ESPINOSA ALLEGATIONS.
Originator: CIA
From: WH/C/SP
To: C/WH
Document date: 1965-01-01 00:00:00
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

# DOCID-32343800

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Date: 11/30/04

JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM

IDENTIFICATION FORM

AGENCY INFORMATION

AGENCY : CIA

RECORD NUMBER

RECORD SERIES

104-10054-10018

AGENCY FILE NUMBER

80T01357A

DOCUMENT INFORMATION

AGENCY ORIGINATOR : CIA

FROM : WH/C/SP

: C/WH

TITLE

ESPINOSA ALLEGATIONS.

01/01/1965

PAGES

SUBJECTS

ALLEGATIONS

ESPINOSA

JFK ASSASSINATION

AMWHIP /1

DOCUMENT TYPE : PAPER

CLASSIFICATION

CURRENT STATUS

RESTRICTIONS RELEA

RELEASED IN PART PUBLIC - RELEASED WITH DELETIONS

DATE

OF LAST REVIEW

: 05/13/04

COMMENTS

JFK7: F5: 20031203-1019668

65924 Date: 10-21-2021

[R] - ITEM IS RESTRICTED

104-10054-10018

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MEXORANDUH FOR: Chief, WID for Cuba

SUBJECT

: Espinosa Allegations

1. Sensitivity: Regardless of accuracy, they

A. present a problam becausa of their having been

presented to other government agencies;

B.

in view of natters touching on U.s. security,

are dellcate and could have unfavorable regercussions

li repeated to newgmen by the complainant or his

associates (whose independent, previous threats were

0f greater potential embarrassment);

affect the reputations and the security of our

personnel at Madrid and Paris.

2. Action: In view of the foregoing, the allegations

A, should be put in proper perspective - 1.e., not

ignored bocause of

the potential embarrassment

but

considered in the light of what we already know !:

(Almost all of then are repetitions of previous

charges and reports, known well to both the ladrid

and Paris stations and to Headquarters officers

concerned with the AllASH group, whoge members'

reliability, reputations and good faith are question-

abde.

THO

of the charges

- about Earle and

"Tota"

and about AMVHIP-1 and CARRILLO - are new.);

should be treated so as to protect us against any

charge of laxity and so ag to establish

facts but,

at the same time, treated so as to avoidattributing

to then more importance than they deserve;

C. should be kept in mind as examples ot ocher

charges which may belandlad about and raported by the

AMLASH group to other governmental agencias or to

other governments or to news media (In the last

connection recall the implied threat of publishing

Obroks respongibillty, as reported previously by

MADA-3716, IN 38634.1;

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-&-

should be examined together with all the other

availabla reports so that we may

(1) clarily our own objectives and wishes with

respect to all the AMLASH group (and this includes

AWWHIP);

{2)

sort out which people, if any, are worth our

time in the future;

take appropriate nessures, including inter-

rogation and polygraphing, to clarily doubts and

then, when necegsary, terminate those who are

working for us but are not worthwhile;

(1) tighten up our own operational and security

procedures in connection with the AMLASH sTOp.

3.

Preliminary Analysis: As pointed out in a preliminary

analysis of the AHLASH complex, made in March 1965 when I was

preparing for travel to liadrid in connection with the QuHOPS-1

...there is so convincing evidence that the group is

working either for or against the regice of Fidel CASTRO.

Reports on their contacts with us and their discussions among

thensolves are at variance.

In 1962 Fidel CASTRO, reportedly

knowins that they were plotting against hin, talked to AMLASA-I

and seven embers of his group to enlist their support against

Anibal ESCALANTI Dellunde and the conmunists in Cuba.

Possibly

they are piaying both ends against the middle.

They certainly

have been and are in contact with the two ends."

The following

couvents are keyed to matters raised by ESPINOSA:

A. The AMLASH consplracy - As detailed by HADR-3716

(IN 28654)

on 6 April 1965,

QUSPORT-I reporting on a netiny

oh the AMlisd group, including AJMBIP-l mentioned the following

sigzialcant points:

KUBARk was criticlzed for "fooling around for

years" without helping and for jeopardizing the operation;

12) the group was to be prepared to denounce

ODYOKE as responsible

11 the operation lails and belleved that

the sesulting scandal would make the Bay of Pigs seem insigni-

ficant; and

(3)

ABILASH-3 was in toich with Cuban Intelligence

as established by coded messages which he exhibited.

As reported by PARI-1532 (IN 82939) on 4 June 1965, based on

meetings with ESPINOSA,

the problen seen by Paris is that

TERG

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"the AMLASH circle is wide and each ney friend of whom we learn

saeng to have knowledge of the plan."

I beliove that the

problem is a nore serious and bagic one.

As indicated in

paragraph 3 of the present menorandum,

Fidel CASTRO himself

reportedly knew as far back ag

1962 that the group was plotting

against bin and, knowing it,

enlisted its support.

cannot rule out

the possibility of provocation.

Assassination,

obviously, is a dangerous game, not merely to the piotters in

a phygical sense,

but to a sponsoring government which nay

sullar severe political repercussiong at home and abroad if its

involvesent is made known.

In the instant case,

exposure of the ODYOkE hand would appear high, whether there is

a provocation or not.

Congldering the individuals who are

involved directly, their contacts with RUBARK cificers, and theis

reported plan to expose ODYOKE, persisting in the plan

be highly embarrassing to KUßARK.

(This is even more the case

now that ESPINOSA has talked to ODENVY and ODURGa,

although

fortuzztely the tenor of his complaint was that KUBARk bad not

given adequate support to the plan.)

The contacts at Paris and the matters afiecting

¿üe Paris Station. - The

"recruitment" of Naureen had been the

subject of an exchange of cables between Paris and Headgarters

and of discussions at Headquarters between HH/C and WE (Sce

PARI-1071 (IN 66557) and DIR-10955). The annoying thing in

this connection now is that ESPINOSA has talked about it to

ODiNVY and ObUrCE and the danger that, if he is indiscreet,

his story avous this (and the other matters) could reach some

(In this connection, it appears that the

questionable decision to put laureen in touch with the AliLASH

group was made without the knowledge of StCCKICOD.›

ESPINOSA

did not raport any criticism of the KuBarkers at Paris but it

that the AMLASH group knows nore about them than

What is neu and of concern from eSPInoSa about

matters in Paris is his story of AWHIP l and JNSNAFU-19

dealings. The questiong raised about AMVHIP-1 are of mutual

concern also to Headquarterg which has been running hin and

Madrid which he has visited often.

(on the occasion of my

previous trip to ladrid on the QuiOPS-i case, GROWERY had voiced

his doubts about the whole group and specifically about suiHl?-1

and his connection with UNSNArU-19.)

at issue are two basio

the knowledge on the part of UNSNAFU-19 about fubaRk's

connection with AWWHIP-l and the charge that AMHilP-l has been

defrauding KUBARK in the jewelry transaction.

Also to be kept

in mind is the lact that ODENVY has an office In Paris which

well night have been inforned of the allegations and which night

bave been asked for comments - althouga ODENVY policy alvays

has been to stay aray from any irvestigation of other governient

agencies unless specifically directed by the Attorney General

to investigate.

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Criticism of the Madrid Station - Criticisn oi

the hadrid Station by the AlASt group is not new.

and - were in hadrid and wanted direct contact, but the

Station has had reservations about seeing them.

The Station has

been involved indirectly because of reporting by its sources

about and involvement of Station targets nith both thn AHLASH

and ALWORLD operations (both handled fron Headquarters).

(See MADR-2982 (IN 72256) and MADR-2998 (IN 73094) (both RYBAT) .)

Meetings among RUSPORT, QUSWIFT-I, AUNHIP-I and AMLASH figures

produced conflicting repurts which previously vere discussed at

Madrid and at deadquariorg. Insofar 2a GROVERY hingell is

concersed, lt must be kept in mind that he is a natural target

on whom the AlLasH group would as inclined to locus its con

Vita regard to the specifis complaint about "Tota"

GROWTRY has identifled her as GUSWIFT-T and hag reported that

so staller fyon the Station ever had contact with her.

Further involvement of ESPINOBA: On 10 June ODENVY

notified KUBArk at New York that Allish-2 had telephoned

ESPINOSA to ask whether he had succeeded in contacting "the

proper people"

rasponsibla KUBARY representativog - and

to request notice oi

the resulting arrangements.

AJWHI3-1: Our plan calls for meting hin next week

to obtais PRo information and to obtain clarification of the

roles played by those involved with him in the AMLAcH operation.

Hig dealings with UNSNA7U-19 also will be covered. Following

this, an LerLoxian examination is planned.

This may helo to

determine whether he has been truthful in his reporting.

Harold I. Swenson

#H/C/SP

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SEGNE?

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