MEMO: JACK ANDERSON 20 JANUARY 1977 COLUMN TITLED "CIA TIED TO FALSE OSWALD STORY"/IDENTIFICATION OF MR. X IN THE ANDERSON COLUMN
Originator: CIA
From: RAYMOND A. WARREN, C/LA DIVISION
To: DD/O
Document date: 1977-01-21 00:00:00
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

# DOCID-32394065

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AGENCY

RECORD NUMBER

RECORD SERIES

AGENCY FILE NUMBER

JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM

IDENTIFICATION FORM

AGENCY INFORMATION

CIA

104-10422-10275

JFK

RUSS HOLMES WORK FILES

DOCUMENT INFORMATION

AGENCY ORIGINATOR

DOCUMENT TYPE

CLASSIFICATION

RESTRICTIONS

CURRENT STATUS

DATE OF LAST REVIEW

COMMENTS

DATE

PAGES

RAYMOND A. WARREN, C/LA DIVISION

MEMO: JACK ANDERSON 20 JANUARY 1977 COLUMN TITLED "CIA

TIED TO FALSE OSWALD STORY" / IDENTIFICATION OF MR. X IN

THE ANDERSON COLUMN

:: 01/21/1977

4

SUBJECTS : JFK ASSASSINATION

VECIANA BLANCH

PAPER

SECRET

1A

RELEASED IN PART PUBLIC - RELEASED WITH DELETIONS

07/09/04

JFK-RH11: F211: 20040324-1064667

Released under the John F. Kennedy

Assassination Records Collection Act of

1992 (44 USC 2107 Note). Case#:NW

55990 Date: 11-01-2021

[R] - ITEM IS RESTRICTED

. 104-10422-10275

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-** 15

= Antonio

Vercaria

21 .A0 1977

LA/ C06/021-77

MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy Director for Operations

FROM

SUBJECTS

Raymond A. Warren

Chief, Latin America Division

A.

Jack Anderson

20 January 1977 Column

Titled "CIA Tied to False Oswald Story.

B. Identification of the Mr. X in the

Anderson Column

1.

The attached column, citing the testimony of a Mr. X,

alleges that a CIA agent

tried to link Oswald

to Cuban intelli-

gence officers in Mexico.

There is, of course, no substance to

the column's allegations. The

column identifies the source as

Mr. X because of

enough information on Mr. X to

a tempes on bestaffish his identity.

subsequently gives

2.

According to the Anderson column, Mr. X was first met

by his

CIA contact in Havana before

relations with U.S., Cuba were

severed.

Mr. X had helped to organize bank accountants to em-

bezzle Cuban government funds to

finance anti-Castro causes.

Mr. X was reportedly recruited by a Morris Bishop (CIA contact),

to "plan an attempt on Castro's life.

The plan was to fire a

bazooka

from

a nearby apartment building while Castro was deliver-

ing one

of his marathon speeches. According to the Anderson

the plot was discovered by Castro's police and Mr. *

escaped to Miami. Mr. X also reportedly tried to assassinate

Castro in Chile in 1971 in league with the Venezuelan Luis Posada

Carriles, who is now being detained in Caracas for the 6 October

Cubana airline bombing.

The Anderson column ends with

the report

that

Mr. X worked for CIA until.

1975 for expenses,

but was

pilld

$253,000 in cash by Morris Bishop when he was terminated.

WARNING NOTICE

SENSITIVE INTELLIGENCE SOURCES AND METHODS INVOLVED

SECRET

E2 INPDET

CL BY 025251

4X-4229

216077

201-3/2906

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SECRET

From the

above description of Mr. X, it is, reasonably

clear that Mr. X is Antonio Carlos VECIANA Blanch (201-312966).

VECIANA, an

assistant bank manager and past president of a public

accountants

issociation in Havana, first contacted CIA in

Havana

in December 1960 when he asked the COS, at that time James A. Nock,

to help in an assassination plot against Castro. VECIANA asked

for visas for ten relatives of the four men

assigned to kill Castro,

and also

requested four MI

rifles with adapters for grenades plus

eight grenades.

The COS did not encourage VECIAN and subsequently

checked. with

an Embassy officer who reported that VECIANA had made

similar "wild-eyed" proposals to him..

On 23 November 1961 the

Miami News published a report of

an unsuccessful attempt by Antonio

VECIANA to kill Castro:

VECIANA reportedly had arranged to

assassinate Castro and. Cuban President Osvaldo Dorticos on 5 October

in Havana, but the bazooka he

was using failed to fire.

4.

. There has been no Agency relationship with VECIANA. A

POA, which was granted for his use in

para-military affairs in

January 1962, expired in November 1962.

VECIANA was born

4 October 1935 in Havana.

He ivas a member of the People's Revo-

lutionary Movement,

an anti-Castro group in Cuba during 1960-61, and

was one

of the founders of Alpha-66.

A certified public accountant

by trade, VECIANA was with A.I.D: in La Paz in 1908-72. VECIANA

was registered in ISR to the U.S. Army in November 1962 and he

was terminated without prejudice in July 1966.

On 23 July 1962

VECIANA was interviewed, at his request, by Mr. Harry Real from

the DCD New York office. VECIANA asked Real to arrange a meeting

with a senior CIA officer to discuss

Alpha-66's plans to assassinate

Castro and to

request CIA's assistance (U.S. $100,000; 10,000 Cuban

pesos; 48 hand grenades). There is no indication that this request.

was ever acted

upon by CIA.

7

"5.

In April

1966 a LA Division officer, John R. Lucy, using

the alias John Livingston, met VECIANA in New York City.

The

meeting was

arranged by a retired naval officer, James Cogswell,

who had informed Chief, Wil Division that he had information of valuc

concerning Cuba.

When Lucy arrived in New York City for the meeting;

he was introduced by Cogswell to VECIANA.

imnediately launched

a discussion of the Cuban political situation

noted

his

strong

feeling that the only solution was

the assassination of Castro.

Lucy advised VECIANA that

he was in no position to provide him

assistance or encourage him in an assassination attempt and was only

interested

in gathering information which he thought was the fellose

of the meeting.

VECIANA subsequently said that his

roommate

ZABALA, a Cuban refugee, had excellent contacts in Havana. It was

clear to Lucy, however, VECIANA was attempting to use ZABALA poten-

tially to get

Agency financial support for his organization.

SECRET

2

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SACRIT

VECTANA suggesied that 550,000 would be needed to get his

activities off the ground.

Lucy indicated to VECIANA that he

would look into the

"ZABALA matter and would probably arrange for

ZABALA to be "contacted in Puerto Rico.

6.

There is no indication in the file that any Agency officei

in contact with VECIANA ever used an alias Morris Bishop.

There

is

no Morris Bishop listed in

true name

in the DDO rolls.

There was

never any contractual relationship with VECIANA and he was. not

paid CIA funds.

?. On I'1 January 1977 a sanitized copy of VECIANA's 201 file

was made available to staffers from the Senate Select Committee on

Intelligence.

sigaod

Paywoad A. Warron

Raymond A. Warren

Attachment

DDO/C/LA/COG/OPS:NJDevine:js (9229) (21 January 1977)

Distribution:

Orig &

1

- Addressee

1

- ADDO

1 - LA/COG/Chrono

2

C/LAD

1

-

-

201-312966

hold

LA/OPS

- ASST. TOOCI

SEC

RE!

3

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THE WASHINGTON POST

Wednesday, January 19.1977

Jack Anderson and Les Whitten

Mystery

itness

an

Inquiry

A mystery witness has sworn to con-

anti-Castro forces might

how Kennedy would die. Then the rab.

gressional investigators that a Ceniral

cruited Oswald, a Inown, pre-Castro

ble rouser added knowingiy that Ken

Intelligence Agency agent introduced

activist to kill Kennedy.

nedy "inows he is a marked man."

him to Lee Harvey Oswald in Dallas

"The motive on this,

" states the ma

illteer later admitted to the FBI

three months before Oswald gunned

no, "wouid of course be the expecia":

that he had been ia-Dallas in June,

down President Joan F. Kaanedy.:

tion that arter the President was

1903, but denied having any baowl-

• The witness, whom we bave agreed

killed, Oswald would öe caught or at

edge of the Kennedy assassination

to idently oniy as Mir. X because oi at-

least his identity ascertained; the law

However, the iniormant told the FBI

tempts of his life, is the founder of a

eniorcement authorities and the pub

that he assed mitzer aiter the saoo-

Cucan terrorist group that worked

lic would then blame the assassination

ing whether he had known about it in

cicsely with the ClA

on the Castro government; and the call

advance of had merely been guessing.

The group held secret meetings at

for a forceru overthroy would be irre

"I don't do any guessing," replied Mil

3126 Hoilandale in Dallas betore the as

teer."

sassication. Not long aiter Kennedy

But Hoover abruptly blocked this

But the most explosive deveisoment:

was shot, a Dallas deputy sherift was

line of inquiry by notilying the War-

is Mr. X's statement taat he met Os

toid by an informant that Oswaid had

ren Commission on Sept. 21, 1964, that

wald in the company of a ClA agent.

been associating with some Cubars at

the fBl had Iccated and identitied

Congressional investigators questioned

"3123 Hariendale."

Odio's callers. He named them as

the mystery miness closeiy on three

NIr. X's dramatic testimony

Loran Hail, Lawrence Howard and.

separate occasions. They tinally con-

new light on the story Sylvia Cdio,

William Seymour, all anti-Castroites.

cluded that "his credibility is strengts-

daughter of a wealthy opponent of Cu-

Hoover even suggested that Odio could

ened by ice detais he provides consist-

: ban Premier Fidel Castro, told to the

bave confusad the names "Loran Hall"

FBL Two months before the Kennedy

and "Leon Cswald.":

ent with what he told us before. Sigail.

icantly, he remains very strong on the

Alling, she related, she was sited in

Now the congressional investigators

Oswald signting."

ber Dallas aparment by taree men

have uncovered evidence that ali three

The encounter occurred in i down-

who identifted themselves as friends

denied visiting the Odio apartment

town Dallas building, where Mr. X had

• of her father.

and that the FBI had obtained their.

an appointment with his CLA contact

deniais before Hoover wrote his letter

•One was introduced to her as "Leon

The agent was accompanied by a man

to the Warren Commission.

Oswald." When she saw the picture in

whom it. X later recognizad-as Ken-

The investigators have also obtained

the newspapers of the man who had

nedy's siller.

soot Kenredy, she fainted from snuck.

the tape of a lascinating conversation,

"When he saw it was Oswald tbat

precacting two weess in adwnce that

It was the same Oswald, she was cer-

killed Kennedy,

" the investigators re

Kennedy would be shot "from an cif-

this, who had visited her apartnent.

ported in a confidential memo, "he

ice sulding with a high-powered ri-

Congressional investigators

nearly ireaked out, but he never said

have

fle." The prediction was made by the

now learned that the late J. Edgar

anything."

• Hoover deliberately misled the War-

lata Joseph lilteer, & rigat-wing rab-

The investigators tried to pin down.

ble rouser, who aiso happened to have

Mr. X. on hoy he could be sure that

ren Commission about Odio's mysteri-

connections with anti-Castro

ous visitors. She was such a persuasive

man was Oswald. Mr. X replied, ac-

• witness that the commission staif was

cording to the memo, that he had

• The conversation was taped on Nov.

learned "how to retain the character,

preparing to investigate her story

9, 1963, in Miami by an FBI informant

thoroughly.

named Willie Somersett, who turned

ics of a person; he had trained himsel?

Start members even speculated, ac-

to do that. And i it wasn't Oswald, it•

the tape over to the FBI the next day.

was someone who was exactly like Os

cording to one internai memo, that the

Milteer is heard on the tape describing

waid, his exact doubie.

B15

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