MEMO: INTERNAL SECURITY-CUBA
Agency: CIA
Originator: FBI
From: DIRECTOR, FBI
To: DCI
Document date: 6/6/77
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM

- IDENTIFICATION FORM

AGENCY INFORMATION

AGENCY : CIA

RECORD NUMBER

:104-10422-10269

RECORD SERIES

: JFK

AGENCY FILE NUMBER

:

RUSS HOLMES WORK FILES

DOCUMENT INFORMATION

AGENCY ORIGINATOR : FBI

FROM

: DIRECTOR, FBI

TO

: DCI

TITLE : MEMO: INTERNAL SECURITY-CUBA

DATE

: 06/06/1977

PAGES

: 8

SUBJECTS : WITHHELD

VECIANA BLANCH

DOCUMENT TYPE : PAPER

CLASSIFICATION : SECRET

RESTRICTIONS :

1B 1C

CURRENT STATUS : RELEASED IN PART PUBLIC - RELEASED WITH DELETIONS

DATE OF LAST REVIEW : 12/03/98

COMMENTS: JFK-RH11 : F211 : 1998.12.03.14:31:26:123120 : TWO

COPIES. DUPLICATE OF 104-10102-10212 & 104-10103-10172

[R] - ITEM IS RESTRICTED

104-10422-10269

HH 50529 DooId: 32394059

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OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR

SECRET

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20535

BY LIAISON

Date:

TO:

June 6, 1977

Director of Central Intelligence

From:

Clarence M. Kelley, Director

Subject: + OCELOT;

INTERNAL SECURITY - CUBA

This is to advise of pertinent developments in

a double agent operation, assigned the code name "Ocelot,"

which involves a meeting between our asset and Cuban

Intelligence Officers

(CIO's) in Mexico on May 19, 1977.

We learned, after debriefing the asset upon his return

from Mexico, that the format of the meeting had unex-

pectedly involved a videotaped interview of our asset

by Cuban technicians concerning his knowledge and partici-

pation in anti-Castro Cuban exile activities. : (S)

The asset developed in this operation first

became of investigative interest to the Federal Bureau of

Investigation (FBI) in November, 1976, when allegations

were received that he was in contact with known CIO's in

Jamaica during October and November, 1976. Subsequent

investigation, coordinated closely with the Central

Intelligence Agency

• (CIA), confirmed an active relation-

ship with Cuban officials in Jamaica, Panama and Mexico.

A successful interview of asset was effected on April 8,

1977, which resulted in establishing a double agent

operation.: At that point, the asset furnished details

of seven previous meetings with CIO's in Jamaica, Panama

and Mexico.

In addition, asset furnished a typewritten

note containing instructions for his next meeting in

Mexico City, on May 19, 1977, which involved a coded

telephone call to the Cuban

Embassy, Mexico City, to

activate the scheduled meet at a pre-determined time

and place. The purpose of this meeting, according to

the asset, was for the passage of additional information

concerning the activities of Cuban exile groups in the

United States and Latin America, as had been done at

previous meetings. : (S)

SECRET

Classified by 5182

Exempt from GDS, Categories 2 and 3

Date of Declassification, Indefinite

HH 50529 DooId:32394059 Page 2

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; SECRET

Letter to tha Director of Central Intelligence

Re: Ocelot

The asset has advised that he was transported

by autonobile from the meet site in Mexico City to a

hotel room equipped with videotape equipment and occu-

pied by two Cuban technicians.

The asset was then asked

questions by CIO's and his responses were recorded on

videotape..

They assured the asset that this tape would

be shown to high Cuban officials, including Fidel Castro,

and that it would not be made puolic. There is, however,

obvious propaganda value in this film which could be

utilized by the Cuban Government.

advised by CIO's that Premier Fidel Castro has a forth-

coning television news interview with an unnamed U.S.

news commentator, and that they wanted Castro to see this

videotape prior

to his interview.

(S)

According to the asset, the interview began

with questions regarding his family life in Cuba before

the Castro revolution, after which he was asked to comment

on the former Batista

Regime in Cuba.

He was then asked

to nane the political novements of which he had been a

member.

He told the interviewer that in 1964 he had worked

with Alona 66, a militant anti-Castro organization head-

quartered in Miami, Florida, in helping approximately

twenty-eight Cuban

exiles and arms pass through Puerto Rico

to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, for use against Cuba

and that all but

four of these Cuban exiles had returned

to Puerto Rico.: Ihe four who did not return are now in

Cuban jails.

(S)

Asset was also asked about his participation in

an assassination attempt of Fidel Castro in Chile in 1971.

The asset stated that he had participated in the attempt

with Antonio Veciana, a Cuban exila now residing in liami.

When asked if Veciana had baen employed by the CIA, he

replied that he did not know, however, assumed that he

was, based on the fact that Veciana had used a car with

United States diplomatic license plates to transport the

necessary arms and equipment from Bolivia, where Veciana

SECRET

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SECRET

Letter to the Director of Central Intelligence

Re: Ocelot

was employed in the United States Enbassy, to Chile.

This

plan was aborted by other Cuban exile participants at the

last minute.

Asset had previously furnished this infor-

nation to CIO's during other meetings.. (S)

"Asset was also questioned about a 1961

asaassi-

nation attempt directed at Castro in Cuba, in which the

asset participated.

ile acknowledged that he, Veciana,

and Bernardo Pradreres had at that time tried to kill

Castro with a bazooka.

They waited in

an apartment, which

123

rented in Havana, Cuba, by Veciana's mother-in-law,

for Castro to appear at the nearby Cuban capitol. Pradrores

had hired two other individuals not known to the assat to

do the actual firing, but when Castro finally appeared the

bazooka failed to fire due to its deteriorated state from

having been buried for an extended period of time.

The

Cuban authorities later discovered the bazooka, which had

been left in the apartment, and were then able to identify

(S)

During the initial interview of asset on

April 3, 1977, he made available a photograph obtained

from Antonio Veciana, which Veciana claimed to depict

Lee Harvey Oswald in attendance at an Alpha 66 meeting

in Dallas, Texas, in 1963.

Another photograph depicted

Veciana as a speaker at this neeting. The asset had

made this information available to CIO's at previous

meetings. In the last segment of videotaping in Mexico,

the asset was confronted with enlarged photographs of

the alleged Alpha 66 meeting and was asked io point out

the individual similar in description to Oswald, after

meeting

which the videotaping was concluded..

process lasted approximately 90 minutes and consumed

almost three reels of videotape. (S)

Photographs made available by the asset were

examined by FBI agents familiar with the Oswald investi-

gation and it was determined that Lee Harvey Oswald is

not depicted in these photographs. It is noted that

SECRET

= 3-

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sickers

is se

Letter to the Director of Central Intelligence

Re: Ocelot

Jack Anderson's colunn in the Washington Post on May 6,

1977, claims that Antonio Veciana has testified before

the House Assassinations Committee that he was in con-

tact with Lee Harvey Oswald in Dallas, Texas, in August,

1963. (U)

The above

asset has furnished other sensitive

intelligence information, including the identities of

previously unknown CIO's, and it is anticipated that he

will be of future value to our foreign counterintelligence

effort.

Any effort by the Cuban Government to exploit

the propaganda value of information obtained from this

recently developed asset over the period of seven previous

meetings would necessarily cost their intelligence service

the public identification of several CIO's currently in

Jamaica and Mexico.

You are being made aware of the above

developments since it is recognized that the Cuban Govern-

ment may eleci to publicize this videotape for propaganda

purposes and that such an event could impact upon current

policy decisions.

This information is also being furnished to the

Secretary of State, the Assistant to the President for

National Security Affairs, and the Attorney General.

SECRET

-

÷77

INES

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DocId: 32394059

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OFFICE OF THE DIRECION

Hate you:

SECRET

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20535

BY LIAISON

Date: June 6, 1977

TO:

Director of Central Intelligence

From:... Clarence M. Kelley, Director

Subject: - OCELOT;

INTERNAL SECURITY - CUBA

This is to advise of pertinent developments

a double agent operation, assigned the code name "Ocelot,"

which involves a meeting

between our asset and Cuban

Intelligence Officers (CIO's) in Mexico on May 19, 1977.

We learned, after debriefing the asset upon his return

from Mexico, that the format of the meeting had unex-

pectedly involved a videotaped interview of our asset

by Cuban technicians concerning his knowledge and partici-

pation in anti-Castro Cuban exile activities.

The asset developed in this operation first

became of investigative interest to the Federal Bureau of

Investigation

(FBI). in November, 1976, when allegations

received that he was in contact with known CIO's in

Jamaica during October and November, 1976.

Subsequent

investigation, coordinated closely

with the Central

Intelligence Agency

(CIA), confirmed an active relation-

ship with Cuban officials

in Jamaica,

Panama and Mexico.

A successful interview of asset

was

effected on April 8,

1977, which resulted in establishing

a double agent

operation.

At that point, the asset furnished details

of seven previous meetings with CIO's in Jamaica, Panama

and Mexico.

In addition, asset furnished a typewritten

note containing instructions for his next meeting in

Mexico City,

on May 19, 1977, which involved a coded

telephone call to the Cuban Embassy, Mexico City, to

activate the scheduled meet at a pre-determined time

and place.

The purpose of this meeting, according to

the asset, was for the passage of additional information

the activities of Cuban exile groups in the

United States

and Latin America, as had been done at

previous meetings.

SECRET

Classified by 5182

Exempt from GDS,

Categories 2 and 3

Date of Declassification, Indefinite

NH 50529

DocId: 32394059

Page 6

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## Page 7

SECRET

Letter to the Director of Central Intelligence

Ocelot

The asset has advised that he was transported

by automobile from the meet site in Mexico City to a

hotel room equipped with videotape equipment and occu-

pied by two Cuban technicians.

The asset was then asked

questions by CIO's and his responses were recorded on

videotape.

They assured the asset that this tape would

be shown

to high Cuban officials, including Fidel Castro,

and that it would not be made public.

There is, however,

obvious propaganda value in this film which could be

utilized by the Cuban Government.

Asset was specifically

advised by CIO's that Premier Fidel Castro has a forth-

coning television naws interview with an unnamed U. S.

news commentator, and that they wanted Castro to see this

videotape prior to his interview. (S)

According to the asset, the interview began

with questions regarding his family life in Cuba before

the Castro revolution, after which he was asked to comment

on the former Batista

Regime in Cuba.

He was then asked

to nane the political novements of which he had been a

member.

ile told the interviewer that in 1964 he had

worked

with Alpha 66, a militant anti-Castro organization head-

quartered in Miani, Florida,

approxinately

twenty-eight Cuban exiles and arms pass through Puerto Rico

to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, for use against Cuba

and that all but four of these Cuban exiles had returned

to Puerto Rico.

The four who did not return are now in

Cuban jails.

Asset was also asked about his participation in

an assassination attempt of Fidel Castro in Chile in 1971.

The asset stated that he had participated in the attenot

with Antonio Veciana, a Cuban exile now residing in liami.

asked if Veciana had baen employed by the CIA, he

replied that he did not know, however, assumed that he

was, based on the fact that Veciana had used a car with

Unitad States diplonatic license plates to transport the

necessary arms and equipment from Bolivia, where Veciana

SECRET

-2=

HH 50529

DocId: 32394059

Page 7

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## Page 8

SECRET

Letter to the Director of Central Intelligence

Ocelot

was employed in the United States Embassy, to Chile.

plan was aborted by other Cuban exile participants at the

last minute.

Asset had previously furnished this infor-

nation to CIO's during other meetings. (S)

• Asset was also questioned about a 1951 assassi-

nation attempt dizected at Castro in Cuba, in which the

asset participated.

Ile acknowledged that he, Veciana,

and Bernardo Pradreres had at that time tried to kill

Castro with a bazooka.

was rented in Havana, Cuba, by Veciana's mother-in-law,

for Castro to appear at the nearby Cuban capitol.

Pradreres

had hired two other individuals not known to the asset to

do the actual firing, but when Castro finally appeared the

bazooka failed to fire due to its deteriorated state from

having been buried for an extended period of time.

Cuban authoritles later discovered the bazooka, which had

been left in the apartment,

all of the participants.

(S)

During the initial interview of asset on

April 8, 1977, he made available a photograph obtained

from Antonio Veciana, which Veciana claimed to depict

Lee Harvey Oswald in attendance at an Alpha 66 meeting

in Dallas, Texas, in 1963.

Another photograph depicted

Veciana as a speaker at this neeting...

made this information available to CIO's at previous

In the last segment of videotaping in Mexico,

the asset was confronted with enlarged photographs of

the alleged Alpha 66 meeting and was asked to point out

the individual similar in description to Oswald, after

which the videotaping was concluded.

The whole taping

process lasted approximately 90 minutes and consumed

almost three reels of videotape. (S)

Photographs made available by the asset were

examined by FBI agents familiar with the Oswald investi-

gation and it was determined that lee Harvey Oswald is

not depicted in these photographs.

It is noted that

SECRET

- 3 m

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DocId:32394059

Page 8

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## Page 9

SECR

Letter to the Director of Central Intelligence

Re: Ocelot

Jack Anderson's colunn in the Washington Post on May 6,

1977, claimg that Antonio Veciana has testified before

the House Assassinations Committee

that he was in con-

tact with lee Harvey Oswald in Dallas, Texas, in August,

1963. (U)

The above asset has furnished other sensitive

intelligence information, including the identities of

previously unknown CIO's, and it is anticipated that he

will be of future value to our foreign counterintelligence

effort. Any effort by the Cuban Government to exploit

the propaganda value of information obtained from this

recently developed asset over the period of seven previous

meetings would necessarily cost their intelligence service

the public identification of several CIO's currently in

Janaica and Mexico.

You are being made aware of the above

developments since it is recognized that the Cuban Govern-

ment may elect to publicize this videotape for propaganda

purposes and that such an event could impact upon current

policy decisions. (S)

This information is also being furnished to the

Secretary of State, the Assistant to the President for

National Security Affairs, and the Attornay General.

SECRET

T28922

10165

1N 50529

DooId: 32394059

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