JFK Assassination System . Date: 9/30/201 Identification Form Agency Information AGENCY: HSCA RECORD NUMBER: — 180-10082-10194 RECORD SERIES: NUMBERED FILES. AGENCY FILENUMBER: 005990 Document Information ORIGINATOR: HSCA FROM: PALMER, BETSY TO: THE DIRECTOR TITLE: FBI FILES REVIEW-MANUEL A. RAY RIVERO SECTION 1 SERIALS X-24 97 4546. DATE: 02/17/1978 PAGES: 7 SUBJECTS : ANTI-CASTRO ACTIVITIES. RIVERO, MANUEL A. RAY. FBI. CIA. DOCUMENT TYPE: MEMORANDUM. CLASSIFICATION: — Unclassified RESTRICTIONS: 3 CURRENT STATUS: — Redact DATE OF LASTREVIEW: 06/08/1993 OPENING CRITERIA : COMMENTS : 118-4. Box 118. v9.1 1 HW 50529 Docld: 322749636 Page 1
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MEMORANDUM TO THE DIRECTOR FROM: BETSY PALMER DATE: FEBRUARY 17, 1978 SUBJECT: FBI File Review - MANUEL A. RAY RIVERO Section 1 - Serials X-24 97 4546 On February 17, 1978, I reviewed the file material available at the FBI on MANUEL A. RAY RIVERO. I completed review of only the biographical main file. Additional files were reviewed by Patricia Orr. Information gathered is outlined below. 1. Report from SAC Los Angeles, dated March 31, 1964. Subject: MANUEL RAY. Report is confidential because of "Source A" information and possible operational interest in RAY by CIA. "In that L.A. office is unaware of CIA interest and direction of JURE and its activities, as well as its leaders, no further inguiry is being made concerning JURE, JOSE ESTERVEZ or MANUEL RAY unless advised to the contrary by the Bureau." Memo re: request from MANUEL GONZALES that invitation by Marymount College in L.S. be extended MANUEL RAY to speak. On November 11, 1963, PEDRO DUELO, Spanish instructor at Marymount, received a letter written in Spanish, which claimed RAY was a communist. Letter signed "AsIrIos" and underneat appeared TEGLALHPILESES, SARGON and SENAQERTH. On March 19, 1964, GONZALES again contacts DUELO stating that RAY has other com- mittments and could not speak at Marymount. DUELO hear RAY speak and could not identify any of his remarks as pro-Communist. 2. Correlation Summary. March 27, 1964. 12/1/58 -- CIA advised courier from FIDEL CASTRO RUZ arrived in Santiago de Cuba with message for MRC to join the 26th of July Movement or fold up. 12/7/58 - MRC delegates go to CASTRO to request that group be allowed to exist separately. CASTRO agreed but kept strong liaison. CIA - no date -- referenced previous communication re: MANUEL RAY RIVERO, Chief of the MRC, conferred with CASTRO about CASTRO's desire to dissolve MRC. Early 1959 - PEDRO DIAZ LANZ and brother MARCOS confer with following re: communist infiltration of Air Force: \ \ HW 50529 Docld:32249636 Page 3
HW 50529 Docld: 3272749636 Page 4 FBI File Review - Manuel Ray Page 2 ALFREDO GUERRA ARMAND FLEITES ELOY GUTIERREZ MENOYO MANOLO REY RUFO LOPEZ FRESQUET 5/26/89 - Source information - RAY requests approval of loan from Export-Import Bank in Washington, D. C. for loan of several million dollars for Cuba. November 1959 -- RAY was arrested and relieved of his position in Public Works Department in Cuba. 11/2/59 -- Source information that RAY and FAUSTINE PEREZ were two leading influences against communism. Both were nationalistic and anti-American however. 10/6/60 -- RAY hiding in Cuba and coordinating counter- communist movement there. 9/20/60 -- New York World Telegram lists RAY as one who has defected from CASTRO. 9/21/60 - Washington Star says REY in Escambray mountains with army of defectors who deserted CASTRO because of his communist connections. 9/22/60 - Report to American Embassy in Mexico City from JOSE BOSCH to the effect that MANUEL REY was head of FRD in Cuba. October 1960 - report to INS in McAllen, Texas by MAX EDGARDO LESNICK MENENDEZ says RAY head of MRP and had re-entered Cuba clandestinely. February 1961 -- REY in Miami heading MRP. Still had underground in Cuba -- per report by Department of the Army. 2/23/61 - Report by CIRITA LOPEZ CEJAS stated that regular rebel army of CASTRO was completely undermined and in- filtrated with supporters of RAY who would not support CASTRO when a serious counterrevolt started in Cuba. 3/15/61 -- SURELIAN SANCHEZ ARANGO said REY visited him in February 1961 requesting ARANGO presence at a meeting in New York between MRP and FRD.
HW 50529 FBI File Review - Manuel Rey Page 3 3/16/61 - Letter from HOWARD DAVIS to President Kennedy stated that RAY was an avowed enemy of the United States and stated, in the New York meeting that the confiscated properties in Cuba should not be returned to U. S. owners and Cuba should honor treaties with Russia and Red China. 2/7/62 - ANGEL ORLANDO BERISIARTU y PALOP advised that he had made anti-CASTRO propaganda braodcasts from a boat at sea near Miami while associated with RAY and JOSE EMANUEL ESTERVEZ of the MRP in March/April 1961. Done in cooperation with CIA. On 3/6/62, BERISTARTU claimed CAMILO CIENFUEGOS was alive and he could prove it. WILLIAM WAYNE DALZELL, New Orleans, advised that while in telphonce contact with CHARLES WATERS, Dallas, Texas on 6/7/61, he learned that WATERS was a Lt. Col. in the LIBERATION FORCES OF THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE. DALZELL stated that when WATERS was in Miami the previous weekend, he allegedly spoke to MIRO CARDONA of the FRD and to MANUAL RAY of the MRP. According to DALZELL, it was WATER's aim to merge the two groups and have them work with the Liberation forces. 7/5/61 -—- FERRY PATRICK HEMMING advised that he had been in contact with MANUEL RAY of the MRP. (no date or details given). Report from Newark, New Jersey FBI office, dated 8/22/67. george r. damon claimed friendship with RAY -~- wanted to purchase boats at $400 and sell to RAY for $750 plus $150 transportation charges. Said he (DAMON) made frequent trips to Cuba and smuggled people out. Said he could get any type weapon in Miami area, presumably from arms cache belonging to REY. Report of MRS. ANN BARRETT LYNN DEMPSEY ALBERTSON in Miami said around July 1961, DAMON offered her a job and said he was with an agency that worked through CIA. Said agency was RAY's Cuban undergound organization. ALBERTSON reported this to Miami CIA and was told to forget entire incident. 8/20/61 - Miami Herald article on Bombings in Cuba -- noted IGNACIO MENDOZA came to Miami several months ago as new Miami coordinator of MRP, allegedly demoted RAY. DoclId: 32249636 Page 5
HW 50529 FBI File Review - Manuel Ray Page 4 5/8/62 - ANGEL ROLAND LOPEZ in Puerto Rico trying to establish a subsidiary of Precision Machine Company, Lake Park, Florida. Claimed RAY an official of Puerto Rican Economic Development Administration and had refused LOPEZ's appeal. Believes RAY sympathetic to communist movement. 6/18/62 - JOAQUIN GODOY, 133 San Sebastian, Coral Gables -- denies report of JAMES BUCHANAN in Miami Herald on 5/27/62 that RAY took over MRP as replacement to CARDONA's CRC with the blessing of LUIS MENOZ MARIN, Governor of Puerto Rico, JOSE FIGUERES, former President of Costa Rica and RAMULO BETANCOURT, Presdient of Venezuela. GODOY says he talked to FIGURES in Washington, D. C. on 6/1/62 and FIGURES said he only met RAY once, did not like him and did not sponsor him. 10/10/62 - Report that JURE organized recently in Puerto Rico by RAY and included five different anti- CASTRO groups. 6/14/63 - ELOY GUTIERREZ MENOYO (Military Chief of SNFE) tells "source" that RAY wanted only to get all anti-CASTRO organiztions under the control of JURE. 5/8/62 (possibly) - RAY employed by U. S. government in Alliance for Progress program. March 1963 ~ CARDONA complains that U. S. State Dept. instructed him to try to cooperate with RAY and even attempt to support him. MIRO disgusted by this suggestion. 5/30/63 - EDWIN MARTIN, Assistant Secretary of State for Latin Affairs, mentions JURE in speech -- said it was one of five with clandestine assets. Exiles believe JURE most favored by U. S. because RAY being pushed by MARIN and BETANCOURT. Memo to MR. D. J. BRENNAN, JR. from S. J. PAPICH, dated 12/10/63. Re: JURE. On 12/6/63, SEYMOUR BOLTEN, CIA, volunteered information that CIA giving some financial assistance to JURE. CIA maintains limited liaison with MANOLO RAY. CIA interested because of JURE's potential for infiltration of Cuba but CIA not happy with arrangement because they can't determine how their money is being spent. File contains third agency deletions. Docld: 3272749636 Page 6
HW 50529 FBI File Review - Manuel Ray Page 5 3. Airtel, dated 7/22/63 to Director from SAC, San Juan. Informant reported that RAY travelled to Europe via Washington, D. C. and New York City where he conferred with exile leaders. Accompanied by EMILIO GUEDES, JURE leader in San Juan. Travelled to France and Belgium -- solicited support of exiled journalists. In regard to Belgium trip, he neither confirmed or denied he was inguiring concerning purchase of arms. On 1/2/63, CIA informs Director, FBI, it has not control over JURE but had occassion to contact some of its officials, particularly MANOLO RAY. CIA has no control over RAY but realizes he is still an influential force in exile affairs and therefore finds it necessary to periodically confer with him concerning developments in Cuba. Report of 12/10/62 to Director from SAC New York, re: DR. ERNESTO ARAGON y GODOY's statement that RAY con- ferring with officials of Kennedy Administration in State Department and Pentagon. ARAGON considers RAY as bad for Cuba as CASTRO. Said he felt that HUBERT MATOS was imprisioned not because he was anti-communist but because he protested that he was not included in CASTRO's inner circle. Memo dated May 25, 1962 to Office of Security, Department of State from Hoover. Said ROBERTO ROCA ROSILLO, Puerto Rico, supplied information that WILLIAM BURN, | a British citizen, was an arms dealer in Puerto Rico -- sold 100 guns to DRE in Miami -~- weapons allegedly delivered in Mexico. BURNS reportedly represents Fabrique Nationale d'Armes de Guerre, a company which deals in Belgian rifles. (Note: Army representative in San Juan advised BURN working under U. S. Army guidance on Cuban penetration) . Memo dated 9/22/61 to Director, FBI from Legal Attache, Madrid, says contact with Cuban sources of Madrid office has failed to establish that RAY has come to Spain -- indications that he may have been offered an engineering job in Spain. A Cuban who arrived in Spain after un- successful invasion attempt in Cuba, 4/17/61, stated there was some feeling that RAY may have tipped CASTRO government to the fact that there was to be an invasion. Docld: 32749636 Page
‘ FBI File Review - Manuel Ray Page 6 8. Memo to Director from WFO, dated 8/30/61, "It is noted that CIA advised the Bureau on 6/21/61, all dealings with Cuban exile organizations were to be handled not by CIA but through office of ARTURO MORALES- CARRION, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Inter- American Affairs." File contains CIA and Department of Army deletions. 9. Memo to Director from SAC, Newark, New Jersey. Re: GEORGE R. DAMON -- DAMON was subject of an FAG case in 1958 (Bufile 46-32613). Became involved in Cuban activities in 1958 when he was approached by pro-CASTRO forces to smuggle arms and men into Cuba. DAMON told the BATISTA governgment of this approach and demanded money for exposing the plot. BATISTA forces wanted DAMON to actually run men and guns into Cuba where they could be arrested, but DAMON refused to do so, saying he would be killed. Since DAMON may be working for CIA, offices receiving copies of enclosed letterhead are only requested to check their indices on DAMON and conduct no active investigation. Newark office will open a 105 Case File on DAMON and report any additional information received from NKT-1 or other sources on Long Beach Island, New Jersey. 10. Report from Newark, dated July 12, 1961, NKT-1 advised GEORGE R. DAMON, a native of Long Beach Island area of New Jersey, came to Harvey Cedars, Long Beach Island in May 1961. Had exceptionally large amount of money -- purchased two Lincoln Continentals, two trucks and a jeep (all new). Had $1,000 cash in refrigerator compartment. Eighteen months ago, he didn't have a dime. DAMON said he was a close friend of RAY -- was smuggling people out of Cuba ~- buying boats for RAY, etc. Had an appointment in Washington, D. C. on July 12 or 13, 1961 with a MR. PURCELL -- allegedly CIA. Stated GERRY PATRICK now in Cuba for demolition of generator stations. Says GERRY PATRICK will receive $10,000 when his mission completed. DAMON says arms ship will be blown up in Cuban waters on July 22 or 23, 1961. HW 50579 Docld:3272749636 Page 6
HW 50529 FBI File Review - Manuel Ray Page 7 li. 12. Memo to Director from SAC, New Orleans, dated June 22, 1961. EDUARDO A. J. GUEVARA in contact with WARREN de BRUEYS on June 16, 1961. Will supply him with information on MRP which GUEVARA heads in New Orleans. Informant of RAY's activities in June 1961 lived in Washington, D. C. Had been former Cuban Air Force pilot with approximately 20 years experience. Did not with to help RAY, he said, because he is married to an American and has three children. RAY wished him to remain with him as an advisor. Docld: 3272749636 Page 9