RECRUITMENT OF CUBAN EXILES BY ATON/CONSTANZO/PALAU TO JOIN RANKS OF THE FORCES OF GENERAL IMBERT AND GENERAL WESSIN Y WESSIN
Agency: CIA
Originator: CIA
From: CIA
To: MULTIPLE ADDEE INTEL DISSEM
Document date: 6/11/65
Document type: PAPER-TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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104-10136-10346

INFO:

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35-1 SN0SA-1 SAMAL-I SEÇDEF-5

ASO/154-5 DIA-TO GSA-2 CSAF-5 CNO-2 CMG = 3

FILE- 1(37)

HinDu 2099

18 • 69

CONFIDENTIAL

COUNT=Y

. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

9 8 1:15

COSTALLE 3SIE

CALL 33337

CENTRAL INTELLICENCE ACENCY

FOR NMCC/MO

Intelligence Infomation Cable

SERVICE PRIORITY

5611: 09417

TDCS D3-315/02005-55

17407

DATE OF

INFC.

8 = 9 JUNE 1965

DISTR. 11 JUiS 195

SUSUECT

RECRUITMENT OF CUBAN EXILES BY ATON/CONSTANZO/PALAU

TO JOIN RÄNKS OF THE FORCES OF GENERAL IMBERT- AND?

GENERAL WESSIN Y. WESSEN

d-3!

DATE ACCO UNITED STATES, MIAMI

COMING 1965.

2 REF

Sm 87815

SOURCE

WAND

APPPAISL

FIELD REPORT NO. UFG726

A MIAMI BUSINESSMAN WHO WAS A RESIDENT OF HAVANA FOR SEVERAL YEARS! THE SOURC

HAS CONTACTS WHO RECOGNIZE HIM AS A CHANEL TO U.S. INTELLIGENCE.

INFORMATION WAS OSTAINED FROM A CUSAN EXILE WHO SPOKE WITH ATON CONSTANZO

FCSEE: TDCSD3-315/01983

FIELD COMMENT: IT HAS PREVIOUSLY BEEN REPORTED/THAT A

COMMANDO TEAM OF 49 CUSAN EXILES ANO II AMERICANS IS BEING FORMED IN

EMIAMI, FLORIDA, BY ODELIO GARCIA DERIZANZ AND GERALD PATRICK HENMING,

VAN AMERICAN ADVENTURER AND SOLDIER-OF-FORTUNE. ATON CONSTANZO:

PALAU AND RAMON ESCARDA RUBIO APPEAR TO BE LEADERS WITHIN THE GROUP.

HE COMMANDO TEAM IS ALLEGEDLY TO BE USED BY DOMINICAN GENERAL

ANTONIO IMBERT BARRERAS, HEAD OF THE LOYALIST FORCES IN THE

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, PRESUMABLY TO TRY TO TOPPLE FRANCISCO CAAMANO

EDENO, LEADER OF THE REBEL FORCES. THE FINANCIAL BACKER OF THE

COMMANDO TEAM HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS AN AMERICAN LAWYER LIVING IN MIAMI.

CONFIDENTIAL

Background Use Only

TRUERIESI

CANTROLED DISSEN

•AD/CI 2, CIA/NMCGe

FBI, TENS, USCG, CUSTOMS, BORDER PATROL, FAA: A 50360

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CONTROLSD DISSSH

I 8781

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:TDCSD9-315/02005/840

2.:* ON 8 JUNE 1965, ATON CONSTANZO PALAU, A FORMER CUSAN REBEL

ARMY CAPTAIN WHO RESIDES AT 752 SW 4TH STREET, MIAMI, FLORIDA,

SAID THÄT HE HAS BEEN ENGAGED IN THE RECRUITMENT OF 65 CUBAN EXILES

WID APE TO FIGHT IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC.. THE EXILES ARE BEING

RECRUITED TO JOIN THE FORCES OF DOMINICAN GENERALS ELIAS WESSIN

Y WESSIN ÄND ANTONIO IMBERT BARRERAS IN THEIR TIGHT AGAINST THE

REBEL FORCES OF FRANCISCO CAAMANO DENO, AND ARE TO SE: PAID $50. A

DAY FOR:THEIR SERVICES " ALL OF THE RECRUITS HAVE A REVOLUTICHAPY

BACKGROUND BUT DO NOT INCLUDE FORMER MEMBERS OF THE FORCES OF:

FULGENCIO BATISTA. CONSTANZO SAID THAT HE HAS BEEN RECRUITING THESE

MEN FOR A RICH DOMINICAN BUSINESSMAN WHO LIVES IN THE MIAMI AREA.

3. CONSTANZO SAID THAT IN AGOUT APRIL 1965 HE HAD RECRUITED

SEVERAL CUBAN EXILES FOR ROBERTO ALEJOS ARZU, A GUATEMALAN

MILLIOAIRE LIVING IN MIAMI BEACH, WHO WERE TO BE USCO BY ALEJOS

IN HIS ATTEMPT TO OVERTHROW THE GOVERNMENT OF ENRIQUE PERALTA:

AZURDIA. A CONSTANZO STRESSED THAT THERE WERE POLITICAL COMMITMENTS

INVOLVED IN ALEJOS' RECRUITMENT OPERATION, IN THAT THE CUBAN EXILES

ViERE TO BE PERMITTED. TO ESTABLISH AN ANTI-CASTRO BASE OF OPERATIONS

iN GUATEMALA IF THE ATTEMPTED OVERTHROW WERE SUCCESSFUL. (FIELD

COMMENT:: ALEJOS'. ATTEMPTED OVERTHROW ASORTED IN EARLY MAY AND THE

CUSAN EXILES DISBANDED:

CONSTANZO HAD BEEN RECRUITED FOR THE

OPERATION AS A TEAM LEADER.) IN THE PRESENT RECRUITMENT OPERATION,

HOWEVER, CONSTANZO POINTED OUT THAT THE PRIMARY ATTRACTION IS THE

$58-A-DAY PAYMENT_FOR SERVICES RENDERED.

CONFIDENTIAL

CONTROLLES ESSEN

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COTRELLED DISSES

IN

100s

87815

TDCS D3-315/G2005/PAcE

CONFIDENTIAL

4..

GERALD PATRICK HEMMING, AN AMERICAN, IS REVIEWING ALL THE

FORMS SUBMITTED BY THE POTENTIAL RECRUITS FOR THE OPERATION ANO

MAS THE AUTHORITY TO GIVE FINAL APPROVAL TO THE CANDIDATES. ON

& JUNE HE WAS SEEN DRESSED, IN COVERALLS AND WAS WEARING A SILVER-

COLORED HELMET, ATTIRE WHICH IS USUALLY EMPLOYED BY MEN ENGAGED

IN CONSTRUCTION WORK•

...AS OF 9 JUNE, A GROUP OF THE EXILES WAS SCHEDULED TO DEPART

FROM THE UNITED STATES ON 12 JUNE, PRESUMABLY FOR THE DOMINICAN

REPUBLIC.

6.

FIELD DISSEM:: CINCSO; CINCLANT, COMKWESTFOR, MIAM! REPS.

OF STATE, FBI, CUSTOMS, laNS, BORDER PATROL, FAA AND USCG.

1:1.0

SALSO SENT SANTO DOMINGO.).

END OF MESSAGE

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