FIELD INFORMATION REPORT: SUBJECT - POSSIBLE PARTICIPATION OF MELVIN HAYES, A PILOT, IN A FORTHCOMING AIR STRIKE OVER CUBA BY THE MIRR
Agency: CIA
Originator: CIA
From: JMWAVE
Document date: 04/15/1965
Document type: PAPER-TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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104-10192-10036

HSS

REPORT COVER SHEET

REPO

FROM

F

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RET

UATE UP REPORT

JHAVE

REPORTINÙ ÖFFICES

Chester R. MENDRICK, NI

REPORTS ONFiCER

APPROVINO OFFICER

Nargaret R.. NANKALL/uta

Andrew Ne

Red sedan

BACIGNOUNO DATA AND CONNINTH.

UFG-7024

15 April 1965

PROJ.

"Ice en.

TYPIC

Source:

8. April 1965.

ANCLATTER-1 from Mike Rafferty on 26 March and

hib: Please index.,

MelvIn HAYES

-1T11134

DOB:

Ca.: 1923

pilot who may have participated

i air strikes over Cuba for the

MIRR

Arkansas. 1

Resident oftBrinkley,

THOSILED

APR 22 1935

DUE MinitO. JEN

Group 1: Excluded from

Automntic Downgrading

and Declassification

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FIELD INFORMATION REPORT

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CONFIDENTIAL

CUNTIOLLED DISSEN

COUNTRY Cuba

SUBJECTü Possible Participation of Bolvin

Hayos, a Pilol,

in a Forthcoming

Air Strike over Cuba by thu MIRR

REPORT NO.

DATE OF REPORT15 April 1965

NO. PAGES

3

REFERENCES

DATE OF

8 April 1965

PLACE & United States, Miami

DATE ACQ (12 Apri] 1965)

SOURCE:

07C 7034

1.

2•

3.

1.

A Mlamt businossman who was a rosidont of Habana for sororal

years..

"The sourco bas contacts who rocognizo hio as a ciannel

to VoS. Intolligonco. This information was obtained fron Mike

Rafferty®

On 8 Aprll 1965, Mike Rafforty, an associate of Bill Johnson,

an Anerican pilot who arranges

the support aspocts of boabing

missions for Orlando Bosch Avila's lovinionto Insurreccional de

Recuporacion Revolucionaria (MIFA, Insurroctional Losemai for

Rovolutionary Rocovery), said that Bosch claimed to have been in

touch with Molvin layos, a pilot from Arkansas who has boon en-

gagod in crop dusting.

On 8 April Frank Swanner, a friand of,

Hayes, allegodly told Bill Johnson that ho had received a phone

call fron Fajes

frow Arkansas saying that layos would be in the

Miant area within a week.

Raflorty said ho bolioves that Hayes' arrival in Miant is related:

to plans for a raid on a Cuban

discardod his plan to uso a B-26 in a bonbing mission of labana

bocause of tho high cost of such an operation.

Howevor, Boscil

bas raised onough monoy to finance the bombing of a sugar mill.

Contacts betwoon layes and Boscli are handled through illino,"

Cuban exile who has been manufacturing bomba for Bosch's raids.

"Mimo" la belloved to reside in to general area of NT 19tb

Avenue and 31st Streot, Minal. 1

Hayes first bocano associatod with Sosch through frand Swanner,

a fellow crop dustor.

Swannar hud advised layos tiat thero ras

• money to be mado in the Cuban raid businoss.

CONFIDENTIAL

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CONFIDENTIAL

CONTROLLAD DISSEN

6..

UFG 7024

Rifforty has alleged that Hayes piloted tho plano which made

the alr strike over the Niagara sugar mill in northem Pinar

del Rio Provinco on 17 January 1905.

Hayes rentod

an alrcraft

in Orlando and

flew to Immokalco,

Florida,

near Naplos,

where

ho knows a man who owns a molol

close to a landing strip.

strly

is equipped with night-landing lights but no tower.

The

Thore

the plane was refueled and lunded with bombs supplled by

"Mino," It then took off for Cuba.

The MIRR's 12 - 13 Fobruary raid of the Babia Honda sugar mill,

also to Pinar del Rio Province,

was handled directly betwen

Hayes and Bosch. Johnson was eliminated when layes reported

Johnson's failure

to turn over all of Hayes' fee for the Niagara

7.

Johnson gave Hayos only $300 and kopt the rest.

Hayes Informod Bosch that be bad only recoived $300, Bosch pald

him $1,000 and arranged for the second flight which took place

without Johnson's knowledge.

Hayes is divorced from his firat wife but is in tho process of

re-marrying her.

who to been working on date to .

was recently Jailed for using his employor's credit

card.

He was later released when he agreed to pay or work off

the debt.

8.

A Texan naned Dennis Overstreet, who claims to know layes since

childhood, said that Hayes is a

tough customer who would traffic

In anything. He la a very good pilot and can fly a B26.

Field Comments:

1. "Mino" may be identical with Daniel Orlando Ramiroz Denis,

an explosives specialist.

2. This is probably Carl Riddel of Riddel's Flying Service.

CONPIDENTIAL

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