VISIT OF CUBAN EXILE VICTOR ESPINOSA
Originator: STAT
From: GEORGE LISTER
To: ARA/CCA - MR STEVENSON
Document date: 07/09/1965
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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2022 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992

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ARA/CCA - MI. Stevenson

July 9. 1965

ARA - George LIster

Visit of Cuben Bille Victor Espinosa

In accordance with our conversation yesterday I have set

forth below a report un the visit of Victor Espinosa.

A Venezuelan Christian Democratic friend of uine, Valmore

Acovado, called ne frch Mey York City jeaterday noming lù aak

as a personal favor that I receive a Cuban exile living there

When I expressed mild

akepticiss, Acevedo urgently repeated his request and I agreed.

Within a surprisingly short time the Cuban, Victor Espinosa,

arrived at my office (he sald he had taken

the plane Innedt-

ataly). Espinoss gave his address and telephone number as

Sollows: 415 East 52nd Street, HA 1-7875. A summary of his

statements follows.

Espinose bas been Involved In Cuban liberation activities

Рог капу услів.

He opposed Batista and opposes Castro. He 18

not a member of the March 13 Movement, but has long been very

olose to many of its leaders, Including Cubelas, Espinosa was.

trained by CIA, In both Louistana and Guatemala, and was one

of thore who was sent into Cuba prior to the Bay of Pigs.

plans to becone an American citiien in August of this yeur.

He admires the United States and American atrength and compe-

Latio American affalrs. He was told Acevedo knew such an

mê1clal.

Eépinosa asked Acevedo (without, he claims, re-

venilag his atory), and the latter called me.

A little paxiler thli jers Espinosa recelvad a request

fron one of his reliabla cuben contacte in Burope, asking that

ho come there quickly.

Espinose went to Miaml, obtained falls

cuban papers, and went tu Parlo. There, apparently in the

presence of the Cuban Ambasador to France, he met one of the

top ancurity" um of the castro razime, who lad come to Paris

Lor that purpona..

During varlous saating., hoth Ir trence and

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GHOU! 1

Prolulad Lion nutonatio

dumsending and

deolagulfluation

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in Spain (which Espinosa entered 1llegally), Espinosa was In-

formed that there is a plan to overthrow the Castro regime

and to kill Castro and some of his main leaders.

The plot 1s

ied by Cubelad and some of the March 13 Movement, plus (I be-

1leve) some military officers.

They must move very quickly

because more and more people are learning of the plot and

there is growing risk of exposure. They are anxious to have

sowe coordination, or at least con iltation, wich responsible

Auericans.

They are not confident that they could win an all-

out fight against the Castro forces, and are thinking more in

torms of taking contrul for a short time (perhaps only a few

hours), kliling Castro and his nost effective men (tius

ruining the Castro novement forever), and then trying to hold

out for sa lung as feasible.

It is essential that they know

want, if anything, the Americans might do to help, now and/or

later, when the coup 1s attempted.

Also, they wished to alert

the United States Government to what was being planned.

The Cubans night have turned to Earl Williamson, the SIA

man in Madrid. However, they belleve Williamson is completely

mireliable. A Cuban girl was sent to Madrid some time ago by

the Castro people. (Williamaon was fooled by her and, being

vary fond of women, set her. up ir. an apartment in Madrid.

He

Ala0 arIalged for her to work with the International Rescue

Committee.

When the proper moment came, four months ago, she

flew back

to Havana with some very useful files.

In these

circumstances the Cuban plotters have no confidence whatever

(a (W11l1amson.

They urgently asked Espinosa to be their go-

betmer. with rollable American officials.

The "top security"

nan returned to Havana, while one representative of the

plottera walted In Spain. fos en answer.

Espinosa hurxledly returned to Now York Gity. Me called

D'arinn of the Now York FBI to ask that the latter arrange for

ala to talk with some sarlous and rallable man from ¿iA.

O'Arten did no. Espinose then told the foregoing story, and

sTA,

to s CIA man named "Hal". Hal Impresaad Espinosa as

baing Intelligent and reliable. Espinose underatande that Hal

or someone else want to spain to check on nio atory, At all

events, Esyinone was assured CLA underatood the urgency of the

antior ani that he would be callad within a fes daja.

A WEG

has paonod. However, no call has come and time 1a rapidly

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running out.

Cauto de Ing thete there han peet oe centon te,

but Espinosa has had to keep putting them off. Meanwhile,

the Cuban who was walting in Spain for the anawer has had

return.

Espinosa keeps waiting to hear whether the Americans

will play ball with the Cubelad group. The plot has lasted

¡or ovar. l8 months, and the plottera plan to go

oon no matter whather the Americana "play ball""ir nove oas

rasson is that they almost have to go ahead now, for tue plot

will soon be discovered and then it will be entirely hopeless.

Espinosa also referred to & jeweler by the name of

Teppellino (spelling?), located at 47th Street, In New York

Teppe)kIino worka for CIA and has frequent contact with

the Cuban Ambassador, In Paris.

The Ambassador regularly dis-

poses of jewelry and ocher valuables made avallable from Cuba.

He does thie through Toppellino. However, the latter fools

ola, Lior example, the ambassador agrces

to sell for $80,000.

reppetiino Informa cla cha prica 1a $110,000, and, quietly

pockets the difference.

On the other hand,

TeppelIino and

CIA think the Cuban Ambansador does not know he i8 working for

CIA, but the Ambassador does knon.

Ispinose in datosmined to bring the very dangerous

situation of the tuben plot to the attention of some top level

official in the United States Government unless he receives

at least some reply frou cIA.

Conment:

Espinosa was not overly tenne aird dir not Indulge in hie

Erlonice, bst I felt he was quite determined su push shir

matter further if he did not got gome responde within the very

noar future.

I cannot, and do not have to, judge his reil-

ability on the baals of thia one conversation.

However, lf;

had to guass at thia point I would be inclined to accept mont

of what ha aald shout astual eventa.

But of course there are

a1l sorte of obvious ponalbilities, Including provocation.

In socordance with what me agreed on, while Esplnona was

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waiting, I returned and told him at some length that of course

this was not the sort of thing we got into.

However, I added

that I would see to it that someone called him. I further

said that, unofficially, I had enjoyed talking with him.

Espinoss seemed somewhat mollifled and temporarily :.reassurad

by this. However, I doubt very much that he will wait longer

than suo or three days more before making another attempt to

bring this situation to a hoad.

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