OPERATION ALPHA 66
Agency: CIA
Originator: CIA
From: FBI, PUERTO RICO
To: FBI, HEADQUARTERS
Document date: 8/8/62
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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• Date: 01/19/05

JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM

IDENTIFICATION FORM

AGENCY INFORMATION

AGENCY : CIA

RECORD NUMBER : 104-10103-10156

RECORD. SERIES : JFK

AGENCY FILE NUMBER

80T01357A

DOCUMENT INFORMATION

AGENCY ORIGINATOR : CIA

FROM

: FBI, PUERTO RICO

TO : FBI, HEADQUARTERS

TITLE : OPERATION ALPHA 66

DATE

: 08/08/1962

PAGES

:8

SUBJECTS : JFK ASSASSINATION

BLANCH ANTONIO

OPERATION ALPHA

DOCUMENT TYPE : PAPER

CLASSIFICATION : SECRET

RESTRICTIONS :

CURRENT STATUS : RELEASED IN PART PUBLIC - RELEASED WITH DELETIONS

DATE OF LAST REVIEW

: 06/21/04

COMMENTS : JFK36 : F29: 20040112-1033521

[R] - ITEM IS

RESTRICTED

104-10103-10156

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DBA /565/

In Reply, Please Refer to

File No.

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION.

Post Office_Box 4312

San Juan 21, Puerto RiCO

August 8, 1962

8P

OPERATION ALPHA 66

INTERNAL SECURITY - CUBA

REGISTRATION ACT - CUBA

The following information was furnished on a confi-

dential basis on July 12, 1962 by SJ T-1:

Operation Alpha 66 is under the leadership of one

ANTONIO VECIANA BLANCH, an exiled Cuban certified public

accountant who was formerly the president of the Certified

public Accountant Association in Havana, Cuba, VECIANA

went into voluntary exile around December, 1901; arriving

in Florida by means of a small boat from Cuba. VECIANA

left puerto Rico around July 5, 1962 en route

• to Chicago

and New York City to collect funds to carry out the Alpha

66 plans of action inside Cuba.

MICROFILMED

SJ I-I stated that VECIANA is the only spokesmanUG 24

1967

for Alpha 66 in Puerto Rico, but he is supposed to have

three or four other associates in Miami. These friends oc. MICRO. SER.

not further identified, are supposedly exile Cuban leaders

in the Miami area.

He stated that Alpha 66. has no leader as such.

VECIANA has attempted to impress the Cuban exiles that

his movement is one of action to free Cuba a soon as possible

and

not an organization to seek membership andsit back

and

wait for the United States to free Cuba.

VECIANA told SJ T-l that the United States Govern-

ment has proven by its jast actions that it does not

intend to liberate Cuba in the near future. He bases this

belief on the followin.:

1) The U. S. permitted CASTRO to tale over Cuba.

2) The U. S. permitted CASTRO to confiscate property

owned by U..Si citizens in Cuba without any action.

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RE OPERATION ALPHA 66

3) The U. S. sat by and let CASTRO's. Government

shoot American citizens without any protest.

4) The U. S. has permitted Russia to set up a base

In Cuba without any protest.

SJ I-l stated that VECIANA is rot anti-American,

but feels that the Cubans cannot wait and depend on the

United States to fight their battles.

Accordingly, VECIANA has set up Alpha 66, a plan

to send 66 trained men of action into Cuba and commit five (5)

violent, separate actions against the CASTRO regime. The five

actions

are as follows:

1) Kill the Russian Ambassador to Cuba or some

other high Russian official in Cuba.

2) Blow up the isso O1l Refinery in the Regla

section of Havana.

3) Destroy the power plant at Talle Piedra, a

suburb of Havana.

4) Sink a Russian ship in Havana

harbor.

5) Kill a high ranking Cuban official.

If the aforementioned actions are successful, then

Alpha 66 plans to sink a Greek or Canadian nerchant ship

by using a fast yacht armed with bazookas.

Names given to these aforementioned actions are

"A", "B", "U"', and "C; Cuba spelled backwards.

The first action, one of the above, is to be carried

out at the end of July; the next two in August; and the last

two by September 22, 1052. SJ T-1 does not know which actions

are to take place first, second, etc.

The target completion, date of September 22, 1962

has been set by VECIANA.

VECIANA has been contacting the Cuban exile groups

in Puerto Rico, Florida, Chicago and possibly New York

City in order to collect $64,000 cash to carry out the plans

of Alpha 66. As of July 3, 1962 he had collected only $10,089.

÷2-

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SHEREE

RE OPERATION ALPHA 66

22, 1962,

Il none of the actions are successful by September l

then Alpha 65 has pledged tie it will return alt

donations to the donors.

The money is being collected and placed in the Alpha

66 account at the Banco de Ponce, Santurce, Luerto Rico.

All donators are given receipts for money donated. The money

is set aside to cover each of the five actions.

SJ I-l noted that one of the larger donations,

one of $500, came from LUIS FERRE, Puerto Rican Statehood

Party leader. SJ T-I noted that FERRE has a reputation of

always donating to any anti-CASTRO drive, without reservations.

SJ I-l atated that VECIANA has indicated to him

the names of thee individuals who are now in Cuba who are

expected to assist Alpha 66 in their plan of action. They

are VINCENTE NOBIE, GUILTERMO BUIZ

and BERNARDO PARADELA.

SJ T-l noted that he knows all

three as they had been connected

in 1956 with the Servicio de Inteligencia Militar (SIM)

in the Dominican Republic. According to VECIANA, PARADELA iS

in jail in Cuba and SJ T-1 cannot figure out how he can be

of mụch help. However, NOBLE and RUIZ are on the loose in

Cuba and, according to SJ T-1, are cold-blooded killers.

SU T-Zadvised oil July 12, 1962 that ANTONIO

VECIANA was formerly the Chief of Action of the

Movimiento

Revolucionario del Pueblo (MRP) in the Havana area.

He was

a member of the Christian Family Movement in Cuba and President

of the Certified Public Accountant Association in Cuba. He was

a top executive of the Banco Financiero, Havana, Cuba, which

bank was owned by JULIO LOBO, the "Cuban Sugar King"

According to SJ T-2, VECIANA was in charge of the

MRP plan

"Liborrio" to Icill FIDEL CASTRO. VECIANA'S mother

had rented an apartment across the street from CASTRO's

presidential palace in

Havana, and VECIANA and friends set

up bazookas to fire at CASTRo.

However, when it came time

for action, the bazookas were found to be defective and would

not fire. Then someone talked and VECIANA fled Cuba around

the latter part of 1961 by a small boat to Florida.

When VECIANA arrived in Florida, he contacted

other Cuban underground leaders he had known in Cuba who were

now in exile and togetlier they had decided on forming what

-3-

ET

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RE OPERATION ALPHA 66

is now referred to as Alpha 66. SJ T-2 does not know the

identities of the other leaders of Alpha 66, with the excep.-

tion of the figureheads in Puerto Rico.

These figureheads, who have nothing to say with

the operational plans of Alpha 66, are as follows:

1) ISRAEL GONZALEZ, Certified Public Accountant,

employed Banco de San Juan, Santurce, Puerto RIco;

head of the local Cuban exile group known as the

Contadores Publicos en Exilio (Public Accountants

in Exile):

2) ROBERTO I. CASTELLON, a public accountant and

formerly head of the Triple AAA Cuban exile group;

and

3) L. CEBALLOS, another Cuban exile whose background

is now known to SJ T-2.

SJ T-2 stated that he was asked to join the Alpha

66 leadership by VECIANA, but declined to do so stating

to VECIANA that while he

was interested in helping any legi-

timate Cuban exile group, he does not plan to get involved

as an officer in any such group of action such as Alpha 66.

However, SJ T-2 stated that he would be willing to act as one

of four

selected Cuban exiles in Puerto Rico who would jointly

endorse any checks or other donations to Alpha 66 to insure

that the money obtained would be used for the stated purpose

of Alpha 66; that is,

to pay for the cost of sending 66 men

into Cuba to commit five (5) actions against the Cuban

CASTRO Government. SJ I-2 stated that he does not know what

high Cuban Government official.

SJ I-2 stated that all these actions of Alpha 66

are to start from outside the United States and United States

territories. He does not know the location of any base of opera-

tions.

SJ I-2 continued that JERONIMO ESTEVE ABRIL, the

aforementioned ROBERTO I. CASTELLON, an exiled Cuban priest,

Padre LEON HERNANDEZ and one DEL VALLE (not further described),

check all donations and issue receipts. If Alpha 66 is not

successful in its plans, then the donations will be returned

-4-

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RE OPERATION ALPHA 66

to the donor. The money is banked in the Alpha 66 account

at the Banco de Ponce in San Juan, then ISRAEL GONZALEZ

sends the money on to Miami where another account exists

In the name of Alpha 66; identity of bank in Miami is unknown

ch san us an ent

to SJ T-2.

SJ I-2 noted that he had originally been introduced

to VECIANA by ISRAEL GONZAIEZ.. He then listened to the plans

of VECIANA, whom he hadonce met through the Christian

Family Movement some years previous in Cuba. SJ I-2 stated

that he was impressed with the apparent sincerity of VECIANA

and even went to Ponce, Puerto Rico to speak in behalf

of the Alpha 66 .

SJ I-2 stated that he has not pressed VECIANA

for details as he feels that the less Cubans who know about

theoperations of the sroup, the better chances are for some

success.

He stated tha he

feels the the failure of the

landing at the Bay of Piss was due to too many people knowing

about the plans before the attack. SJ T-2 Rels that VECIANA

realizes this also, and is attempting to keep the bare minimum

of people knowing

about Alpha 66 plans.

SJ I-2 stated that the Division of Intelligence,

Police of Puerto Rico (DI

POPR) have contacted Cuban exile

leaders regarding Alpha 56. He stated that the detectives

apparently he had

some. complaints from other Cuban exiles

describing Alpha 66 as

just another fraud. to obtain money

Paon the exiles"

So I-2 abated Chet de. copes he has noc made a

mistake by helpigo VECIANA and Alpha 6o, but herceelo that

under the leadership of

& man lake VECIANA the gians oc

Alpha 66 might work out to the benefit of all Cubans.

SJ T-2 stated that VECIANA has left Puerto Rico

for several weeks

tovisit Cubanexile Groups in Chicago and

New York. VECJANA then intends to return to puerto Rico.

SJ I-2 noted that Alpha 66 is using the mailing

address of Box 9791, Santurce, Puerto Rico. SJ I-2 stated

that this is the box of the contadores Publicos en Exilio

Of ISRAEL GONZALEZ.

on July 16, 1962, Miss PAT CRAOTA, Secretary, Postal

Inspector's Office, San Juan, Puerto Rico,

advised that Post

Office Box 9791,

Santurce is listed to the Asociacion Contadores

publicos y Privados.

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RE OPERATION ALPHA 66

on July 6,

1902, SJ T-3 advised that he had met

ANTONIO VECIANA and

had been requested to join the leadership

of Alpha 66 in Puerto Rico. He stated that he was introduced

to VECIANA by JERONIMO ESTEVE. SJ T-3 stated that he asked

VECIANA if he had contacted the Consejo Revolucionario Cubano

or the U. S. Government about his plans.

VECIANA told him

that he hadnot done so and then SJ I-S told him he was not.

interested until VECIANA has obtained the approval of the

Consejo or the U. S Government:

SJ I-3 stated that he considers

Alpha 66 to be another of the mány hopeful Cuban exile opera-

tions which do not have a chance of success from the start.

SJ T-3 added that he would not donate a penny to Alpha 66

and considers it a possible fraud.

On July 25, 1052, ROBERTO ROCA ROSILIO, Youthfül

cuban exile leader in Puerto Rico of the Movimiento Revolu-

cionario Recuperacion (MRR), advised that he feels that

Alpha 66 is a group with high plans but without any chance

of success. He stated

I that Alpha 66's plans are not even

in shape to carry out any action before August, 1962, let

alone July, 1962, as Alpha 66 is still looking for guns and

men. ROCA

stated that to do the things Alpha 66 plans to

do would end up in suicide for all concerned. ROCA continued

that he certainly would not lend any of his MRR members to

Alpha's rovement

nor would he donate any money to their cause.

on July 27, 1952, SJ I-4 advised that he has

heard of Alpha 66,

but has not paid much attention to it as

he considers it one of the many hopeful plans of the Cuban

exiles based on emotions rather than common sense. SJ I-4

stated that he has not heard much of Alpha 65 in the past

few weeks.

A characterization of the Puerto Rican

Statehood Party appears in the appendix

hereto.

This document contains neither recommenations nor

conclusions of the FBI. It is the property of the FI and is

loaned to your agency; it and its

contents are not to be distri-

buted outside your agency.

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APPENDIX

PARTIDO ESTADISTA REPUBLICANO

(Republican Statehood Party of Puerto Rico) (PER)

A legally constituted political party which ad-

vocates continued union with the United States in

the form of statehood.

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In Reply, Please Refer to

File No.

ENTED SENSES DEPARTIENT ON JUSTIC BASEd/

FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION

Post Office Box 4312

San Juan 21, Puerto Rico

August 8, 1962

OPERATION ALPHA 66

INTERNAL SECURITY - CUBA

REGISTRATION ACT - CUBA

Reference is made to the letterhead memorandum

dated and captioned as above at San Juan.

Sources mentioned in instant communication have

furnished reliable information in the past.

This document contains neither recommenations

nor conclusions of the FBI. It is the property of the

FBI and is loaned to your agency; It and its contents are

not to be distributed outside your agency.

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