t JFK Assassination System Identification Form Date: 6/12/201 AGENCY : RECORD NUMBER : RECORD SERIES : AGENCY FILE NUMBER : Agency-Information Peleased under the John Kennedy Wssassination Records FBI 124-10296-10189 Ollection Act of 1992 HQ (44 USC 2107 Note). asex#:NW 539352 Date: CR 109-430-1744 nea—-17?-2017 -eo oS SS eee ORIGINATOR : FROM: TO: . TITLE: DATE: PAGES: SUBJECTS : DOCUMENT TYPE : CLASSIFICATION : RESTRICTIONS : CURRENT STATUS : DATE OF LAST REVIEW: OPENING CRITERIA : COMMENTS : v9.1 HW 53932 DBocld: 32306661 Document Information FBI SAC, MM DIRECTOR, FBI 09/03/1957 7 a“ _ JAN, P/P, ASSOC, POLIT ACT, ARMS PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT Unclassified 4 Redact 04/08/1998 INDEFINITE INC MEMO Page 1
SAC, Miamd (2-165) | September 6, a Director, FBI (109-430) ~17 Att | , NS INFORMATION C3" TA! AINE CARLOS PRIO SOCARRAS CEREIN |S UNCLASSIsiED FOREIGN POLITICAL MATTERS - CUBA DATE if avian clan (YARES EDYARD POWELL 4-6-44 ULGL6 ‘IMPERSONATION | Ge KIDNAPING - 7? 5 nba Wes fe. Reurlet dated 9/3/57. Based upon your conclusion that the factsdde not constitute a bona fide kidnaping complaint, no further action need be taken regarding that phase of the investigation other than to advise local police of the alleged plot to kidnap Carlos Prio Socarras.- NOTE _. Brother-in-law of Prio advised Miami Office on 8/12/57 one of Prio’s associates received information that subject Powell and two others were acting under instructions -of Batista agents to kidnap Prio and take him to Cuba where he would be shot by Cuban authorities who would announce he made an unauthorized landing. Facts developed by Miami ' weflect Powell is con man who has criminal record for forgery, ' #, larceny, worthless checks and impersonation. In early July,. "1957, he contacted Batista agents in Cuba and Miami in effort , = ~ Leo to get money based on his claim he could furnish information Nee regarding Prio and arms Shipments. Info he furnished was A unfounded. On 8/12/57 prior to the report of the alleged me kidnaping plot Powell was arrested by Miami Agents for —_ impersonating a Department of Justice official allegedly in we, Miami to investigate Prio. Powell is in jail. Info re _ kidnaping plot appears to have been attempt by Powell to work = iy con game against Prio as well as Batista. Miami advises it is, o xn Gh conducting no further investigation since facts not considere ia Lore eee to constitute bona fide kidnaping complaint. i [Polson Nichols Boardman wets ory : iyi? Belmont Sean! nn ohr ‘ barsons Rosen famm \rotter _ jease Ais =CORDED CO ‘Sapo y They Fa, oye taybse, : we ~~ Shaul diigasetiageedes Oo Nyaa g i o Sep rucha h deft tetcth ww ye LL ., en ‘slloma fey OA head POE Pp oe pe, sn eye p 9 See 8 2 ; (ONL E ESE SAHpAae oad} HW 53932 DBocld:32306661 Page 2?
MM 2-165. Mr, HERNANDEZ also was able to advise Agents immediately prior to the arrest of POWELL, that he was in possession of a revolver, This was found on his person at the time of his arrest. POWELL was brought before the U. S. Commissione and placed in jail under $10,000. bond. - On the evening of August 12, 1957, several hours after POWELL's apprehension, Dr, ENRIQUE HENRIQUEZ, brother-in- = law of CARLOS PRIO, and a former PSI of this office, telephoni- cally requested SA GEORGE E, DAVIS to call upon him in regard to a "very important" matter. Dr, HENRIQUEZ advised that information had been received through one of PRIO's associates, whose identity Dr. HENRIQUEZ declined to- furnish, that "JIM" POWELL, LP! working with a Puerto Rican known asYCARRASQUILLO and a Fi girl friend of CARRASQUILLO; had.come from Cuba fifteen days previously with instructions from the Cuban authorities to kidnap CARLOS PRIO, transport him by plane, then located at Nales, Florida, make.a landing at a fixed place in Cuba so that the Cuban authorities could shoot him, claiming that PRIO was trying to escape from an unauthorized landing; that CARRASQUILLO would do the actual shooting; that machine guns -had been seen in POWELL's car. Dr. HENRIQUEZ said that a. former defense minister. in PRIO's government, NICHOLAS . og had come from Cuba and told ANTONIO PRIO, brother of CARLOS, that there was a project on to kill PRIO. Dr. HENRIQUEZ said that the PRIO group would like to have the information concerning this matter furnished to the newspapers, so that the public could be informed of the activities of the BATISTA government, as it would make good propaganda for PRIO. . - . . . SA.DAVIS advised Dr. HENRIQUEZ that the FBI could not become involved in intermal Cuban politics and that it would not make premature press releases, SA DAVIS advised HENRIQUEZ that POWELL, who andwered the same general description which HENRIQUEZ furnished, had been arrested that afternoon on an impersonation charge and was in Federal custody. ~3- : . a . SY ~A gay ___) Se ee ee EOI HW 53932 DoclId: 3273086861 Page 3
MM 2-165 ; Mr. HERNANDEZ again pointed out that POWELL had voluntarily and on his own initiative approached Col; CANTILLO in Cuba, claiming to possess information concerning planes and guns to be smuggled into Cuba and that POWELL had made about two trips to Cuba to see CANTILLO; HERNANDEZ said that neither he nor CANTILLO had paid POWELL any money, although they had offered to pay him money in the event POWELL. Was able to furnish any information which could be used as the basis for any seizures by the appropriate U. S. authorities. before such arms or planes were shipped out of this country. Reference is made to Legat, Havana letter to the Bureau dated August 7, 1957 entitled "J, E, POWELL, Police Liaison, Foreign Miscellaneous", wherein it’ is stated that Col. CARLOS CANTILLO GONZALEZ, -head of the Cuban Army Military Intelligence Service had originally requested information on POWELL on July 5, 1957. © . Examination of Miami file on POWELL reflects that - he has a criminal record which includes such charges as forgery, larceny after trust, worthless ehacks, escaping from convict _ camp and impersonating an Army officer, . In view of the failure of HENRIQUEZ and PRIO to make availabe for interview their source, the political rivalry between the PRIO and BATISTA people, and the fact that POWELL was obviously attempting to work a con game against | both factions, the above facts were not considered to constitute a bona fide kidnapping complaint, This information is submitted for the advice of the Bureau, mc , & HW 53932 DoclIda: 323086861 Page 5