3a stay-behind agent and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. [tog-t017-10040] ty a _ SUBJECT! ‘ 1. On 15 September «1960, 3 atatt employeea (David Chrtet, Thornton. Anderson and Walter Szuminski) were arrested by the Cuban G-2 while in-~ stalling audio surveillance equipment against the New China News Agency. . in Havana, About thé same time an Agency case officer, Robert Neet, a a 7 ere picked® and Neet were released. up. All six were jailed. Subsequently, 3 Mre Be ‘The 3 ‘ptatf éinployees were e operating u under alias tdentities whieh - have stood up to date (Daniel Carswell, Eustace Danbrunt, Edmund Taransky).’ The staff employees and the stay-behind agent were tried on 17 December ..°. 1960. On 10 January 1961, the staff employees were sentenced to 10 years | ae in jail, and the stay-behind agent w was ordered, asp, orted. The deportation rad took place shortly thereafter, ; - - oe fo 3. Following the arreat, the 3 “Agency employees ' were first detained, at the G-2 headquarters in Havana and shortly thereafter were moyed to the LaCabana prison, It_was possible to keep them supplied with food, ne-. : cessities, radios, reading material, etc. On 23 January in spite | of the... immediate appeal of the sentence filed by their lawyer, the 3 men were | moved to the Isle of Pines where living and sanitary conditions are in- ' tolerable. Prisoners are required to perform hard manual labor, and there fe om insufficiency of food. 4.. With the assistance of Mr. Hugh Kessler, a U. Ss. ‘consular of- ficial, close ‘contact was kept with the 3 men until diplomatic relations 2 |p with Cuba were severed. Through a Washington attorney, James R. | Murphy, arrangements were made with a Cuban lawyer, Dr. Fernando - Colomar, to represent the 3 men in court. Colomar was not told of — any Agency interest in the operation, Through the joint services of Messrs. Kessler and Colomar, the 3 men were supplied with pocket | money, food, clothing, toilet articles, etc. After diplomatic relations were severed, Colomar continued to visit the men until they were frans~ “ ferred to the Isle of Pines. en - 4G
. . a « . . -- - oy . “ . . : 5, The 3 men have been held In the ‘Modelo Prison, Nueva Gerona, Isle of Pines since January 1961.. We have been successful in getting money - and supplies to them through the Washington Attorney to the Swiss ‘Embassy — in Havana. They have matntained contact by letters. - ‘Thetr last’ Sorres-.: pondence was written on 17/18 October 1962. They are believed to be fa” reasonably good health. The Swiss are attempting to verify @ report ‘that | 3 Americans ¥ were transferred to the Bontato Prison in early November 1962. ay 6. te has bees nécessary in this case to conceal Government interest in the 3 prisoners in order to avoid thelr execution and/or | full i debriefing o on a Peo the sensitive information they possess, ; t ‘The ‘Washington Attorney has obtained assoctate counsel in Maxico . City and in Chicago, Mlinots. The Chicago Attorneys. ‘who is unwitting of: - Government interest, (Constantine N. Kangles) visited Havana in May/ane 1962 and ag of November 22, 1962 received word that as soon as possible © he will be invited back to Cuba to negotiate with Fidel Castro on this case. - Kangles expects the release | of the 3: men not later | fan the first week in: January, 1963. i . ‘ ni OT PEO og! 8. Other operational « efforts to secure ‘the release of the men are stn. progress. We have avoided keeping Mra. Christ fully briefed on the spe-- a cifica of the efforts being made, as she tends to be critical of the Agency: and of the fact that she Ils unaware of any significant interest in the case in the Executive Branch of the Government. She has previously seen Mesers. Allen Dulles, General Cabell, General Maxwell Taylor, and General Carter. . 9. Mr. James Donovan, who has appeared in connection with negotia- . - tions for the Playa Giron prisoners, has been made aware of the 22 Amerl-.- cans held in Cuba and of the Agency interest in. 3 of those * prisoners. He. has not been told their true names. © re . : 10. David Christ's wife, Wilma, and their’ oie children live in ‘the Washington area where they have been frequently visited by members of | the Agency. She has explained to neighbors that her husband is away on a | long TDY for the Government which has become a permanent assignment | and that in line with the new regulations on overseas travel of dependents, © a she has not been allowed to follow him. Wilma Christ has been paid her husband's accumulated per diem | and salary. - . . a David Christ is 45 years old (hts birthday i was 20 January. He: er,
isa graduate of Pennsylvania State College with a degree of B.S, in Electrical Engineering. He ‘worked before the war for the Atlas Powder Company and. was & Ist Lt. in the USAAF from 1942 to 1946. | Following the war, he ins. ia State > College until 1 50 when he * Jofned & the e Agency. —_ | “Thomas, age 18 + os ‘Susan, ; age 9 a Linda, age woo . Rogers, age 3 3 2 - - To The 2 older children have been briefed on the situation and are aware , of their —_ father's predicament,; aa o oF —_ 3 ra _ ¥ 7 , *