(tod-t0t03-t0219] Stas | m hry | ivy irs. - 3 June 1975 MEMORANDUM FOR: "Deputy Inspector General Oo SUBJECT: | 7 Statement ‘by Benton H. Mizones concerning. ; his assignment Bolivia in 1967 and-his role > in the capture of Ernesto "*Che™ GUEVARA. de la Serna. (REFERENCE: “Meno dated 29 May 1975 1. ‘The undersigned met with Benton H. ‘Mizones, contract. employee, on 2 and 3 June to obtain his story about his : assignment to Bolivia in 1967. This query is. based upon ref interview, during which Mizores mentioned that he‘had re- transmitted an order from Colonel Joaquin Zenteno Anaya, ‘Commander of the 8th Division of the Bolivian Army, to a. Bolivian sergeant, which resulted -in the execution of Ernesto *Che' GUEVARA de la Serna, Cuban. leader of the guerrillas then “operating | ain Bolivia. . a 2.  Mizones said that his assignment « came about after ‘an ~ interview held in Miami in June or July. of 1967, at which time he was a case officer working for the Miami office. He had - been selected. for the job interview: because of his para- . military training and_experience. He was asked if he would agree to serve with a fellow Cuban. He | He was told that he was to go to Bolivia-with =... .. where they would be engaged in training intelligence . the 2nd Ranger Battalion o£ the Eighth Division of the Bolivian Army. He was also told that he and ‘would be assigned to the 2nd Ranger. Battalion as advisors . and would be based in the town of Esperanza. While in Miami, he and | mena ot given briefings about the political. and guerrilla situation in Bolivia, and he was given a refresher ‘course in communications. Mizones and were told that there were strong indications that Guevara was leading the guerrillas. Among the instructions given them was a clear one that in the event that the Bolivian Army captured Guevara, they should do everything possible "to keep him alive. " 3. They were introduced to. their future case officer in Washington, who was to be in liaison with the Bolivian forces in Santa Cruz.
14-00000 4, Prior were issued fal | land received in New 30 July for La officer had pre . at. the La Paz a _ Were stamped in 5. The ca cn ~2~- to their departure, both Mizones and iz S__resentry wermits in the names7@Eo— respectively. _These were ior to their departure on Paz on a Braniff Airline flight. Theix case ceded them.and met them on 31 July at 7 a.m. irport. Mizones believes that Bolivian visas’ their re-entry permits. se officer and another American took them to in which were h and military of to whom they were introduced as Ifa warfare. He issued each a personal card andwritten his instructions to all civilian. — ficials that they be given full support. At ten that morning, they met General Ovando, Commander~in-Chief —_ of the Bolivian Armed Forces. (It wasn't until about a month dater that Mizones met{_ sin Santa Cruz.) While in | 7 no new instructions were issued to them about their After about a week there, they were flown to Santa “Cruz de la Sierra for a.few days and.introduced toe Colonel © Joaquin Zenteno Anaya, Commander of the Eighth Division. _. Zenteno arranged for Captain "Poppie" Shelton, the American ~ officer in charge of the military mission training the 2nd ttalion, te come to Santa Cruz to meet Mizones and: They were also introduced to Major Arnaldo Saucedo, G-2 of the Ei _. Mizones. and quartered a ghth Division. After 3 or 4 days in. Santa Cruz, went to La Esperanza, where they were e they met Major Ayiroa, the Commander of the 2nd Ranger Battalion, and. Captain Gar £___ Prior i: Prade. to their departure from La Paz, Mizones and . | were issued Bolivian uniforms and credentials as captains in the Bolivian Army. - Nevertheless, they did not . ‘receive Bolivian Army insignia. Later, Mizones was given. by Major Saucedo a Bolivian tri- ap-insignia which he wore 4 (escarapela). Mizones an were issued Smith ahd Wesson 7 ‘double-actionh automatic pis : uring their activities as in- ‘ structors”and ‘advisors-they assumed the role of Bolivian officers, altho number of Boliv ugh they were known as foreign advisors to a. ian officers... (Mizones said that he learned later that the American Ambassador had prohibited anyone other than he and from becoming involved in the anti~guerrilla activitres— e field.) - wo 7. Despit - Mizones said th ' ranking Bolivia order which Col Guevara's execu ¢ their apparent status as Bolivian officers, at they never were given orders by higher- n officers (One exception to this rule was the onel Zenteno issued to Mizones on the day of tion, if Mizones story is. to be believed.) olivian officers' compound. In La Esperanza —