AGENCY : RECORD NUMBER : RECORD SERIES : AGENCY FILE NUMBER : ORIGINATOR : FROM: TO: TITLE: DATE: PAGES: SUBJECTS : DOCUMENT TYPE : CLASSIFICATION : RESTRICTIONS : CURRENT STATUS : DATE OF LAST REVIEW : OPENING CRITERIA : COMMENTS : v9.1 | HW 5Se7o2 DoclId: 32336722 JFK Assassination System Identification Form Agency Information FBI 124-90135-10117 HQ 105-82298-173 Document Information FBI HQ 02/06/1968 38 ELOY GUTIERREZ MENOYO PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT Secret Consulted; 1B; 4 Redact 09/25/1998 INDEFINITE, APPROVAL OF USA, INS SUMMARY, REFERRED TO USA, INS 16 Page 1 Date: 6/2/2015 Released under the John F. Kennedy &ssassination Records Collection Act of 1992 [44 Uc 2107 Note). Date: Cases: NW 56792 04-10-2016
an a aioe at _ fee SECRET af é Cuban defector, Ariel Saavedra - Sejudo stated that during 1959 he joined an anti-Castro organization known as "Frente Nacional Escambray'" in Havana. _Amone the leaders of this organization was Eloy Gutierrez Menoyo.. . 100-357681-210-131 encl.p.2 3 This reference is an SISS report which revealed that in January, 1959, classes atthe University of Havana had been suspended for months by Batista and some students had engaged in terrorist activities against him. The > mass of the student body never engaged in clandestine activities against Batista, proof of this contention / was found in the small amount of students who actually did join Fidel Castro in the Siera Maestra or Eloy Gutierrez Menoyo in the SNFE. ao . , it ° 62-88217-2884 encl.p.47 ; (OMe | 3 Jf On 6/13/63, Gilberto Rodriguez Fernandez (100-420590) advised that he arrived in Cuba from the United States in early January, 1959, and that he became associated with various members of the SNFE which was headed by Eloy Gutierrez Menoyo with whom he was in frequent contact. An invasion of Cuba at Trinidad in August, 1959 was planned but this invasion failed because Menoyo advised the Cuban government of the plan. He was also in the company of Raul Castro in Havana and Rodriguez decided Menoyo could not be trusted. . Menoyo called Rodriguez an enemy of Cuba and Rodriguez saw him for the last time in mid-1960. (Details of Menoyo's activities in connection with above planned invasion of Cuba and other revolutionary activities set out.) ip p.28,29,47-53 G-2, Alien Detention Facility, McAllen, Texas (protect identity) furnished the results of an interrogation on 2/14/61, of Forencio Pernas - Lorenzo (105-98002). From January, 1959 to 2/14/61, Pernas as a member of SNFE was associated with Comandante Gutierrez Menoyo. He attended social and official gatherings of SNFE and made _ - two trips to Miami with Gutierrez. He was requested by Gutierrez to Eig. participate in action against Trujillo and Batista followers who were to attack Cuba. Gutierrez decided to take him to the US. to join other (continued ) . @Y | | HW 56792 DBocld:32336722 Page 2?
SECRET (continued) _revolutioni st groups and Pernas planned to go to Miami and wait for orders from Gutierrez as to his future actions. (¢) 105-98002-1 p.4 (367 ORK Act 6 (4) On 2/15/61, i | (134- 9765) was being interviewed when he received a- Telephone call from Ampero Prieto, widow of Plinio Prieto, an anti-Castro rebel leader killed by Castro's forces in the_Escambre Province approximately four month before. She informed ‘that Eloy Gutierre Menyo and Armando Fleites were at that time living in Miami. | stated that these © men were respectively, Comandante and Second in Command of Fidel | Castro's forces in the Escambre Province during the overthrow of Batista in Cuba. He stated that she informed him that they were dedicated communists and lately were supposed to have fallen’in disfavor with Castro which caused’ them to leave Cuba. stated | that he could never trust these men and was of the opinion that_ they were probably Castro's intelligence agents in the US./;. Add.. info. 134-9765-3 p.2-4 wy Basak advised’: that Hermes Jose Dominguez y Chavez (105-116562) attended a meeting (no date) of an anti-Castro group headed by Eloy Gutierrez Menoyo, held in the back room of the jewelry shop called the Joyeria Penaranda.* He was allegedly attempting to infiltrate this organization. Informant further: advised that Dominguez spoke to a small group of people (no date) at which time. he stated that he had attended the above-mentioned meeting about October, 1961. Informant: stated that Chavez was attempting to infiltrate this group, sending information to Cuba by mail /, 105-116562-7 p.2,3 (22,6 SI 105-116562-4 p.1 | ’ 6 \ : , { *NYC 5 | ; , SECRET on. | WW 56792 Docld: 32356722 Page 3
SECRET | : ! (continued) and Eloy Gutierrez Memoyo in the SNFE and had informed a number of people that he was employed by an investigative agency of the US Government. ul . 105-110790-6 p.2 (65,87) On 11/15/62, CIA furnished a summary of background informa- tion on Cuban personalities including Eloy Gutierrez Menoyo from birth to November, 1962. This information related to Gutierrez's contradictory relations with the Castro regime, his attitude toward communism, and his travels in Florida, Texas, Cuba, Spain, Belgium and France. Xu) 7 | 105=115227-425 encl.p.552 ( ) ’ Information furnished by OACSI* (protect identity) revealed that Felix Jose Diaz Rojas Hildebram, Rt. 2, Box 90, Alachua, Fla., former Bay of Pigs prisoner stated on December 23 and 24, 1962 that Gutierrez Menoyo (no locality) was very likely to betray anyone and, therefore, lacked his confidence. He also stated that politically Gutierrez was a leftist./@’) & . 105-136669-15 p.4. | (a7 . : *Office of Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence, US Army. The Justice Department furnished a letter from CIA dated |, 1/14/63, which stated’ that that Agency had moperational interest (aly | (continued) -7- __ SECRET ~~ HW 56792 Docld: 32336722 Page 4
LL - SECRET! (continued) or contact with Alpha 66. CIA stated that it had no value because of its discrediting in the Cuban exile community by the disclosure of the secret alliance between its leader, Veciana, and Eloy Gutierrez Menoyo, head of SNFE. Under their alliance Gutierrez diverted Alpha 66. funds to finance SNFE paramilitary operations and ran them as Alpha 66 activities. The Alpha 66 combat element had no exploitable military value because it was either identical with or heavily penetrated by the Gutierrez action group. The dissident element of Alpha 66, referred to as L66, was regarded by CIA as a superficial split due to the presence in L66, particularly its combat group, of Alpha 66 operational personnel, who had been and probably would remain Gutierrez's men.( % uh 2-00-236 encl.p.2 CA ) On 12/2/62, Sergio Martin Vidal (105-116790) made available an address book in his possession which contained a list of names and addresses including the following: Menoyo, 1174 Ss. Ww. 12th Street, Miami. (List of names and addresses: set out.) //, , On 2/13/63, MM 639-S advised that the individuals listed in above-mentioned address book were all well known in the Latin American colony in Florida as being actively engaged’ in anti-Fidel Castro activities, GW 105-316790-12 p.21 (293 On 2/13/63, Julio Aton Constanzo Palau, (105-117838) Miami, advised that Alpha 66 was created, (no date) at least intellectually, by Eloy Gutierrez Menoyo, a former leader of Fidel Castro in the Sierra Escambray.* 105-117838-4 encl.p.9 *Cuba -8- SECRET) HW 56792 DBocld:32336722 Page 5
wn, : eo o we SECRET On 3/8/63, Dr. Enio Zayas, Newark, NJ, a Cuban refugee, Doctor of Pharmacy, advised that before he came to the US in August, 1962, he was associated with his father, Dr. Constantino zayas, owner of Linner Pharmaceutical Laboratories, Havana, Cuba. He stated that in early 1959, several meetings were held in Havana for the purpose of ousting the Somoza regime in Nicaragua. Dr. Manuel Lacayo Farfan was the leader of this group. Zayas and his father went to Costa Rica in June, 1960, on a business trip, however, his father wished to meet with various Nicaraguans living in exile in Costa Rica for the purpose of deposing of the Somoza regime. Shortly after they arrived they met with Eloy Gutierrez Menoyo. At that time Gutierrez was still Commandante of the Cuban Army and had gone to Costa Rica secretly by way of Mexico. At a subsequent meeting Dr. Lacayo offered the position of leader of the war effort against Nicaragua to Gutierrez, which he accepted. However something forced a cancellation of all these plans. It was Zayas’ opinion that something happened between Gutierrez and Fidel Castro, and Gutierrez had to flee Cuba. Zayas stated that he did not know of any subsequent plans by these principals to accomplish the overthrow of the Somoza regime. . fy, 1095 45-185 encl.p.2 3 . , PSI (protect identity) advised that in April, 19603, a representative of Santos Trafficante, boss of the Mafia in Florida, approached Enrique Molina (105-96551) and another person, who were seeking arms and equipment for anti-Castro purposes. They did not have sufficient money to pay for this material, and Trafficante's representative promised them as much equipment as they needed if they would kill Eloy Gutierrez Menoyo, leader of the SNFE. This murder was to take pace outside of the US. Trafficante wanted Gutierrez Menoyo killed because prior to April, 1963, he allegedly obtained $250,000 worth of arms and equipment from Trafficante and had not \ for it. Molina refused to get involved in such a murder. ““(¥ Xe 10 -96551-20 p.2 (758) | On 4/12/63, Cayetano Fabio Alfonso D'Veer, (105- 99906 ) Miami, Fla., stated that he was acquainted with various members of Alpha 66, including Eloy Gutierrez Menoyo. 7'./ oy er a 9 p.3- -9-' SECRET} a ttt tl RE | WW 56792 Docld:32336722 Page 6
oo a ' SECRET NY 4116- S advised that in the fall 1963 Eloy Guiterrez Menoyo had been in NYC and while there had made a ‘telephone call to an unknown party, "whom he had arranged to meet at a restaurant - named "El Recreo:" Informant stated that it was his opinion that this restaurant was somewhere in the Bronx area, dlthough he knew nothing concerning its ownership or its exact location. Add. info. . re, O4-19 p.1,2,4 3° CIA (protect identity) reported that Orlando Puente Perez, Secretary to former Cuban President Carlos Prio Socarras, stated that while on a trip to the West Coast in mid-October, 1963, he had talked with Luis Somoza, former Nicaraguan President, who was planning to make a trip to Japan. Somoza asked Puente to tell Prio that he could count on Somoza's full support and as soon as he returned from Japan, a mobilization of men in Nicaragua would begin for attacks against Cuba. According to the present schedule, such attacks would begin in early December, 1963. Prio had delegated to Puente the responsibility of completing the details of the plan with Eloy Gutierrez: Menoyo, leader of the SNFE, and others, a f whom agreed to participate in Prio's plan by contributing men,! Oy) (3776 a -6 p.l Father John I. Gallery, 11005 South Homan, Chicago, advised on 10/29/63 that he had learned that Eloy Gutierrey Menoyo, leader of the "Alpha 66" anti-Castro group, had asserted that although Paulino Alberto Sierra Martinez (105-121010) claimed to have received the signed endorsement of a number of anti-Castro groups in the Miami area, in reality only a few had actually signed on his behalf and that none of these were important groups... 105121010-31 encl.p.8 _ «13- | HW 56792 DBocld:32336722 Page 7 Ls
C rN . . \ / SECKEL (continued ) treatment under the guidance of Governor Munoz Marin of PR, and the US State Department. He charged that Ray and Gutierrez were well known in the anti-Castro movement, of having a past history of being communists. ’ Vidal further stated that the CIA was responsible for the raid conducted by Commandos L in March, 1963. In this raid a Commandos L attack boat sank. the Russian | ship Baku off the north shore of Cuba. The CIA then used this raid as. an excuse to stop all further attacks against Cuba by anti-communist Cubans in the US. esr -97873-18 encl.p.4 Office of Army Intelligence, Fort Sam Houston, Texas (protect identity) advised on 12/27/63, that Eloy Gutierrez Menoyo reportedly was a former Major in the Castro Rebel Army, who currently lived in the US, address unknown, was*still a follower and advocate of the Castro regime, and it was possible that he had been sent to the US to spy for Castro. (4) 105=117233-19 encl.p.63 (3, On 1/7/64, MM 492-S advised that Nicholas T. Nonnenmacher, Administrative Assistant to Donald C. Bruce, Representative from Indiana, inquired if informant had any. knowledge of "Operation Judas." He explained that "Operation Judas" was a plan for ‘the assassination of Fidel Castro and the taking over of the Cuban Government by new leadership with Hubert Matos as head. The new government would also include Eloy Gutierrez Menoyo as Chief of the Army. Informant indicated that the plan would not be successful and was probably impossible. Gutierrez Menoyo had been a traitor too many times and too many people had been killed involving plans connected with © him. K) / Above informant further stated that Nonnenmacher asked him what he thought of Manuel Ray, Armando Fleites, Max Lesnik and Gutierrez Menoyo, to which pe replied that they were all "pinks" and could not be trusted. | 64-21981-270 p.2,3 1], [aap Ly w) -15- | AW 56792 Doocld:32336722 Page 6
C) SECRET On “1/eh/6u, CIA “(ne locality) advised that Manolo Ray, who allegedly was connected with "Operation Judas," was closely associated with Eloy Gutierrez Menoyo, an anti-Castro leader who allegedly would play an important part in the new government. G&>(U) (e Ba Ay u) CIA, Miami, advised that on 1/29/64, Rudolfo de la Rosa Castro (105- 130073) visited the offices of SNFE, Alpha 66 and MRP and had an interview with Eloy Gutierrez. M oyo with the objective of joining the fight against communism./ AU) ~ 105s 1300 “3 encl.p.15 In connection with the investigation of Lee Harvey Oswald, (105-82555) the President's. Commission requested information pertaining to three anti-Castro organizations one of which was Alpha 66 - SNFE, Information regarding the SNFE activities of Eloy Gutierrez Menoyo was set out in the references listed below covering the period 11/10/57 to March, 1964, in Miami, Key West, Houston, Los Angeles, NY, Chicago and Cuba. Gutierrez attended and ; spoke & Cal at meetings where appeals for funds were made. Eloy | Gutierrez, reportedly was scheduled to lead a revolutionary invasion of Cuba in March, 1964. The leaders of SNFE expressed regret over the assassination of President Kennedy who was considered by them to have been afriend of Latin Americans. fire REFERENCE . SEARCH SLIP PAGE NUMBER 105-82555-4263 encl.p.1,2 -4266 encl.p. 1,2,4,5 ~4269 encl.p.5 -4289 p.1; encl.p.1-3 -~4300 encl.p.4 -4301 encl.p.2,3 The Department of the Army, Washington, DC, (protect identity) furnished. copies of personal letters written by Raymond F. Friesecke . to Lt. Col. John Connelly, Assistant Chief of Staff, G-4, Fort Benning, Ga. we (continued ) | | -16- | SECREE ee a OE HW 56792 Docld: 32336722 Page 9