AGENCY INFORMATION oa AGENCY: — FBI RECORD NUMBER: _ 124-10206-10352 RECORD SERIES: HO AGENCY FILE NUMBER: 2-2173-22 4 DOCUMENT INFORMATION ORIGINATOR: FBI FROM:  LEG.CAR TO: DIRECTOR. FBI TITLE: DATE: 10/07/1976 PAGES: 8 SUBJECT: | CUBANA AIRLINES, BOMBING, ACA, OBA, ASSOC, SUSP, BKG, TRA, PEP DOCUMENT_TYPE: PAPER. TEXTUAL DOCUMENT ORIGINAL NEW CLASSIFICATION:  Se<ret | CLASSIFICATION: REVIEW DATE: — 05/11/1998 UPDATE DATE: STATUS . Redact . RESTRICTIONS: JFK Act 6 (1)(C) JFK Act 6 (4) COMMENTS: — INCNOTE NW 45701 DociId:32291076 Page i
Pees a - _{ 10/8/76 SECRET” - “4 @ GENERAL one DIVISION eo ~ Attached from’ Legat, Caracas advises of. crash, O possibly caused by a bomb, of Cubana Airlines Flight 455 “(DC-8" Aircraft leased by Cubana from Air Canada), in the | Caribbean Sea off the coast of Barbados at about 1:45 p.m., | 10/6/76, shortly after takeoff from Seawell Airport, | Barbados, en route to Havana, Cuba, via: Kingston, Jamiaca. Wo survivors among 78 passengers. Airport ; official at Barbados reportedly informed that pilot told | tower there had been an explosion in one of the rear lavatories of the plane. Flight log recovered after | crash noted power failure in #4 engine but no mention of +explosion.- Trinidad and-Tobago-Police (TTP)..are holding. | two Venezuelan citizens, Jose Vazquez Garcia and Freddy | Lugo, whom they believe may ‘be connected with this crash. | , TTP request any information of these individuals. Legat, | ; Caracas files negative re Rune 10/7/76, a | supra, is |; employed by Louis p ada, {Eormer head Venezuelan ; confidential source abroad_advised Lug | } {| Counterintelligenc ho resigned in 1973. Posada is 7 | Cuban*exile known For his anti-Castro activities. This co! | saine confidential source advised that in view of arrest Jo: of Vazquez and Lugo [the Venezuelan Governmen® is arranging | | | for Posada and Orlando Bosch Avila (leader of Coordinacion de Organizaciones Revolucionarias Unidas (CORU) to leave Venezuela} as soon as possible. The source all but S) admitted that Posada and Bosch had engineered the bombing of the airline. From statement of source it appears | almost certain that fvenezuelan Government] was privy to ES) ; ‘activities of Posada and Bosch. Appropriate dissemination. . being made. FBI Identification Division records negative re | Lugo and Garcia. Lugo at time of arrest had in possession | i address book with Legat Caracas' address. Legat, Caracas has no recollection of ever having met Vazquez*Lugo. | ; Legat, Caracas_has had. limited contact with Posada while < | . é | | employed with [en zuelan Counterintelligence]} and after his resignation from [Venezuelan Counterintelligénce] in connection with visa request. FBIHQ files negative re Garcia, | however, files indicate Lugo was approached by Cuban Agents ] (connected with [Embassy] in Caracas) in 1975, and volunt grea El information. Lugo then offered services to (Yenezuelans intelligence officials. Legat Caracas cova THER” advise ATT ow’ 1 - Mr. Held ALL t ymensst “REV By 1 - ur. Adams 7 eanIN »HER saa REN B JFK TAK FORCE ~- r. eav1 a ' 9h NS et Labor * Relat IN FULL | Legal Cane EASE IN PART | Pian. & Insp. 4 Rec. Nigmt.JOTAl. rg Be, hn SECRET» JBL:pdh:sas APPROVED! . ASSOC. DIT icc. cesecccumn pes Dgcassy gry ONDit_ 97! imeeoe Jog Wit. ) NW 45701 DociId:32291076 Page 2
rr 5 © D . o ee . 7 7g . ° fo. ‘ oe e ' ° . ° : , ae . . . z : ° ee , 2 ° * * o . , ° PAGE FOUR CAR 2-9 SECRET “PAGE IN POSSESSION OF LUGO APPARENTLY FROM ADDRESS BOOX WITH LETTER "E” ON IT CITED FOLLOWING: EMBASSY AMERICAN 28461 11-1273 FBI JOSEPH LEO 331511. “TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO POLICE ARE FINGERPRINTING BOTH SUSPECTS AND COPYING ALL DOCUMENTS IN THEIR POSSESSION. | “TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO POLICE REQUEST URGENTLY ANY INFORMATION OF THESE PERSONS, PARTICULARLY ANY CRIMINAL RECORDS. NO OBJECTION TO LEGATT CONTACTING LOCAL POLICE/SECURITY SERVICES. POLICE REQUEST al LEAST INTERIM REPLY BEFORE 1700 LOCAL TIME. PLEASE SEND REPLY NIACT IMMED TATE. "POLICE WOULD LIKE TO NOW IF ANYONE FROM LEGaTT OFFICE PLANS TO COME TO TRINIDAD ON THIS CASE, OR HOW YOUR WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE COPIES OF FINGERPRINTS, ETC." | VENEZUELAN IDENT IFICATION BUREAU ADVISED ON OCTOBER 7, 1976, THAT PASSPORTS ISSUED TO VAZQUEZ AND LUGO ARE VALID. PTJ, CARACAS, INFORMED THAT. NEITHER HAS PRIOR ARREST RECORD. LEGaT HAS NO RECOLLECT ION OF EVER HAVING MET VAZQUEZ OR L{GO. CARACAS FILES NEGATIVE REGARDING THEM. \9? ON OCTOBER 7, 1976, A CONFIDENTIAL SOURCE ABROAD ADVISED THAT (30 END PAGE FOUR STATE heey whe REM S UNeLAs6 FIED (Feom PAGE na PARA) D°ETE.” WS 4) Perr des Avtneeiry Yur/%. SECRET B- 2173 -Qa- NW 45701 DociId:32291076 Page 3
° f ° ° e peeee : | QO | | CY. | PAGE FIVE CAR 2-9 SECRET | | FREDDY LUGO IS A VENEZUALEN NEWSMAN wHO IS ALSO EMPLOYED aS AN IN- VESTIGATOR BY LUIS POSADA, [FORMER HEAD OF THE COUNTERINTELL IGENCE | DIVISION, DISIP,| CARACAS. HE RESIGNED FROM HIS POSIT ION (WITH DISIPIG) IN 1973, [AFTER THE ELECTION OF VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT CARLOS ANDRES FEREZ.f POSADA IS A CUBAN EXILE wHO IS KNOWN FOR HIS ANTI-CASTRO ACTIVITIES, AND HE REPORTEDLY ASSISTED ORLANDO BOSH aVILA IN 1974, SHORTLY BEFORE BOSCH WAS ARRESTED BY VENEZ (ELAN autHorIT 16s. PO LEGAT BECAME ACQUAINTED wITH POSADA WHILE THE LATTER waS [AFFILIATED WITH prstifaro AFTER HIS RESIGNATION, POSADA CONTINUED TO CONTACT LEGAT ON RARE OCCASIONS, USUALLY IN ORDER TO OBTAIN PERSONALIZED SERVICE IN CONNECTION WITH VISA REQUESTS. IN VIEW OF LUGO"S EMPLOYMENT BY POSADA, LEGAT ASSUMES HIS NAME AND TELEPHONE NUMBER WERE FURNISHED TO LUGO BY POSADA. LEGAT ESTIMATES HE HAS. | SEEN POSADA IN PERSON ON PERHAPS THREE OCCASIONS SINCE 1973, THE LAST TIME BEING ON JUNE 19, 1976, WHEN POSADA VISITED LEGAT OFFICE TO INQUIRE IF FBI HAD INTEREST IN CARLO BORDONI Q@UFILE 291686543 C(ARFILE 29-15). INFORMED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, POSADA REVEALED BORDONI HAD HIRED TwO OF HIS OPERATIVES aS ARMED BODY GUARDS aT HIS HOME. THAT INFORMAT ION WAS SUBSEQUENTLY PASSED BY LEGAT TO [VENE- ZUELAN POLICE|wHO WERE INVOLVED. IN THE ARREST aCTION AGAINST BORDONT. (3? END PAGE FIVE NW 45701 DociId:32291076 Page 4
oavet - : ve » o Pe - 8 ° : , oe ar S: a - O | | | C\ | . PAGE SIX, CAR 2-9 SVE CRET - POSADA MORE OFTEN REFERRED TO LEGAT RELATIVES AND ASSOCIATES “SEEKING ADVICE REGARDING VISAS, THE LAST BEING ONE OF HIS EMPLOYEES, HERNAN RICARDO LOZANO, WHO SOUGHT 4 VISA TO TRAVEL TO SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO, ON OCTOBER 1, 1976. LEGAT wILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFO DEVELOPED REGARDING RICARDO IN A SUBSEQUENT COMMUNICAT ION. e? ON OGPOBER 7, 1976, THE CONFIDENTIAL SOURCE FURTHER ADVISED THAT IN VIEW OF PBR ARRE ST OF VAZQUEZ AND LySO IN TRINDAD, THE [VENEZUELAN OTHER 1¢ GOVER NMENT m ARRANGING FOR LuIS POSADA AND ORLAND BOSCH AVILA TO | LEAVE (WeNEz vEL A AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THE SOURCE ALL BUT ADMITTED | THAT POSADA AND BOSCH HAD ENGINEERED THE BOMBING OF THE AIRLINE, AND | }¥E PROMISED TO FURNISH FURTHER DETAILS ON OCTOBER 8, 1976. GO ADMIN ISTRAT IVE: CONFIDENT IAIL SOURCE ist | [_Jaead 5:“counr eR ENTELL IGENCE DIVISION, DISIP, CARACAS, - VENEZUEL Ae Zz (| | FROM SEATEMENTS OFLC} IT APPEARS ALMOST CERTAIN THAT THE OTHER 1c VENEZUELAN GOVERNMENT wAS PRIVY TO THE ACTIVITIES OF POSADA AND BOSCH AND THAT IT NOW WILL ATTEMPT TO DISASSOCIATE ITSELF FROM THEM FOR FEAR OF RETALIATION BY THE CUBAN GOVERNMENT. wey BI SECRET NW 45701 DociId:32291076 Page 5