FBI File Review - Manolo Ray March. 17 and 20, 1978 Page 10 professor at University of Havana- Structural Engineering. In October 1952, RAY became Project Manager for Frederick Snare Corportion, New York ~- for construction of Havana Hilton Hotel. Continued employment with Snare until 1957. May 1957 - organized Civic Resistance Movement which supervised acts of terrorism and sabotage against Batista regime. June 1958 went to Sierra Maestra Region to contact (CHE) GUEVERRA. At this time, GUEVERRA was in the presence of RAMTRO VALDEZ, Chief of G-2 Operations in Cuba. Met FIDEL CASTRO in September 1958. RAY was appointed Minister of Public Works in February 1959 and worked harmoniously with CASTRO until March 12, 1959 when his brother, RENE RAY, was charged with counterrevolutionary activities. RENE RAY turned the contents of a safety deposit box over to the wife of COL. PEREZ DOMINQUEZ, a former Batista follower. RENE RAY taken into custody and allegedly committed suicide the same day. In November 1959, MANUEL RAY resigned his position as Minister of Public Works. 9. February 16, 1973 Memo (Agency Ref PF711) indicates RAY visits Jamacia regularly. Manolo Ray References Section 3 of 3 1. April 13, 1965 Report from Los Angeles Subject: ERQUIAGA ARMS COMPANY Newspaper articles state that County, State and Federal officials raided EROQUIAGA ARMS, 15036 East Proctor Avenue, City of Industry, Los Angeles, CA, on March 26, 1965 and confiscated over 300 machine guns. Raid based on assumption that the weapons were for illegal sale to military extremist organizations. Lowell Knudson, head of Knudson Mfg. Company and operator of arms plant said talk of making arms for private armies "hog wash". Each of the machine guns bore marking JURE and below this MR64 and the name ERQUIAGA. The arms were to go to Costa Rica. Contract signed by MANUEL REY. The company was given $50,000 in advance. Deletions in this file section are as follows: a. CIA Intelligence Information Cable, dated 8/6/64 2 pages, #TDCS 314/01342-64. HW 50529 Docld:32253374 Page 14
HW 50529 FBI File Review - Manolo Ray and 20, 1978 March 17 Page 11 DoclId: 32253374 CIA Intelligence Information Cable dated 6/28/66 3 pages, # CIA report CIA Report CIA Report CIA Report CIA Page 15 TDCS DB 315/01831-66. CSDB 312/02669-66 dated 9/28/66, 3 pages. CSDB 312/02234-66 dated 8/8/66, 4 pages. 00-K-323/24940-70 dated 8/27/70, 1 page. CSDB 312/03046-66, dated 11/18/66, 3 pages. Intelligence Information Cable dated 1/1/65, #315/00006- 65, 3 pages.
FBI File Review, Manolo Ray March 16-17, 1978 Page 12 File #65-76238 1. Teletype 12 May 1977 has deletions on RAY from INS. 3. June 1, 1977 telex to Director from San Juan. Marked Secret On May 23, 1977, an FBI source furnished information that a known Cuban intelligence agent stated that when a certain woman (not named) visited Puerto Rico in January 1977, MANOLO RAY told her he was interested in meeting with Cuban Intelligence Service (CUIS). RAY suggested he send her a letter when she returned to Cuba but CARLOS made it appear that CUIS did not want any third party involvement. The FBI informant said that RAY's meeting with CUIS would be in the near future. San Juan reports that, to date (6/1/77) RAY has not presented his permit to reenter the United States for extension or reissue nor have they received any information from INS as a result of the FL (or Fl) stop placed with INS. They are therefore unable to track any foreign travel on the part of RAY. RAY is being observed at his home and San Juan is making an attempt to develop a "neighborhood type source" that can advise on his travel. San Juan considers the possiblity that CUIS could contact RAY in the United States, but this is contrary to their usual method of operation. Bureau is requested to forward this information to Legats in Mexico City, Caracas and CIA. 2. May 12, 1977 to Director from San Juan. Secret Ref: Bureau teletype to San Juan dated 3/12/77 entitled OCELOT An informant advised San Juan in April 1977 that during January 1977(an unnamed person) was visiting relatives in Puerto Rico. At the direction of a known CUIS officer in Panama, known as "The General", this unnamed individual contacted MANOLO RAY. The source advised that RAY is a Cuban exile now living in Puerto Rico. Around 1974, RAY had a construction business in Jamacia but had to leave because of trouble with his visa. The source believes “the Cuban government wanted to get him out of Jamacia. The unnamed visitor in Puerto Rico told RAY that the Cuban government could help him reestablish his business in Jamacia. After the meeting with , RAY stated he would have to think about the Cuban offer. HW 50529 Docld:322753374 Page 16
HW 50529 FBI File Review, Manolo Ray March 16-17, 1977 Page 13 A review of San Juan indices reflects RAY's involvement in anti-Castro activities in Puerto Rico and Miami. He was last affiliated with Partido Revolucionario del Pueblo (PRP). The file reflects that there were members of Cuban exile community who considered RAY as pro-Castro -- RAY denied this in an August 24, 1974 interview, saying the rumor was based on his moderate stand that the best way to get back into Cuba to overthrow Castro was through negotiations with Castro. On December 5, 1975, the FBI interviewed RAY who said he had a contact in Mexico that provided him with information from Cuba and identified his as JOSE MARMOL DIAZ, Doctor of Commercial Sciences, Roma 1S, Dept. 201, Conia Juez, Mexico City. RAY said MARMOL may have G-2 connections and feeding him false information. On May 18, 1977, RAY's INS file was reviewed in San Juan. There is a 14 page INS deletion, File #A7-056-497. The text picks up as follows: -77-77-777 . Also, if the CIA can with due caution determine if visa work permit or similar document was revoked and then reissued by Jamacian authorities. Bureau is requested to contact their sources in Cuban exile community to get information on RAY's current activities. Miami asked to review pertinent files on RAY and forward information to San Juan. San Juan will contact its cources and conduct an appropriate investigation to determine RAY's current activities and contacts. Wish to eventually interview RAY with goal of recruiting him as an Operational Asset directed against CUIS. Feel the interview is premature at this time as San Juan does not have enough information available to conduct a thorough and probing interview or is there enough material to confront RAY with. San Juan thinks this case offers excellent potential for a double agent operation targeted against CUIS. San Juan is aware that careful planning is necessary to protect and (a valuable source). 4. July 6, 1977 San Juan to Director, Marked Secret Reference San Juan teletype to Director June 1, 1977. San Juan has evaluated this matter and makes the following observations. The initial allegation concerning RAY was made by who learned of CUIS interest in RAY from CUIS itself and from . in addition, reported that Docld: 322753374 Page i7
FBI File Review, Manolo Ray March 16-17, 1978 Page 14 RAY consented to meet with CUIS. The allegation concerning RAY is singular in nature and therefore, an investigation of him should be extremely discreet. On June 2, 1977, reported that RAY had indicated an interest in participation in CORU. This indicates RAY is acting under the direction of CUIS since he has not been active in any anti-Castro movement in the last two years. has been instructed to follow RAY's activities as closely as possible, consistent with appropriate security. San Juan feels that the investigation in this matter should, for the present, be extremely discreet, slow and low key. FCI case is progressing well, is of known quality and has excellent potential in both pro and anti~Castro areas. Nothing should be done to jeopardize the operation. If RAY finds out FBI interested in him, he will know his contact with CUIS has been blown and, as a result, the Source of information could be traced back to Se , thereby ending the _ __ usefulness to the Bureau. Since the FBI has not conducted an investigation on RAY for sometime, San Juan feels that investigative technique now should be limited to contacts with established sources and record and agency checks that would not cause suspicion. Feels survellances, neighborhood sources, interview of RAY, “mail cover, etc. would arouse suspicion and compromise § — San Juan feels if RAY cooperating with CUIS, it will be a Tong going association allowing him to become more deeply involved. Also, it is possible information on RAY was passed to as a test of the reliability. RAY may already have been cooperating with CUIS and therefore expected to report FBI interest in him, thereby implicating The FCI case which is too valuable an operation to Todse offers more potential than RAY. Even if he were eventually turned against CUIS,  —— is in a better position than RAY to infiltrate CORU for reasons set forth in their respective investigative files, and thereby enhance his work with CUIS. San Juan feels that if for some reason the OCELOT case is not successful or start to sour, more overt techniques could be implemented in the RAY, aka ESPIONAGE, CUBA case. The longer RAY goes without detection, the harder it will be for him to pinpoint source of information should he detect an FBI interest in him. HW 50529 Deel: 32253374 Page 16
FBI File Review, Manolo Ray March 16-17, 1978 Page 15 5. July 27, 1977 teletype to San Juan from Director indicates a request is pending with CIA concerning RAY's foreign travel and also attempting to verify RAY's contacts with Jamacian authorities. 6. August 5, 1977 CIA 3 page deletion marked Secret #CIR 316/02752-77 7. August 17, 1977 Memo to Director from SAC, Miami Subject: Friends and/or associates of RAY Tony Santiago who is married to Juanita Isa Roberto and Charles; Simeon (printing obscured) Napoleon Bilaboa - car salesman at Hialeah Ford Marcos Raul Correa - bus driver for MTA 8. August 19, 1977 teletype from Caracas Titled: Manual Antonio Ray Rivera, aka, Espionage-Cuba. Third agency, foreign, deletion 9. August 26, 1977 teletype, San Juan. Feels coverage of RAY's trips should be maximized as the possibility exists of a contact between him and CUIS. Ray departed with ERASMO DON ZABALA. 10. August 30, 1977 - Ray flys to Orlando with HAROLD LINDEN, member of Ionosphere Club. Address on Linden's card is 1606 Ponce De Leon, Bonneville Development Corporation, Santurce, Puerto Rico, telephone 809/765-9700. A later telex states Linden changed his mind at the last minute. Trip may be business only, but three factors of interest: 1. Ray intends to travel to Bahamas which would be an excellent location to contact CUIS (a later telex says not); 2. Ray was survellance conscious at Miami International; 3. Ray spoke to person who was a GUIS messenger within the last few months. 11. September 28, 1977 teletype to Director from San Juan Re: August 30, 1977 and September 2, 1977 On September 14, 1977 --7777 tT TT W AT (18 line third agency foreign deletions) Re: Telephone number 305/226-4478, a confidential source who has supplied reliable information in the past advised that subscriber is MIRTA RAY, 9411 S.W. Ath Street, Apt. 405, Miami. Miami indices negative regarding Mirta Ray. 12. November 4, 1977. Re: Charges on RAY's American Express. Fastern Airline ticket purchased August 30, 1977 for flight from Miami to Jamaica. No indication RAY made this flight, but BW 50529) Docld: 32253374 Page 19
: FBI File Review, Manolo Ray March 16-17, 1978 - Page 16 the ticket was charged to his American Express card. The inguiry had to with with Bahamian police investigation. \N\ HW. 50529 _Docld: 32253374 Page 20