424-90158-10018 AGENCY : RECORD NUMBER : RECORD SERIES : AGENCY FILE NUMBER : ORIGINATOR : FROM: TO: TITLE : DATE: PAGES: SUBJECTS : DOCUMENT TYPE : CLASSIFICATION : RESTRICTIONS : CURRENT STATUS : DATE OF LAST REVIEW: OPENING CRITERIA : COMMENTS : v9.1 HW 50953 DBocld: 32340361 JFK Assassination System Identification Form Agency Information FBI 124-90158-10018 HQ CR 105-193849-9 Document Information FBI MM HQ 02/20/1970 5 JAMES MELVILLE HART LUIS POSADA PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT Secret 1B; 4 Redact 12/08/1998 INDEFINITE, APPROVAL OF CIA MEMO Page i Date: 6/17/20)
OPTIONAL FORM NO. 10 _ MAY 1962 EDITION @SA FPMR (41 CFR) 101-116 *h ‘¥ UNITED STATES  YERNMENT : ae vo Memorandum | TO ° DIRECTOR, FBI (105-193849) DATE: 2/20/70. sO | fy Y ees By 0h  RUAEE MIAMI (97-518) (P) x JAMES MELVILLE HART - = | RELEASE iN PART (00: MIAMI) a LO 7Ef YOUN ENA, Re Miami letter to Bureau, 12/30/69 and Bureau oS 3 letter to Miami, 1/20/70. wt; ae , mm _ ‘ob ~ a A re-canvass of local sources and agencies in ‘%: ae Se es January, 1970 developed the following information: woueg ag#ezi* On January 30, 1970, STANLEY SCHACHTER, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, (ASAC), Enforcement Section, U. 5. Customs, Miami, advised a re~check of his indices revealed eer TS Customs has a pending Munitions Control Act investigation rns regarding subject under the name of JAMES SaHART. SCHACHTE ed said although there is a slight variation in the name , this is obviously the same person as captioned subject since he is a member of the HART family involved in the Rupununi * A) “oer uprising in Guyana. Phe vo nest _ aS a SCHACHTER advised that Customs has received > S i ~ ‘considerable information from another U. 5. Government Agency’. ~ phy oS in Caracas regarding HART and his attempts to export firearms” > J RP OSS from the Miami area. No information has been received - C concerning HART, however, since October, 1969. i i 7 SCHACHTER said Customs presently has a source in a Venezuela close to HART who is to alert Customs immediately <3; upon his next departure for the U. De © B et ASAC SCHACHTER, in view of their pending investigation under the Munitions Control Act, requested that Customs be eo ON . RO | th @ - Bureau (RM) REC-10 koe ‘Jacksonville (Info) (RM) “" _ Washington Field (Info) (RM) ; d Aa Miami (2-97-518) ~ coun ~F OTs #1-105-1729) (FPM - VENEZUSLA) Vo omen emia wht 2foaftt (1-64~129) CORLANDO py Lye FEB 24 1970 ui » Si J-Li (8) “I ih Y wee Wie | PE ayngs gro Mh See 88 =. Buy U.S. Savings Bonds Regularly on the Payroll Savings Plan. . pooerheyvay tron Te so10- = 108 ~OF HW 50953 Docld:32340361 Page 2
SECRET MM 97-518 , consulted prior to any interview of the subject in order not to prematurely alert him to their investigation. For the information of the Bureau, it would appear the original information with regard to HART coming to the U. S. to negotiate a $300,000 arms deal originated with HART's contacts in Florida: JOSEPH EUG aa LNESS in West Palm Beach STANLESGH#RRIS, in Jacksonville “these individuals attempted to sell information to the Guyanese and Venezuelan governments concerning this alleged plot by HART after reportedly having been bilked by HART, and CIA is of the opinion this information originated with them. Leads are presently outstanding for interview of HOLNESS and HARRIS, ! Previous interviews of HOLNESS, as set out in Miami LHMs of August 27, 1969 and November 7, 1969 under the HOLNESS caption developed information regarding HART's attempts to purchase arms in Florida in 1969. These LHMs are being disseminated locally to Customs for information in its continuing investigation of HART. _ AK A fea sha For additional information withfYregard to this _ case, gn January 15, 1970, FAUSTO DANI BIA LLAR/ and 7 C4. MANUE ERAZA were arrested in Miami by the Alcohol and Tobacco’ Tax Unit for violation of the National Firearms Act, possession of unregistered automatic weapons, At time of their arrest, they were selling firearms to an undé¥éover Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Unit Agent which were determined to have been stolen from the U. S. Army Reserve Center, Columbia, South Carolina in December, 1969. During interview _of PERAZA and VILLAR, both admitted purchase of weapons from two white male Americans in Miami on December 30, 1969 knowing same to have been stolen, VILLAR als admitted jat this time having been in contact with LUIS#POSADA, a bey | Cuban working for the Venezuelan Government, with regad LEE ‘to firearms shipments. On January 27, 1970, RICARDO MORALES, Key Source~ Cuban, advised that FAUSTO VILLAR, following the above arrest, - 2 = HY 50953 Doctd:32340361 Page 3
MM 97-518 & N05 Ott © te was in contact with MORALES. VILLAR sta - he ha@&d been ygontacted in 1969 by LUIS POSADA, ORLAND@GARCI4 and_ JOHNNY liv CHART (associate of POSADA) with reg arms shipments to ays venezuela for use of the Guyanese insurgents. He said that 4 several shipments of arms had already been sent to Venezuela with these men and he personally assisted in handling one such shipment from Ft, Lauderdale to Venezuela VILLAR stated that CIA was aware of this and that] was working for CIA aD) On January 30, 1970, MORALES advised that VILLAR said he has known since January 23, 1970 that HART is in the Miami area for the purpose of buying weapons and that HART, ORLANDO GARCIA, and LUIS POSADA are working together on this deal. It is noted that RT in andl purchase, are: known to have been of opéra tional interest to CIA in the past. In view of this, on February 12, 1970, ED ANDERSON, CIA, Covert, Miami, was contacted with regard to their current connection with CIA at which time ANDERSON was priefed orally concerning above facts. (Sel GQ | Phas been of operational interes" mai Ithe past, he was unable to verify definitely that{____{S) lis still under CIA control. He also provided no other linformation as to extent of CIA's Lon: keel lie if any, in this alleged arms smuggling operation. Noe - On February 13, 1970, ASAC SCHACHTER, U. 5. Customs, Miami, who has primary jurisdction with regard to arms smuggling, was orally apprised of the above facts. SCHACHTER said he desired to have VILLAR interviewed by his own agents with regard to the allegations concerning arms smuggling and he requested the Bureau continue to furnish any information developed with regard to this matter. Docld: 32340361 Page 4
SECRET: MM 97-518 SCHACHTER stated he had placed a nationwide stop with the Immigration and Naturalization Service concerning HART. SCHACHTER volunteered that he was personally acquainted with 3) f ! SCHACHTER will consult with CIA to determine the extent o heir involvement in this operation. Since the principal statute involved is under U. S. Customs jurisdiction and Customs is currently conducting investigation concerning HART, Miami feels no interview of HART should be conducted as requested by State. It would appear more appropriate that Customs should conduct such interview at the proper time during the course of their investigation; and UACB, no interview will be conducted. Miami will continue to maintain close liaison with Customs and will submit LHM, with copy to Customs locally, following interviews of HOLNESS and HARRIS. Bureau is requested to determine from CIA if (9 kBureau File 64~-36297) continues to be of 6 that agency. SE! OR) = 4m