MEMO RE: CUBAN REVOLUTIONARY COUNCIL (CRC) INTERNAL SECURITY - CUBA / REPORTED LANDING OF COMMANDOS IN CUBA
Originator: FBI
From: FBI, MIAMI, FLORIDA
To: FBI, HEADQUARTERS
Document date: 1963-06-21 00:00:00
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

# DOCID-32383740

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104-10227-10256

Released under the John F

Kennedy Assassination

Records Collection Act of

1992 (44 USC 2107 Note).

Case#:NW 65990 Date:

10: 49-2021

CIA HAS NO OBJECTION TO

DECLASSIFICATION AND/OR

RELEASE OF THIS DOCUMENT

AS SANITIZED

!!'

FBI

INFO.

REVIEWED BY FBI/JFK TASK FORCE

ON

10/21/98

RELEASE IN FULL

RELEASE IN PART - AS AGreea

NUTAL DENIAL /

то ВУ

Miant, Florida

June

21, 1963

(V. RE: O CUBAN REVOLUTIONARY COUNCIL

(CRC)

INTERNAL SECURITY - CUBA

DBA 4.3861

MNCHONIMED

•1111 3 1.363

11619. 5088.

REPORTED LANDING OF COMMANDOS IN CUBA

On the mornine of Tune 20. 1963.C

> Cuban

Ruvolutionary Council (CRC), all antI-CASTRO unity organiza-

cion In Mland, furnished a copy of a news reloase which was

In the process of being issued by the CRC that morning.

Ills release reada as follows:

"Commandos of the Cuban Revolutionary Council

have landed in different parts of Cuba, continuing

the actions which will definitely lead to the

liberation of our

country. The first reporte

sent by our forces reveal that the landings were

effected without any difficulty and had the utmost

cooperation of the peasants in the surrounding:

zones. These coumandos, perfectly anned, hava

• entered Cuban territory:

Tomorrow, at 1:00 P.M.,

the general headquarters of these forces will

offer a radlo transmission, from

Cuba, to cho

exiles, In the forty meter band, 7018 kilocycleg."

explained that the CRC had prepared this

if crane be one o ease are eas

news release following newspaper inquiry concernlng a New

York press cablegram che same date

concerning the landing

Jaid that the commandos

Involved belonged to a member organization of the CRC but

10-27-98

PLEA

19=120-18

CIA HISTORICAL REVIEW PROGRAM

RELEASE AS SANITIZED

1998

19-9-911

19-124-25

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CUBAN REYOLUTIONARY COUNCIL (CRC)

he was at that time unable to identify the specific

organization;

also, he did not know the details of the

alleged landing but stated that he did not belleve this

uperation was based from any place in the United States

aud did not know ite point of origin.

On che morning of June 20, 1963, MM I-1, a Cuban

exile vell acquainted with Cuban revolutionary activitles

and who has furrighed reliable information in the past

advised that a United Press cablegram dated June 20, 1963,

Communique No. l of the Revolutionary

Council," had been released that morning. This cable

"The Commandos of the Revolutimary Council

have landed at various pointa in Cuba to wage an

effective war against the Communist reflose of

PIDEL CASTRO, according to an announcesent made

toda here in Miami by the Revolutionary Council.

The announcement does not state the number of

men who landed or whether they came by ship of

by planes.

Neither does it clarify the date of

the landing.

Huwever, the Council sald that the

first dispatches recelved by radio. fros our forces

state that the landing took place without diffi-

culty and

had the complete cooperation of all the

people

and of the region. These

corardos are

properly armed and

have penetrated the territory

of Cuba.

Tomorrow at one P.M., over 1800 Mega-

cycles, the milltary command of these forces will

broadcast over the band of 40 meters, 7018 K1lo-

cycles, to report to the Cuban exiles. The Council

announces that the war for liberation has begun and

that its forces are prepared to wage var against

the enemy.

This announcement has been classified

'War Communique No. l' and bears che signature of

JOSE FERNANDEZ BADUE LUCAS, member of the Council

and roomissioner of the Department

of Information."

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t.0::779.

CUBAN REVOLUTIONAKY COUNCIL (CRC)

MM I-l sald that the above.

communique was

reportedly given to the United Press by JORGE LLANES

PUJOL,

former walter with the cuban newspaper

"prenan

Llbro, " now asslatant. In public relations for the CRO.

MM. I-I said that about 10:00 A.M. on June 20,

1963, MANUEL ANTONIO DE VARONA and three other representa-

cives of che CRO appeared on a Miaml television program

and publicly confirmed that commandos of che CKC had

landed in Cuba.

On the morning of June 20, 1963, MM I-?, who

is assoclated with the CRC and who has furnished rellable

Information in the past, advised that this comando action

was led by JOSE ARRIOLA of che Movimiento Recuperacion

Revolucionarla (MRR) and that four groups were reportedly

Involved,

all connecied with the CRC.

MM I-l Identified

ARRIOLA as being

the brocher-in-law of SERGIO CARBO, &

member of the CRC. It Is to be noted that the MRR 18 a

member organization of the CRC and chat jOSE FERNANDEZ

BADUE LUCAS, mentioned In the above cablegram, 19 a repre-

sentative of the Moviulento Democrata Cristiana (MDC) to the

CRC.

on the morning of June 20, 1963, MM I-3 and

MA I-4, L

JIn the MOC, a member

organization of the CRC and wno nave

furnished rellable

Information in the past, advised that five or six Cuban

Nationals 111 Mlaul recently returned to Cuba to rejoin

& Cuban undergrourd leader known as CAMPOS. CAMPOS

for-

merly headed

an underground group under the coumand of

THORNDYKE, a well-known Cuban underground. leader, now

deceased.

MM T-3 and MM T-4 sald that since the

CRC 18

now being critleized, has become

somewhat inactive, and

Is threatened with being overshadowed by other unity

groups, the CRO Issued this press release for political

and propaganda purposes.

They pointed out thet five or

six persons, names unknown to them, did not actually

conduct a rald or attack, nor were

they sent by the CRa

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CUBAN REVOLUTIONARY COUNCIL (CRC)

to infiltrate, but acted on their own initlative in re-

entering Cuba to Join CAMPOS.

During the early afternoon of June 20, 1963,

ME. MANUEL ANTONIO DE VARONA, who, is one of the lesding

members of the CRC, advised that several days previously,

fifteen to twenry Cuband left from an unidentified place

in the Caribbean on a guerrilla-type infiltration opera-

tion into Cuba.

They

intended to set up a radio station

there.

They are now located In three or four places in

Las Villas and Oriente Provinces of Cuba.

This group is

in contact in Miaol with JOSE ARRIOLA, who 18 the MRR

representative. to the CRC.

DE VARONA

said that menbers

of this group in Cuba will not return to the United states.

DE VARONA commented on a Miami press

statesant

of June 20, 1963, which placed the number in this g=oup

at 500.

He säld

that this number was strictly for pub-

llcity purposes and that this operation was not sasctioned

by the United States Government.

A late edition of the "Miami News" dated June 20,

1963, carrled a front page headline article entitled,

"500

Refugee Commandos Land In Cuba, Exiles Say."

This article

stated that the CRC had announced dramatically that the

exile commandos have disembarked in Cuba and called the

landings "the beginning of the liberation of Cuba." The

article continued, "Other exile sources reported thai as

many as 500 men landed

and indicated that several beach-

heads were picked out."

This article stated that long-amalted reports

of landings sent joy sweeping

through Miani's tens of

thousands of Cuban exiles but that in Washington, there

was no confirmation of the news.

This article stated that

the commandos were reported

to represent thrte

groups of the Council, Rescate, the MiR and the MDC.

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CUBAN REVOLUTIONARY COUNCIL (CRC)

On the afternoon of June 20, 1969, ME. JOSE

ARRIOLA, who Identifled himself as the representative

to the CRC of che

MRR, furniahed the following information:

Mr. ARRIOLA stated that ten days ago, the MRR

sent three separate groups into Cuba for infiltration pur-

poses and to Join up with MRR guerrillas already.

operating

1n the central

and western provinces of Cuba.

The landings

were made by boat from a base outside the United States, the

location of which Me. ARRIOLA declined to identify. All

three groups, consisting of about ten men each, landed on

the same day successfully.

Fairly large boats took each

group within severil miles of shore and the Cubans rowed

in to

shore by suull boats, which they then sank.

•Each

group cook in small

arms, demolition equipment and other

gear suitable for training

purposes and to carry on

guerrilla-type warfare.

All Individuals participating

have been safely accounted for, according to Mr. ARRIOLA,

and

on Friday, June 14, 1963, the first radio transmission

was received from these men.

ME. ARRIOLA Bald that this is a long range

program.

Individugls Involved are members of the MRR.

Radio transmitting and recelving equipment was taken

Into cuba by these three groups.

Transmissions are made

by using both code and plain text.. The radio trangmitter

In Cuba 1s equipped with crystals for three separate

frequencies.

He confired that a transmission would be

made at 1:00 P.M., June 21, 1963,

on the 40

meter band

at 7018 kilocycles and that regular transmissions would

be made at pre-arranged intervals thereafcer under

security precautionary measures.

MI. ARRIOLA stated that he wanted tu emphasize

that this operation was not a commando raid, despite

newspaper terminology, but it was an infiltration type

of action

for the purpose of training and building up

guerrilla forces inside Cuba, as this procedure 19

belleved by the CRC to be in

keeping with the expressed

• 5-

Віт,".

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CUBAN REVOLUTIONARY COUNCIL (CRC>

DBA 43861

United States policy as belng tho best meched of over-

throwing the communist regime of FIDEL. CASTRO.

Mr. ARRIOLA sald that the future problem of

the CRC and the MRR 18 that of supplying these guerrilla

forces on a continuing basis and he expressed hope chat

some help would be forthcoming from the United States

Government or other sources.

He said 1t was their original intention not

to publicize this action but that somehow, news leaked

out to the press.

Ho Ildiculed the newspaper statement

mentloned above alleging that 500 men were involving in

landingy

In Cuba, pointing out that this figure 1s not

consistent with the true facts, as only about thirty

men actually landed and that

It was strictly 'an inf1l-

tration procedure and not a commando type tit and run

action.

This document contains neither recoumendationg

nos conclusiona of the fBI.

It is the property of the FBI

loaned to your agency; It and its contents are not

to be distributed

outside your agency.

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