VISIT OF CUBAN EXILE VICTOR ESPINOSA.
Originator: STAT
From: LISTER, GEORGE
To: 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 Cuban Exile Victor Espinosa.

In accordance with our conversation yesterday-I have set

forth below a-report on the visit of Victor Espinosa: maisle

A Venezuelan Christian Denocratic friend of mine, Valmore

Acevedo, called me. from New York City yesterday worning, to ask

as a, personal: favor«that.I receive a Cuban exile. living there

who bad something "amazing" to tell me... When I expressed mild

skepticism, Acevedo urgently repeated bis request and I agreed.

Within a surprisingly»short time the Cuban, Victor Espinosa, r

arrived at my office (he said he had taken, the plane jumedi:

ately):: Espinosa gave-his address and telephone number as

{ollows: 415 East 52nd Street, HA 1-7875. A sumary of his

statements. followers har

411225t:

77. 61994

in decaid,

040Y2r

Espinosa. bas-been involved in Cuban, liberation activitles

for many years., He opposed. Batista and opposes Castro. He 19

not a-member ot. the March-13 Movement, but has long been very

close-to many of -its-leaders, Including Cubelas. Espinosa was

trained by CIA, In both Louisiana and. Guatemala, and was one.

of those who was sent into Cuba prior to the Bay of Pigs.: He

plans. to

become an-American citizen in August of this -year.

He admires the United. States and American strength and compe

tence In many fields. He asked a New York acquaintenance of::

his for the name of someone in the Department involved in

Lazin American affairs.

He-was told Acevedo knew such an

official. Espinosa asked Acevedo (without, he claims, re-

vealing. his story), and the

latter called

me.

A little earlier this year Espinosa received a request

from one of his reliable Cuban contacts in Surope, asking that

he come there quickly. Espinosa went

to Miami, obtained. false

Cuban papers, and went to Paris.

There, apparently in the

presenca of the Cuban Ambassador to France, he met one of the

"top security" men of the Castro regime, who had come to. Paris

for that purpose. During various meetings, both in France and

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in Spain (which Espinosa entered illegally), 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 is

led by Cubelap and some of the Merch 13 Movement, plus (I be-

lieve) some military officers. They must move very quickly

because more and moxe people are learning of the plot and

there: 1s growing risk of exposure. They are anxious to have

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

terms of taking control for a short time (perhaps only a few

hours), killing Castro and his most effective men (thus

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

out for as long as feasible. It is essentiel that they know

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

later, when the coup is attempted. Also, they wished to alert

the United States Goverrment to what was being planned.

24,15-2

LeorThe Cubans: might have turned to Earl Williamson, (the CIA

men in Madrid However, they belleve williamson) is completely.

unTeLiable.:. A Cuban girl-was sent to Madrid some time ago by

the Castro: people. Williamson was fooled by her and, being

very fond of women, set her up in an apartment in Madrid. He

also arranged for her to work with the International Rescue.

Conmittee. When the proper moment came, four months ego, she

flew back to Havana with some very useful files. In these

circumstances. the: Cuban plotters have no confidence whatever

inWilliamson)p3 They urgently asked Espinosa to be their go-

between with reliable American officials. The "top security"

man returned to Havana, while one representative of the

plotters waited in Spein for an answer.

17079 411

..!'

Espinosa hurriedly returned -to New York City. He called

O'Brien of the New York FBI to ask that the latter arrange for

his to telk with some serious and reliable man from CIA.

O'Brien did so. Espinosa then told the foregoing story, and

more, to & CIA men named "Hal"

• Hal impressed Espinosa as

being intelligent and reliable. Espinose understands that Hal

or someone else went to Spain to check on his story. At all

events, Espinosa was assured CIA understood the urgency of the

matter

and that he would be called within a few days.

'A week

hes parsed. However, no call has come and time is rapidly

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running out.

Espinosa's friends in Paris keep calling him,

ceutiously asking whether there has been some "response"

but Espinosa has had to keep putting them off.

Meanwhile,

the Cuban who was waiting in Spain for the answer has had to

return..

Espinosa keeps waiting to hear whether the Americans

will play ball with the Cubelas group.

The plot has lasted

for over l8 months, and the plotters plan to go ahead very

soon no matter whether the Americans "play ball" or not. One

reason is that they almost have to go ahead now, for the plot

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

Espinosa also referred to a jeweler by the name of

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

City. Teppelino works for CIA and has frequent contact with

the Cuban Ambassador, in Paris:

The Ambassador regularly dis-

poses of jewelry and other valuebles made available from cuba.

He does this through Teppeltino. However, the latter fools

CIA. For example, the Ambassedor agrees

to sell for $80,000.

leppellino informs clA the price 18 $110, 000, and quietly

pockets the difference. On the other hand, leppésino anc

CIA think the Cuban Ambassador does not know he is working for

CIA, but the Ambassador does know.

Espinosa is determined to bring the very dangerous

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

official in the United States Government unless he receives

at least some reply from CIA.

Conment:

Espinosa was not overly tense and did not indulge in his-

trionics, but I felt he was quite determined to push this

matter further if he did not get some response within the very

he he not

near future. I cannot, and do not have to, judge his rell-

ability on the basis of this one conversation.

However, If I

had to guess at this point I would be inclined to accept most

of what he said about actual events. 'But of course there are

all sorts of obvious possibilities, including provocation.

In accordance with what we agreed on, while Espinosa 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 addad

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

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

Espinosa seemed somewhat mollified and tamporarily reassured

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

than two or three days more before making another attempt to

bring this situation to a head..?

recond the way

......./:.

*:,

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.:?"

:::*"

' ':

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