[eto sucniors ANDUM FOR: Deputy Director for Operations 2 RETURN To ci Cl — @ekground Use Only PRON : “-  .3 Raymond A. Warren |. - ON Not Reproduce Chief, Latin America Division ©, ‘SUBJECTS - of A, Jack ‘Anderson, 20 January. 1977 Column” Titled NCTA Tied to False. Oswald Story" B. Identification of ‘the Mr. XxX in the _ , Anderson Column OO ‘de “The. attached column, citing ‘the testimony. OF a Mr. x alleges that a CIA agent tried to’ link Oswald to Cuban intelli: ~ mS ‘gence officers in Mexico.” There is, of course, no-substance ‘to: ” -the column's allegations. The column identifies: the source as” , .Mr. X because of attempts on his life, but subsequently gives~ _ enough information. on Mr. X to ‘establish his, identity. 2. _ According to. the’ Anderson. columa, Mr X was) first. met. “by his CIA contact in Havana before. relations with U.S./Cuba were. on "severed. “Mr. X had helped to organize bank accountants to emss%. bezzle Cuban government funds: to: finance anti-Castrovcauses. Mrs X. was reportedly recruited. by’a.Morris. Bishop (CIA conta et): to“‘plan an- attempt-on Castro's life. The: plan was to ‘fire a wh, bazooka from a nearby apartment: buiiding | while. Castro. was deliver: ‘ing one: of his marathon- speeches... According ‘tothe: Ander son: ‘column,’ the. plot \ was discovered by: Castro's police and Mr.:X. escaped to Miami: Mr. X. also: reportedly tried, ‘to assassinate. _. Castro in Chile. in 1971 in- ledgue. with the Venezueldn Luis Posada‘. -Carriles, who is: now being: detained in Caracas for the 6 October Cubana airline ‘bombing. The Anderson. column: ends, with the | report » _ that Mr. X-worked.. for CFA until .1973- for: expenses, ‘but ‘was. paid - ; 5253, 000 in. cash by Morris, Bishop. when he, WES terminated. ot Ped oe “WARNING 2 NOTICE | a _ERTELLIGENCE. SOYRCES- AND | METHODS: “rnvouvED 's. Ly * , or “RY 07525 a Ly - Mag
14-00000 nn 3. From the above descriptlion'-of Mr. X, it is reasonably clear that Mr. X is Antonio Carlos VECTANA Blanch (201- 312966): . VECLANA, an assistant bank mana ser and past president of a public accountants association in Havana, First contacted CIA_in Havana vaZ _ in December J960 whén he asked the OS, at that time | to he’p in an assassination plot! against Castro. VECUTANA asked ™ ‘for visas for ten relatives of the four men assigned to kill Castro, and also requested four MI rifles with adapters. for grenades plus eight grenades. The COS did not; encourage VECIANA and subsequently checked. with an Embassy officer who reported that VECIANA had made “similar "wild-eycd" proposals to him. On 23 November 1961 the Miami News published a report of an unsuccessful attempt by Antonio VECTIANA to kill Castro. VECIANA ‘reportedly had arranged to assassinate Castro and. Cuban: President Osvaldo Dorticos on S October, “in, Havana, but the bazooka, he .was using ‘failed to fire.: 4. There has been no ‘Agency relationship with VECIANA. AL _ POA, which was granted for his use in para-military affairs in. ” January 1962, expired in November 1962.. VECIANA was .born on ' 4 October 1935 in Havana. He was a member | of. the People's Revo- -lutionary Movement, an-.anti-Castro group. in Cuba during’.1966-61, and “was one of the founders: of: Alpha-66. A. certified public. accountant by trade, VECIANA was with A.I.D:; in La Paz in 1968-72. VECIANA Was registered in. ISR té the U.S. Army in November 1962. and he ‘was terminated without prejudice, in. July 1966. . On 23 July 1962 -VECIANA was interviewed, at his request,: by Mr..Harry. Real. from the: DCD New. York office. VECIANA’ asked Real. to. arrange a meeting ‘With a senior CIA officer to discuss Alpha-66's plans to assassinate Castro and to request CIA's assistance (U:S.$100,000;°10,000-Cuban . pesos ; 48 hand grenades). ‘There | is ‘no. indication that. this request ‘was ever acted upon by. CIA. . mo se ” Seg ‘In April’ “1966. a. “LA Division sn ofeines alesse the alias John. Livingston, met VECIANA in. New York City. The ne .. meeting was.arranged by a‘retired naval officer WE Division -that he- shad “int arrived in New: York. City for ‘the eet ing ‘ he was intfoduced by to. VECIANA.:.. He immediately Jaunched. a discussion of the & ritical. ‘situation and noted his: Strong - feeling that - the only. solution Was the assasSination of: Castto.” advised VECTANA that. he -was inno position:'to provide hitn with STStance or encourage - him in an’ assassination. attempt: and was only . interested in gathering - information which ‘he: ‘thought. was* the purpose of the meeting. VECTANA: subsequently said ‘that: his: roominate Felix ZABALA, a Cuban refugee, had excellent contacts: in. Havana..-It was ED VECLANA: was, attempting to: use ZABALA’ _Poten- Agency financial support for - his organization. who ‘had informed Chief concerning Cuba. Whe eo a ba
14-00000 VECTANA suggested that $50, 000 sould be needed ta get his activities off the ground. indicated to VECIANA that’ he ';kould lock into the ZABALATMaTTCY and would probably arrange for ZABALA to be “contacted in Puerto Rico. aon 6. There-is no indication in the file that any Agency officer /in contact with VECIANA ever used an alias Morris Bishop. There is no Morris Bishop listed in true name in the DDO rolls. There was never any contractual relationship with VECIANA and he was not /. paid CIA funds.» , “ "7. On 32 January 1977 a sanitized copy:of VECIANA's 201 file was made.available to staffers from the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.” a Fae pO ee eo. vw. . + cen sisned Raymond A. Warresa ... Raymond A. Warren Attachment |. .- ; poo ehajéosjéed he: coa00y tah “sewwacy ah fo DNAS . Distribution:- = /, Orig &:1 - Addréssé€e. © 7 we oye. 1 * ADDO.. | ee ‘= LA/COG/Chrono a “- C/LAD ©. rr ee ~ 201-312966 - -t hold. — SECRET