HW 50529 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: 01/18/05 JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM IDENTIFICATION FORM AGENCY INFORMATION CIA 104-10102-10073 JEK 80TO1357A DOCUMENT INFORMATION FBI FBI/PUERTO RICO OPERATION ALPHA 66 - INTERNAL SECURITY - CUBA - REGISTRATION ACT - CUBA. 08/08/1962 8 CUBA CUBA OPERATION ALPHA BLANCH, ANTONIO INTERNATIONAL SECURITY PAPER SECRET 1A 1B RELEASED IN PART PUBLIC - RELEASED WITH DELETIONS 07/19/93 JFK34 : F22 : 1993.07.19.17:52:09:180340 : DUPLICATE OF 1041010310156 Docld: 32356624 [R] - ITEM IS RESTRICTED Page 1 104-10102-10073
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION : ? In Reply, Please Refer to ~ ~ Post office Box 4310 File No. - §an Juan 21, Puerto Rico August 8, 1962 (7) 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: Le OE Operation Alpha 66 is under the leadership of one _.“ ANTONIO VEGIANA BLANCH, an exiled Cuban certified public --- gecountant who was formerly 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 Cuna. VECIANA vo] left Puerto Rico around July 5, 1962 en route to Chicago ow and New York City to collect funds to carry out the A a 66 plans of action inside Cuba, - MICROFILMED SJ T-l1 stated that VECIANA is the only spgk SMAAYG 24, a for Alpha 66 in Puerto Rico, but he is supposed to have. E TOR9 three or four other associates in Miami. These friengs OC. MICRO. SER not further identified, are supposedly exile Cuban leaders ~ we in the Miami area. , . | He stated that Alpha 66 has no leader as such. VECIANA has attempted to impress. the Cuban exiles that oo, . his movement is one of action to free Cubaaw 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-l 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. S. permitted CASTRO to tale over Cuba. 2) The U, S. permitted CASTRO to confiscate property owned by U. S. citizens in Cuba without any action. a DL -~ 7 - 7 . re VO fw ss DEG _HW 50529 Docld:32356§24 Page 2.
_HW. 50529 RE OPERATION ALrHA 66 L 3) The U. S. sat by. and_iet CASTRO's Government shoot American citizens without any protest. a 4) The U. S. has permitted Russia to set up a base in cuba without any protest. “33 T-1 stated that VECIANA isnt 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... 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 ~~ other high Russian official in Cuba. 2) Blow up the isso Oil Refinery in the Regla section of Havana. 3) Destroy the power plant at Talle Piedra, a . ‘suburb of Havana... \ 4) gink 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 mat, "BY, ny" and "Gi; 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. . The target-completion, date of September 22, 1962 has been set by VECIANA. oo VECIANA has been contacting the Cuban.exile groups in Puerto Rico, Florida, Chicago and possibly New York Gity in order to collect 364,000 cash to carry out the plans _ of Alpha 66. As of July 3, 1962 he had collected only #10,089. Docld: 32356624 Page 3
“HW 50529 DocId:32356624 Page 4 ag vbr RE OPERATION ALPHA 66 - If none of the actions are successful by September | 22, 1962, then Alpha 65 has pledged tla it will return all donations to tne donors. : The money is being ecllected and slaced in the Alpha 66 account at the Banco ce Ponce, Santurce,. vuerto Rico. . All donators are given receipts for money donated. The money is set-aside to cover each of the five actions. SJ T-l1 noted tuat one of the larger donations, one of $500, came from LUIS FERRE, Puerto Rican Statehood ‘Party leader. SJ T-1 noted that FERRE has a reputation of | always. donating to any anti-CASTRO drive, without reservations. SJ T-1 stated that VECIANA has indicated to him the names of thee individuals who are now in Cuba who are expected to assist Alpne 66 in their plan of action. They are VINCENTE NOBLE, ,GUIDLERT RUIZ and BERNARDO PARADELA. SJ T-1 noted that he nows all thrée 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 how he can be of much help. However, NOBLE and RUIZ are on the loose in Cuba and, according to 5J T-1, are cold-blooded killers. SJ T-2aivised on July le, 1962 tnat ANTONIO VECIANA was formerly the Chief of Action of tie Movimiento Revolucionario del Puevlo (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 Danco Financiero, Havana, Cuba, which hank was owned by JULIO LOBO, the "Cuban Suzar King". According to SJ T-2, VECIANA was.in charge of the MRP plan "Liborrio" to sill FIDEL CASTRO. VECIANA's mother had rented an apartment across the street from CASTRO!s presidential palace in Navana, and VECIANA and friends set up bazookas to fire at CASTRO. However, wen it came time for ‘action, the. bazookas were found to be defective and would not fire. Then someone talked and VECIANA fled Cuba around weet: the latter part of 1961 by a gmall 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 © : - . Toe mene ee em eress ee stot eee oe A ne ee ee ROE HOPRRRINPNRIN NO a Pe eH. . = tee . ’ ONT A aL SOT RE OED a STORY IS
RE OPERATION ALFHA 66 4g now referred to as Alyha 66. SJ -T-2 does not know the identities of the other leaders of Alpha 66, with the excep%- tion of the figureheads. in Piwerto 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 Cuban exile group known as the -Gontadores Publicos en Exilio (Public Accountants in Exile). Lo 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 SJ T-2. , 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 set involved as an officer. in any suci 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 Alpna 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. SJ 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. _ Sg T-2 continued that JERONIMO ESTEVE. ABRIL, tne - 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 filpha 66 is not gsuccessful-in its plans, then the donations will be returned HW 50529  Docld;32356624 Page 5
RE OPERATION ALPHA 66 to the donor. The money is banked in the Alpha 66 account at the Banco de Ponce in San Juan, then ISRAEL GONZALEZ - gends the money on to Miami where another account exists in the name of Alpha 66; identity of bank in Miami is unknown to SJ T-2. oo SJ T-2 noted that he had originally been introduced _ to VECIANA by ISRAEL GONZALEZ. He then listened to the plans of VECIANA, whom he hadmce 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, Puerto Rico to speak in behalf of the Alpha 66. . 7 SJ T-2 stated tnat he has not pressed VECIANA for details as he feels tlt the less Cubans who know about the merations of the group, the better chances are for some success. He stated tht he feels tht the failure of the landing a the Bay of Pigs was due to too many people knowing about the plans before the attack. SJ T-2 fsels that VECIANA realizes this also, and is attempting to keep the bare minimum of people knowing about Alpha 66 plans. SJ T-2 stated that the Division of Intelligence, Police of Puerto Rico (DI, POPR) have contacted Cuban exile leaders regarding Alona 56. He stated that the detectives apparently hwe had some complaints from other Cuban exiles describing Alpha “6 as vst another fraucd to obtain money Prom she exiles". So Ded ,csatea oo we Nopes he as noc nade & sistake by helping VECIANA and Alpha G6, but herreeis ent: under the leadership of a man like VECIANA the plans o. Alpha 66 might work out to the benefit of all Cubans. SJ T-2 stated that VECIANA has left Puerto Ric- -for several weeks tovisit Cubanexile grcups in Chicago end _ New York. VECZANA then intends to return to Puerto Rico. oo SJ T-2 noted that Alpha 66 is using the mailing ‘address of Box 9791, Sauturce, Puerto Rico, 5J T-2 stated that this is. the box of the Contadores Publicos en Exilio of ISRAEL GONZALEZ. SS . on July 16,.1962, Miss PAT GRACIA, Secretary, Postal Inspector's Office, San Juan, Puerto Rico, advised that Post Office Box 9791; Santurce is listed to the Asociacion Contadores . ‘Publicos y Privados. ps 2 - AW 50529 Docld:32356624 Page 6
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 — or the U. 8. Government about his. plans. VECIANA told him that he hadmt. done so and then SJ T-5 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. SJ 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 ali 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 55 in the past few weeks. A characterization of the Puerto Rican Statehood Party appears in the appendix hereto. — oo nis document contains neither recommendticnas nor conclusions of the FBI. It is the property of the FRI and is loaned to your agency; it and its contents are not to be distri- buted outside your agency. a : ¢ ~6- WW 40529 ; Docld: 32356624 Page 7.
~ ~~ UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICEA FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION In Reply, Please Refer to - Post Office Box 4310 . File No. , San Juan 21, Puerto Rico ; August 8, 1962. OPERATION ALPHA 66. INTERNAL SECURITY - CUBA REGISTRATION ACT - CUBA Reference is made to the letterhead memorandum dated and captioned as above at San Juan. Sources mentioned in instant communication have furnished reliable information in the past. This document contains neither recommendtions 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. HW 50529 DocId:32356624 Page 9