Agency: FBI
Originator: FBI
From: LEG, CAR
To: DIRECTOR, FBI
Document date: 10/7/76
Document type: PAPER-TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

## Page 1

JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM

IDENTIFICATION FORM

AGENCY INFORMATION

AGENCY: FBI

RECORD_ NUMBER: 124-10206-10352

RECORD SERIES: HO

AGENCY FILE NUMBER: 2-2173-22

DOCUMENT INFORMATION

ORIGINATOR: FBI

FROM: LEG. CAR

TO: DIRECTOR. FBI

TITLE:

DATE: 10/07/1976

PAGES: 8

SUBJECT: CUBANA AIRLINES, BOMBING, ACA, OBA, ASSOC, SUSP, BKG, TRA, PEP

DOCUMENT TYPE:

ORIGINAL

CLASSIFICATION:

PAPER. TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

Secret

NEW

CLASSIFICATION:

REVIEW DATE:

05/11/1998

STATUS Redact

UPDATE DATE:

RESTRICTIONS:

JFK Act 6 (1)(C)

JFK Act 6 (4)

COMMENTS:

INC NOTE

---

## Page 2

de a.

{ 10/8/76

GENERAL INVESVIGATIVE DIVISION

SECRET

Attached from Legat,

Caracas advises of crash,

possibly caused by a bomb, of Cubana Airlines Flight 455

*(DC-8*Aircraft leased by Cubana from Air Canada), in the

Caribbean Sea off the coast of Barbados at about 1:45 p.m.,

10/6/76, shortly after takeoff from Seawell Airport,

Barbados, en route to Havana, Cuba, via Kingston,

Jamiaca.

No survivors among

78 passengers.

Airport

official at Barbados reportedly informed that pilot told

tower there had been an explosion in one of the rear

lavatories of the plane.

Flight log recovered after

crash noted power failure in #4 engine but no mention of

(explosion. Trinidad and Tobago Police (TTP) are holding

two Venezuelan citizens, Jose Vazquez Garcia and Freddy

Lugo, whom they believe

may 'be connected with this crash.

ITP request any information of these individuals. Legat,

Caracas Illes negative re individuals..on 10/7/76, a

confidential source abroad advised Lugo, supra, is

emproyea oy Louls posada, former head Venezuelar

counterintelligencelSwho resignec

in 1973.

Posada is

Cuban exile known for his anti-Castro activities.

This

same confidential source advised that in view of ärrest

of Vazquez and Lugo the Venezuelan Government is arranging

ror Posada and Orlando Bosch Avila (leader of Coordinacion

de Urganizaciones Revolucionarias Unidas (CORU) to leave

Venezuela as soon as dossible.

The source all but

admitted that Posada and Bosch had engineered the bombing

of the airline.

From statement of source it appears

almost certain

that Venezuelan Government was privy to

[]

activities of Posada and Bosch. Appropriate dissemination

being made.

FBI Identification Division records negative re

Lugo and Garcia.

Lugo at time of arrest had in possession

address book with Legat Caracas' address. Legat, Caracas

has no recollection of ever having met Vazquez. Lugo.

Legat, Caracas has had limited contact with Posada while

employed with Venezuelan Counterintelligencel and after his

resignation from Venezuelan Counterintelligence in

connection with visa request.

FBIHQ files negative re Garcia,

however, files indicate Lugo was approached by Cuban Agents

(connected with Embassy in Caracas)

information. Lugo then offered services to Vene velan area El

intelligence officials. Legat Caracas

1-

Mr. Held

1

- Mr. Adams

1 - Mr. Leavitt

JBL:pdh: sas

APPROVED:

AssOC. DiTi

Dep. AD AdMi

Dep: AD Invest

Asst. Dir a

FEREIN IS UNCEASSIFIEI

REVIEWED

EXCEPT WHERE SHOONTINUED

FEUFK TASK FORCE

OTHERWI SE

ON

9/11/96 J2Spe

Ext. Affairs...

Laboralory.

RELEASE IN FULL

Fin. & Pers.

Gen. Inv...

Legal Egun PELEASE IN PART

Plan. & Insp.

Ident...

Intelle

Spec. Inv...

uraining..

BO TOTAL SECRET

UADR 6-1-83

oskine

---

## Page 3

PAGE FOUR CAR 2-9

SECRET

"PAGE IN POSSESSION OF LUGO APPARENTLY FROM ADDRESS BOOK WITH

LETTER "E" ON IT CITED FOLLOWING: EMBASSY AMERICAN 2846111-127;

FBI JOSEPH LEO 331511•

"TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO POLICE ARE FINGERPRINIING BOTH SUSPECTS

AND COPYING ALL DOCUMENTS IN THEIR POSSESSION.

"TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO POLICE REQUEST URGENTLY ANY INFORMATION

OF THESE PERSONS, PARTICLARLY ANY CRIMINAL RECORDS. NO OBJECTION

TO LEGATT CONTACTING LOCAL POLICE/ SECURITY SERVICES. POLICE REQUEST

AT LEAST INTERIM REPLY BEFORE 1700 LOCAL TIME. PLEASE SEND REPLY

NIACT IMMEDIATE.

"POLICE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF ANYONE FROM LEGAIT OFFICE PLANS

TO COME TO TRINIDAD ON THIS CASE, OR HOW YOUR WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE

COPIES OF FINGERPRINI S, ETC."

VENEZUEL AN IDENT IFICAT ION BUREAU ADVISED ON OCTOBER 7, 1976,

THAT PASSPORTS ISSUED TO VAZQUEZ AND LIGO ARE VALID. PTJ, CARACAS,

INFORMED THAT NEITHER HAS PRIOR ARREST RECORD. LEGAT HAS NO

RECOLLECTION OF EVER HAVING MET VAZQUEZ OR LUGO. CARACAS FILES

NEGATIVE REGARDING THEM (8)

ON OCTOBER 7, 1976, A CONFIDENTIAL SOURCE ABROAD ADVISED IHAT (

END PAGE FOUR

STATE DEPENFO REMAINS

T'ETE." M PARA 4) PER DES

AUTHORITY

917/16.

SECRET

2-2173-22

---

## Page 4

PAGE FIVE CAR 2-9

ECRET

FREDDY LUGO IS A VENEZUALEN NEWSMAN WHO IS ALSO EMPLOYED AS AN IN-

VESTIGATOR BY LUIS POSADA, FORMER HEAD OF THE COUNTERINTELLIGENCE

DIVISION, DIELET CARACASO

HE RESIGNED FROM HIS POSITION WITH DISIPI(S)

1973, AFTER THE ELECTION OF VENEZ LELAN PRESIDENT CARLOS ANDRES

EREZ.) POSADA IS A QUEAN EXILE WHO IS ENOWN FOR HIS ANTI-CASTRO

ACTIVITIES, AND HE REPORTEDLY

' ASSISTED ORLANDO BOSH AVILA IN 1974,

SHORILY BEFORE BOSCH WAS ARRESTED BY VENEZ LELAN AUTHORITIES.

LEGAT BECAME ACQUAINTED WITH POSADA WHILE THE LATTER WAS

FEFILIATED WITH DISIANO AFTER HIS RESIGNATION, POSADA CONTINUED

TO CONTACI LEGAT ON RARE OCCASIONS, USUALLY IN ORDER TO OBTAIN

PERSONALIZED SERVICE IN CONNECTION WITH VISA REQUESTS. IN VIEW OF

LUGO'S EMPLOYMENI BY POSADA, LEGAT ASSUMES HIS NAME AND TELEPHONE

NUMBER WERE FURNISHED TO LUGO BY POSADA. LEGAT ESTIMATES HE HAS

SEEN POSADA IN PERSON ON PERHAPS THREE OCCASIONS SINCE 1973, THE

LAST I IME BEING ON JUNE 1D, 1976, WHEN POSADA VISITED LEGAI OFFICE

TO INQUIRE IF FBI HAD INTEREST IN CARLO BORDONI (BUFILE 29168654;

CARFILE 29-15). INFORMED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, POSADA REVEALED

BORDONI HAD HIRED TWO OF HIS OPERATIVES AS ARMED BODY GUARDS AT HIS

HOME. THAT INFORMAI WAS WAS PASSED BY LEGAI TO [VENE -

ZUELAN POLICE WHO WERE INVOLVED. IN THE ARREST ACTION AGAINSI BORDONI.

END PAGE FIVE

SECRET

---

## Page 5

PA GE

SIX, CAR 2-9

SYE

CRET

POSADA MORE OFTEN REFERRED TO LEGAT RELATIVES AND ASSOCIATES

SEEKING ADVICE REGARDING VISAS, THE LAST BEING ONE OF HIS EMPLOYEES,

HER NAN RICARDO LOZANO, WHO SOUGHT A VISA TO TRAVEL TO SAN JUAN,

PUERTO RICO, ON OCTOBER 1, 1976 LEGAI WILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFO

DEVELOPED REGARDING RICARDO IN A SUBSEQUENT COMMUNICATION.

ON OCTOBER 7, 1976, THE CONFIDENTIAL SOURCE FURTHER ADVISED THAT

IN VIEW OF THE ARREST OF VAZQUEZ AND LUGO IN TRINIDAD, THE VENEZUELAN

GOVERNMENT

AS

LEAVE VENEZUEL AAS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

ARRANGING FOR LUIS POSADA AND ORLAND BOSCH AVILA 1O

SOON AS POSSIBLE. THE SOURCE ALL BUT ADMITTED

THAT POSADA AND

BOSCH HAD ENGINEERED THE BOMBING OF THE AIRLINE, AND

LE PROMISED TO FURNISH FURTHER DETAILS ON OCTOBER 8, 1976.

ADMINISTRATIVE: CONFIDENI IAIL SOURCE IS RICARDO MORALES

-COUNTER INTELL IGENCE DIVISION, DISIP, CARACAS,

NAVARRETE,

VENEZUELA.

FROM STATEMENIS OF MORALES, IT APPEARS ALMOST CERTAIN THAI THE

VENEZUEL AN GOVERNMENT WAS PRIVY TO THE ACTIVITIES OF POSADA AND

BOSCH AND THAT IT NOW WILL ATTEMPT TO DISASSOCIATE II SELF FROM

THEM FOR FEAR OF RETALIATION BY THE CUBAN GOVERNMENT.

SECRET

---