure of the landing at the Bay of Pizs was due to too many people knowing - about the plans before the attack. SJ T-2 els that VECIANA realizes this also, and is attempting to keep the bare minimum of people knowing about Alpha 66 plans. SJ T-2 stated tnat the. Division of Intelligence, - Police of Puerto Rico (DL, POPR) have contacted Cuban exile leaders regarding Alpha 56. He stated that the detectives apparently twe had some complaints fron other Cuban exiles Sao ribins ae “6 as “just another fraud to obtain money sy “ae ro sxiles" . mistake wy he ips: may uncer the ieadership of & “nan. L:. me Alpha 66 - sight work out to the yenePit of all Cubans, ~ SJ T-2 stated chat VECTANA has ‘Jert Puerto Rico | for several weeks tovisit Cubanexile groups in Chicago and New york. VEC “ANA then intends to return to Puerto Rico, -..9J T-2 noted that Alpha 66 is using the mailing address of Box 9791, Santurce, Puerto Rico, SJ T-2 stated that this is. the box of the Contadores Publicos en Exilio of ISRAEL GONZALEZ. on’ guly 16, 15 362, Miss. PAT GRACTA, ccevotery, postal Inspector's. Office, San Juan, Puerto Rico, advised that Post - Office Box 9791, Santurce is listed to: the Asociacion: Contadores Publicos y Privados. 7 Docld:32357021 Page 6
HW 50529 r RE OPERATION ALPHA 66— on July 6, 1962, SJ T-3 advised that he had met ANTONIO VECIANA and had been requested to join the leadership of Alpha 66 in Puerto Rico. He stated that he was introduced to VECIANA by JERONIMO ESTEVE. SJ T-3 stated that he asked VECIANA if he had contacted the Consejo Revolucionario Cubano ov the U. §. Government about his plans. VECIANA told him that he hadmt done so and then SJ T-3 told him he was not interested until VECIANA has obtained the approval of the Consejo or the U. S Government. SJ T-3 stated that he considers Alpha 66 to be another of the many hopeful Cuban exile opera-~ tions which do not have a chance of success from the start. 3J T-3 added that he would not donate a penny to Alpha 66 and considers it a possible fraud. On July 25, 1962, ROBERTO ROCA ROSILLO, youthful Cuban exile leader in Puerto Rico of the Movimiento Revolu- cionario Recuperacion (MRR), advised that he feels that , Alpha 66 is a group with high plans but without any chance of success. He stated that Alpha 66's plans are not even in shape to carry out any action before August, 1962, let alone July, 1962, as Alpha 66 is still looking for guns and men. ROCA stated that to do the things Alpha 66 plans to do would end up in suicide for all concerned. ROCA continued that he certainly would not lend any of his MRR members to Alpha'smovement nor would he donate any money to their cause. on July 27, 1952, SJ T-4 advised that he has heard of Alpha 66, but has wt paid much attention to it as he considers it one of the many hopeful plans of the Cuban exiles based on emotions rather than “common sense. SJ T-4 stated that he has not heard much of Alpha 66 in the past few weeks. A characterization of the Puerto Rican Statehood Party appears in the appendix hereto. — . bis document contains neither recommendticns nor conclusions of the FBI. It is the property of the KEI and is ‘loaned to your agency; it and its contents are not to be distri- buted outside your agency. a : DoclIda: 32357021 Page 7?
PERT ee - -s., APPENDIX (Republican Statehood Party of Puerto Rico) (PER) A legally constituted political party which ad- vocates continued union with the United States in the form of statehood. HW 50529 Docld: 32357021 — Page @.
In Reply, Please Refer to" , File No. HW 50529 eo eo, | ~ | | a es - ne @ Sy [UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF wosrict) BA WL, FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION Post Office Box 4312 San Juan 21, Puerto Rico Ausust 8, 1962 OPERATION ALPHA 66 INTERNAL SECURITY - CUBA REGISTRATION ACT -~ CUBA . Reference is made to the letterhead memorandum dated and captinned as above at San Juan. Sources mentioned in instant communication have furnished reliable information in the past. ‘This document contains neither recommendations nor conclusions of the FBI. It is the property of the FBI and is loaned to your agency; it. and its contents are not to be distributed outside your agency, Docld:32357021 Page 9 “yp J OD.