Summary of Deposition Victor Espinosa Page Five on a pleasure excursion to Paris from his residence in New. York, Espinosa contacted an old acquaintance, Jose ’Trasancos.:,. who was at the time working for the Cuban - Consulate in Paris, having been in.a position there since -- approximately 1962 or 1963. Trasancos - spoke of having seen Cubela in Paris and .-ancos wanted Espinosa to get the complete story from .*“George Robreno, a former member of the Student Revolu- “Ss tionary. Movement in Havana, and long-time friend of ““Cubela. Robreno at one time had been with the Castro carried out many death sentences. ‘(p. 64) Originally, : Espinosa intended to meet with Robreno in Madrid, but after “encountering difficulties obtaining a visa, was forced at “his own expense to send Robreno an airline ticket for +) Paris. (De 65) — : eee ne, In’ Paris, Robreno told Espinosa that Cubela had been kalking with certain CIA people about an uprising in Cuba “against Castro that was to be led by Cubela and others of- ficials in the government and the army. Cubela had been in contact with an individual named: Williamson who was the head of the CIA in Spain. Cubela was most concerned about »° ©.Williamson's ‘trustworthiness, expressing as a basis, Wil- / 2 Liamson' S apparent alcoholism and the fact that he had had vas a.mistress a Cuban female who had taken certain important — “documents - from Williamson's apartment to Castro. Cubela ‘had wanted his old associate Espinosa to contact his "CIA -colleagues", still believing Espinosa was with the CIA. Espinosa | was to explain Cubela's position to them viz-a-viz “Cubela' s contact with Williamson. ‘In addition. to this con- “versation: with Robreno, Espinosa met with (Alberto) Blanco, "El Loco", ‘also involved in the’ plot with: Cubéela... Blanco,.en » i route to Cuba from Russia via Czechoslovakia, mentioned the  “Upresence of Russian. technicians in Cuba, stating that he : “wanted the CIA to know. that if they were thinking of double- ° crossing Cubela, "They (Cubela and his associates in the — -. plot): would take care of these Russian. technicians". (Pp. Ble 68) | : i to. Madrid sometime earlier to meet with Artime and William-. “Peson.. According to Robreno, Artime was soliciting Cubela's 4 said in a different coup.  Cubela could not trust Artime, . . feeling he = was working both sides with the CIA and Castro. Boe ‘Espinosa returned to New vork the week following cory Jhis. meeting, with Robreno in. Paris and went directly to voy! uw Sai8e. Dooidisz246513 | Baye 6 "something was- going on...Rolando (Cubela) is involved with » the CIA and there is something happening." (p. 63) Tras- = government as the head of the revolutionary tribunals which It was Espinosa’ s “understanding that Cubela had come.
Summary of Deposition | Victor Espinosa Page Six . Cavasantos of Immigration and Naturalization to be put in ' “contact with someone in the CIA. Cavasantos sent Espinosa _|'to the FBI in New York, where they were joined by someone from the CIA, whom. Espinosa felt was aware of the individuals .. mentioned in the AMLASH operation. (pp. 70-72, 76) Espinosa .. related Cubela's message and was told he would be contacted within a few days. (p. 73) After two weeks, Espinosa con- “.tacted a friend who worked for Senator Javits who arranged “uo. for a meeting in Washington with a State Department veotticial involved with Cuban affairs. —_ _ ‘Feeling that he had done all. he could do, Espinosa “returned to New York, where he worked for the next two “years before moving» to France and. Spain.” (pp. 77, 78) : Sometime: later, Espinosa learned of Cubela' Ss. arrest and imprisonment in Cuba and- was most surprised that Cubela was. not executed. Be 79). “Individuals of Interest Known to Espinosa - ae JA; Norman Rothman: Espinosa met Rothman in Havana ". sometime - in the late 1950's, possibly in the casino at the _. *‘Hotel Nacional, and later in approximately 1960 or 1961 © in : “Miami at the Biltmore Hotel. ; , ; “Espinosa was a. social acquaintance of "Cappy" ~ Rothman, Norman's son, in Miami from approximately 1960- (2983. (pp. 31, 32, 98- ~101) _ Be Meyer Lansky: While Espinosa dia. not know Meyer Lansky, he did see him at the Rivera Casino in * . Havana. (p.- 7) co o. ‘Raphael Garcia Bongo: Trafficante' s attorney. "Espinosa. knew Jorta Bongo, the brother of Raphael, and . through him met Raphael. While not first-hand, it was common -. Knowledge that Raphael was Trafficante's attorney in Cuba. _:. Approximately five years ago, Espinosa learned that Raphael ..had been arrested in Spain for passing counterfeit money.. '. .!'' Espinosa heard that the counterfeit money was linked to 1 Brafficante. APRs 103- 105) —_ a De . Sam Benton: Knew him through McLaney. Benton “was” ‘supplier for the aircraft used on .the two aborted oil refinery raids in. 1963. (pp. 18, 19, 23, 93) Mey E. ne Raul ‘Castro: Espinosa’ “met Raul on two occasions in: Havana soon after Gastro! Ss takeover. Espinosa was present 2) ain. atte s hospital. ‘room when Raul Castro visited Cubela. | : awe "94756  podkasa s32d6513- "Page. 7
- /* Summary of Deposition . ' Victor Espinosa Page Seven F. Jerry Patrick Hemming: Met him on a few - occasions. ' Hemming was always trying to get involved in exile activities. The general opinion among Espinosa's ‘associates was that Hemming was not to be trusted. a a, G. Rolando Cubela: (AMLASH) Long and involved 2° friendship. : . - a HW 54756 DocId:32246513 . Page 8°
MEMORANDUM TO: ‘G. Robert Blakey Chief Counsel ‘FROM: S. Jonathan Blackmer — Staff Counsel, JFK > DATE: June 28, 1978 ‘RE: Index of Victor Espinosa Deposition Aleman, Jose - p. 101 _ Alliegro, Anselmo -p. 52 . American Embassy, Havana pp. 32, 33. a - .Amores, Acelo Pedro =p. 13 Artime, Manuel pop. 40, 82, 83, 84, 85 Banister, Guy “p. 27 a Batista | _., . pp. 4,.7,.9, 46, 47, 48, 50, 55 Bay of Pigs | pp. 14, 15, 35, 36, 38, 42, 58, 60, 71, 89, 90 7 Bayo, Eddie aka Eduardo Perez pp. 41, 42. Bender, Frank. p. 32 Benton, Sam , pp. 18, 19, 23, 93 _ Bernardino, Frank . p. 14 es '" Blanco, Alberto ' pp. 67, 68, 72, 76, 77, 78 Bongo, Raphael Garcia pp. 103, 104, 105 Bosch, Dr. Orlando  p. 86 Callejas p. 9 _ Carbo, Pedro p. .50 Carol, Alphonzo p- 41° — - Castro, Fidel pp. 4, 6, 7, 9, 22, 33, 36, 37, 42, *"° _ 46, 47, 51, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 59, 60, * "62, 64, 78, 79, 81, 83, 84, 96, 107, a “- 108, 109 oO Castro, Raul . p- 55 Chaumon, Porton “p. 5 a C.I.A, pp. 10, 11, 15, 17, 33, 34, 35, 37, 38, 39, 41, 63, 65, 66, 67, 70, 71, 74, 75, 76, 78, 81, 82, 83, 85, 86, 93, 103 -Coscaya, General Bayo p. 42 - - Cubela, Rolando pp. 5, 6, 32, 40, 42, 43, 44, 46, 47, - 48, 49, 50, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 68, 71, 77, 78, 79, 80, 83, 84, 86, 102 _ Customs, U.S. © pp. 17, 90 . DRE a p.. 30 . Echeverria, Jose Antonio pp. 5, 43, 44, 46, 47, 48, 50 F.B.I. | “pp. 17, 27, 28, 29, 70, 71, .72, 94 HW 54756 Docld:322746513 .Page 9
scm nag oy ean teatime vars ahaa sacap ay site sepstanineemnenmstte tN LSA eden MERIDEN AEN att cet tt beeen tt SA NR nn tema annthlDeeAtR aie Mitt etey ernment tne, Index of Victor Espinosa Deposition Page 2. Ferrie, David . p.° 27 ‘Gene, John Koch . ~~ p. 13: Gill, Fred p. 28 2 Gonzalez, Alfred S$ - Ss Guevara, Che | pp. 54, 55 Hemming, Gerald Patrick p. 34 . oO ' Hernandez, Carlos pp. 13, 18, 23, 24, 28, 30, 84 . Hunt, Howard p. 11 .Irco, Colonel Blanco pp. 47, 48, 49 _Javitis, Senator p. 73 ‘Gener, Raphael 'p. 100 -. Jiminez, Mario — pp. 10, 14 _Jiminez, Miquel Alvarez pp. 13, 14, 18, 20, 23, 93 Lansky, Meyer | p. 97 “ Lanz, Pedro Diaz pp. 7, 8 -Lauchli, Rich Albert pp. 24, 25 “--Lobo, Julio pp. 86, 87 Machado, FNU (aka Machaletto) pp. 6, 48 Machin, FNU p. 48 '.Marcello, Carlos p. 28 - , McLaney, Mike > pp. 9, 10, 18, 19, 21, 24, 28, 29, 32, ° 76, 91, 92, 93, 95, 96, 97, 106 _ McLaney, William — pp. 9, 10, 22, 26 * Menoyo pp. 54, 55 -Morales, Ricardo Nauarette p. 87 Morgan, William p. 54 Nacional, Hotel pp. 9, 95, 107,.108 Naranjo ' p. 6 , Nundez, Calcie p. 14 . Paris Cuban Consulate p. 62, 63, 67 . Phillips, David p. 33 so Pontchartrain, Lake (Bombing Raid) pp. 23, 26, 28, 91, 92 Popich, Nick «pe. 28 . oO Pujol, Jorge Alonzo p. 101 Raminda | , -p. 6 . Rodriquez, Nutosa ‘pp. 48, 49 . ‘Rothman, “Cappy” pp. 31, 97, 99 Rothman, Norman - pp. 31, 32, 98, 99, 101 fo Robreno, George (Jorg@ pp. 63, 68, 75, 77, 78, 82, 83, 84, 86, (El Maga) = oO Salvat, Manuel p. 30 Shell Oil Refinery, Havana pp. 20, 21 Siva, FNU p. 41 Smith, Jose p. 7 Snow, Larry p. 95 Soccaras, Carlos Prio p. 46 State Department p. 74 Sturgis, Frank pp. 8, 33, 89 '. Taberinalla, FNU p. 49 _ (Army Chief under Batista) HW 54756 Docld: 32246513 - Page 10