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104-10166-10115

2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992

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16 September 1975

MEMORANDUM FOR: C/LA/COG

SUBJECT

: Letter from Mrs. Lourdes CUESTA,

Ex-wife

Antonio CUESTA Valle, Formeriy of Interest to

JMWAVE Station

Lourdes CUESTA, ex-wife of Antonio CUFSTA Valle, currently

imprisoned in Cuba, wrote to the Director of ClA on 4 August 1975.

She requested that the Agency "give her some kind of verification

that her ex-husband was not connected nor the lilA had any knowledge

that he was preparing the raids mentioned in Attempts No.

21 and 22"

cited in a 31 July 1975 Miami Herald newspapor article following

Senator McGovern's recent trip to visit Fidel CASTRO.

2. A carefully worded reply was prepared for signature by an •

assistant to the del; however, per instruction of the DC/LAD (from

the DDO) it was requested that the letter not be sent, but rather

that a DCD representative in Miami handle the matter with Mrs.

CUESTA personally.

3.

& DCD representative in Miami contacted Mrs. CUESTA and

told her that the Agency

preferred that the matter be handled with

a personal touch rather than by letter.

Мтя, CUESTA did not accept

this and has subsequently phoned the DCD representative sevoral

times requesting a written reply:

Mrs. CUESTA said that she plans

to send a copy of the reply to Fidel CASTRO and one to Senator

McGovern.

According to

uralized U.S. citizen of Spanish birth) works

the DCD representative, Mrs. Cueser (name-

For a lawyer

unknown) and perhaps is following legal counsel.

.

On 11 September 1975 the AC/LA/Cod phoned the DC/LAD and

advised him of the forexoing.

"oilowing the convorsation it was

decided that we would check

out applicablo maritime rocords in

Archives, In addition to CUESTA's 201 filo, and if we still un;

covarod no evidence that CUESTA was involvod with CIA ir. the cited.

Infiltration operations, draft a very briof lottor of acknowlodgo-

ment to Mrs. CÜESTA and resubmit 1t for approval.

SECRET

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5.

Antonio CUESTA cane to the U.S. fron Cuba on 31 May 1960

as a refugee.

According to his 201 file, he has had the following

U.S. Government association:

8.

As of February 1961 he was cited as a crewman

aboard the M/V TEJANA.

A POA was requested on

• 15 March

1961 for his use in PM naritime

ops as a crewman

on the

vessel TEJANA under Project JMATE.

Due to cessation of

MATE activities, processing of the clearance was sus-.

ended on l May 1961 until ne. interest was apparent.

INWAVE Station advised the Army of CIA operational inter-

est in CUESTA on 26 May 1962.

JMWAVE advised Headquarters

on 5 June 1962 that CUESTA was not then being used and

no indication bas percinenter Ascine intes or his 2ol file

that he was ever used on an opcrational mission by CIA.

b.. ISR records show that CUESTA was registered as

an Army source on 22 May 1962.

There is no indication

chat he was dropped; however, it is recorded that he was

reinstated on 12

August 1965.

He was dropped again on

10 May 1966,

without prejudice.

There is no further record

of Army association.

The specifics of his, association

with the Army are unknown to the Agency: not sutrit teentrol

From the time he cane to the U.S. in 1960 until he was ar-

rested by the Cuban Government, CUESTA was associated with the MRR,

UR, Alpha 66 and Commando L organizations.

The hit and run raids made

by these groups were well-known to all government agencies and, in

openly known in Miami because of the propensity

of the Cubans

to talk.

There were a number of discussions at the highest level

(President) concerning what should be done about such raids.

were not sponsored by or connected with the U.S. Government.

of these unauthorized raids

are the ones referred to (attempts 21

and 22) in the article attached to Mrs. CUESTA's letter.

Mrs. CUBSTA was born 21 May 1936. in Madrid, Spain.

As of

30 March 1963 she was married to Antonio CUESTA,

had one small son,

and reportedly resided with Antonio in Miami, Florida.

ly rofers to him as her ex-husband, but particulars of a separatior

or divorce are unknown.

She is also known as Mrs. Maria Viza CUESTA,

Maria Luisa Viza Blance and Mrs. Vincente CUESTA. Following are

1toms of interest:

Antonio CUESTA told the FBI that she lived with

him

Miami, Florida

as as 30 March 1963.

•2=

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Mrs. CUESTA told the FlI in 1969 that she ar-

rived in the

U.S. 9 June 1963 at Niams, Florida.

ACSI advised JMHAVE Station in November 1966

SAKER Zenni of the Jew

Mom FiT was advised of this and monitored her activities.

[SAKER is a known long-time DGI officer PNG'd from the

.S. in 67/68 for support to Black Panther and SDS ac-

tivities.

He was

Chief of Center in Mexico City

from 70-73, one of the founding fathers of the DGI and

the DGI expert on illegal operations against the U.S.!

Mrs. CUESTA legally travelled to Cuba from

via Mexico City, in April 1967 for a two week

risit with her husband.

In June 1967 the FBI advised

JMNAVE Station that she was recruited by the CUIS while

in Cuba and to hold this knowledge to a minimum because

they intended to operate her as a double agent.

She

said the pitch was made on behalf of the DSE and would

benefit both her and her husband.

She was told if she

successfully reported on anti-Castro activities in Miami,

especially Commando L activities,

for a period of six

months, they would release her husband from custody and

after

three years of reporting permit him to leave Cuba.

Her contact in the U.S. was to be Chafik tomero SAKER

Lenni.

Mrs. CUESTA travelled to Cuba from Miami via

Mexico City again on 9 February 1968 taking nine suit-

She called Havana from Mexico City and asked to

be met at the airport in Havana by two cars because of

the excess baggage.

While in Cuba she saw her husband

several times.

She returned to Mexico City on 4 March

1968.

8.

This case was coordinated with the FBI representative,

via Ops Liaison, on 12 September who asked that we hold up

& re.

sponse

to her letter until he could check out the status uf the case.

It was recognized that Mrs. CUESTA could be acting in behalf of the

DGI.

On 16 September the FBI representative advised that FBI opera-

tional interest in Mrs: CUESTA was terminated circa December 1974

and that 1t would not be recesgary for us to coordinate our responso

to Mrs. CUESTA's letter with the Bureau.

Details of the FBI opera-

Ii ourl handling of Mrs. CUESTA are unknown. The FBI representative

SECRE!

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advised that Mrs.

CUESTA had inquired what it would cost to obrain

documents in the FBI files on her under the FOlA.

Atteapts are being made to obtain the nane of the attorney

¡for whom Mrs. CUESTA works.

Attached is a suggested reply to Mrs. CUESTA, based on

the facts in para 5 a;

for approval.

Ches Hockin

Chris Hopkins

LA/COG/CIOS

Filed:

201-281313 (Antonio CUESTA)

201-335014 (SAKER)

201-821216 (Lourdes. CUESTA)

E2 IMPDEY

CL BY 025231

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...

CIA LETTERED

suggested reply to dra. Cl'ESTA's letter Of a August 1975

Mrs. Lourdes Cuesta

2155 S.V. Sch Street

Miant, Florida

33135

Dear Mrs. Questa:

this is in raply lo your lotter o 4 August 1975 and

subsequent conversation with

one of

representatives.

It response to your tryutis vis vish to adviso that

your ex-husbands alleged acilvities, citod as Attempts No.

21 and 22 in the nowspaper article encloset with your lotter,

wore in no way sponsorod ly or associated with this Agency.

Concerning prior knomleddo uf such activities, we can only

say that anticipated activitles of some of the independent

axile groups often becano public knowledgo becauso of

incussion within the exilo community of such activities.

Bincoroly,

Assistant to the Director

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