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14-00000 C3 omcassiieo =| OS ones ° CJ) cor DENTIAL (cj SECRET ROUTING AND RECORD SHEET SUBIECT. (Optrosrel} . ; , Joseph Raymond Merola rete Oe |G. 5: oo + enna 2D0109 1542 8 April 1977 TO: (Officer dovgnahay soom mumbor, ard | Date : buckdang) : : _ OFFICER S COMMENTS (Mucnber each comment to show from whare “ OMETIALS to whom Draw @ kno oxeots coleme fe 1. tt > | 5 $ | O88 oMter each comment.) Ui APA bcd __-BC2019 Hqs. kaa rom LQ “ees? (] secaer © (1) CONFIDENTIAL omy CO) UNELASSIFIED
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trial, “actively cngazed in the serves Ol tre Roveriment ° i 2 Greea, attorney for Carioca nad Hanna, said ihe prosecutors, Ho bert 1. Tece.oaurm and Daniel J. Sap dar, Lacw Mertia was 3 Zoveramens agent amd therefore “perpetrated 2 ‘fr upon ine-triai emit. cuca and Sevder are now fed. - eral ges 1a Putacocza and have not commented aout the a@ctron filed be Green, which ts stil pending. Buf aa afncial lamusar wits their posinan su:d the two jodze4 will: if necestary, ~ spear they Gd not anow Mervia Was & government agent. : : Cuban Connection. “The answer io this whole thing te volves around Ceba” | said this off- -, Cia * ns | Greea, who represents Manrariaa’s sonindaw, said he didn't thing Ma. - tola's testimony La Chicago had beea particularly “heizful” to tee prese. cution. A “rere logical assurapten” is that Meroia was freed from prison - because of what he oculd do for. the - eas government in Cuba, be sud... + - “This gcy works anywhere he wants - . pola said che matter is “very sensi- to," sald Green. “The povernmer:: has protected him'in California, Chicaga- ' and everywhere else. He soll has to be of value to the goverament.”” - One thing is certain: Merola is wel known in the Miaml Cuban comm. -nity and amorg those who have been linked ta alleged Castro assassination attempts... - ~~ 22D. . ~ “Joe Was an undercever ‘agect, he Was closely associated with the gov- ernment," Frank Scurgis; of. Misini, told The Bulletin. “He ded have an as- sociation with the cA” - 7 on " Sturgis, who gained netcriety as one of those convicted if the Watergate ~ burglary, w3s a ton Castro Leutenant™ during the revolution who.served 3§ a ' double agent for the CLA. He later worked against Castro in the Day of, Pigs operation and has acraitied plost- ing to Ki Castro, “I know 4 Joe was tavolved with the. revo! utionarie’,”* “Said Sturgis. ae | know he had a2 associance wick the. Cid, but because of compart. mentalization, you don’t know what theyre ddsitg.”* Tisd to Burglar an «| Source Close to the Romse Ascassie . know about"? on ‘investigator said. “he’s a pilot, he - ‘he's connected. But nobody Wants to a ” ‘py. Oificial and unofficial attempts to * . arrests proved fruidess. So dit efforts, “xble for watching the nation’ $ bee nuzons Comminee said Merola was } "4 puad fnend ed Fuser (Rolasdo) | Meriire?, anather of those conineted of the Watergate Surgiary. Martine wis sucigial ena the CLA ia the Bay of Pigs effort and 1a ofher sats. Castro moves. “Joe's place uvMismi Seach was oa the water and it was used Dy ant-Cas- tro grovps ta smuggle arms ta Cuba,” this source sard. “Martine was one of thera.” “E can’t recall “ Martinez sad, . when asked by Tae Bubeuim about using Merula‘'s. dct. “Really, I cant tell you anything about ut. . “He was conmected wich heiping 4 people here'in, Missa agaist the dic. tatorship of Batista. He might kave - been in some other branch that t Scat Altredo Borges. 3 Mami business consultant and a Bay of Pigs veteran, teld a Bulletin reperter inquiring about Merola to “please write tne a letter.” “T don't know who you aze,” Borses - said, “E cannot: sane over ihe tel. : phone.” One investigator interested’ in Ma tive, records are hard to come by.” “He seems to &t @verything,” this speaks Spanish, he knows Cuna ‘and cvoperate.** .s A ene, A Scared Mai ME. Records ‘indeed are hard to come . ebtain completa reads of Merola’s | to determine what encounters be.” might have had wich olficials respoa- . But despite the deKef of some hat - . - Mercia enjoys the arotechon of the - government while a( che same time being: welcomed by’ ecysaisel crime, those who ow him say tal is oot tbe “Joe has got a ike money," said : eee Florida acquaiztance." “I dont | Brow where he gets ic. Sut he's 2a i fsccsér'and they hate isformers. The ran :s concerned. aw | ‘“He goes around Dace (County), 4 tet he is very, very carelul where be ° govs. Joe is scared.” | &S
14-00000 “oT.” would -noe be wireiag beceuse MacTane was not an investigator, but rather ines A cs } _ SUBJECT: Court Appearasce on 13 Sovember 19/5, Saa Diego, California ° 2. Cn 13 Sovember 1975, Mare MacVane apseared as wu witness for the . . defense at the Calted Sestes Distzice Coure for the Southern Districe of ‘ : California, 325 West F Sereec, Sana Diégo, CaliZornia. The case way the United Srates of America ¥. Dalton Cc. Saith, ec al. MacVane was called ta testify by E. Mac Anos Jr., atcorney for defendant Joe Mercola. ln honor of tha sc3zcena MacVane apzeared ac thé.court. On 13 November 1975 ac _approxizarely 18: 30 hours Saa Diego tine tlacVane was called to tha. witness stacd— . - . tes ; { ae < a. ata oe | boeor ? 702, Kae Aros, attoreey for defendant Joe Merola ‘began questioning . (after MacVane was Sworn ig as a wieness. ‘Anos asked how long MacVane . : VPhad: been enployed by the CIA? -de asked if MacVane mew defendant Merola? woe ” He. asked if.MacTane wete told by: Merola about’ a shipmene of surplus helicopter parts going to the coimery of EL Salvadct? He asked MacVane 4£ Merola had velrmmreered other iafornation to the Agency? He then asked : ff Merola were ever paid for such informacicn? Amos also tried tu establish oe ‘the value of sazgles parts in Lacin Anerica compared to the US. This was “ebjected to by actorney robert Thaller, prosecutor in the case. The judge c- Sustained the objeciion aad Mac¥agze did-noc have to answer the question. A Amos finished his questioning and Thaller began a shore crpss examination. “Thaller asked if MacVase ever heard “erola sention stocks? He also asked Powe i€ MacVane knew. the name of che carporacion thac Merola reovresenced? He ; we, thenspointed out: chat even-if.some srock fraud were occurring, MacVane a collecté> of faceign informacion. The cross examination then ended. All questions were ansvered to the best of MacVane's ability and knowledge. . 3. There sopeated to be lite! tle pufpese ia tne appearance of MacVane because lt was obvicus that MacTane knew nothing of any value coficerning the case, MacYase's torai tise on che wimess stand was about 10 minutes. : After complericn ef &2s cesrimony MacVane was releaséd. - i yas £2 IMPDET CL BT oLissa areeen wee ar . i: aa . " . Linon q . Baz US. Savites Bsns Reg: galariy er the Psyrail Savings Pla i | Rt) HCHacVane: 13h a . . . . | 5 * Wy AS pee Fe reternmemies weet ap commen ne = . + mo, 8 OLSTRICT sUubGS Le eee
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