CONTACT REPORT: MEETING OF 22 JUNE 1965 AT HOTEL ROOSEVELT AND 23 JUNE 1965 AT THE TUDOR ROOM OF THE HOTEL COMMODORE
Originator: CIA
Document date: 06/28/1965
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

## Page 1

14-00000

104-10183-10424

2022 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992

RETURNTO CIA

Background Use Only

Do Not Reproduce

JAET

28 June 1965

CONTACT KEPOKT

Meetings of 22 June 1965 at Hotel Roosevelt and 23 June 1965

at the Idur Room of the Hotel Commodore

Participants: Carlos TEPEDINO, (Harry Webster) and Harold F..

Swenson

(All the information reported below is from TEPEDINO

A. PRQ-I' forn filled out by Carlos. See attached original.

(Copies being made for 201)

.B.

lute ta polit al activity of revolutionary or

1.

Carlos has never been active in politics and voted only

once in his life - for a candidate of the Authentic Party.

However, he has been active in revolutionary and counter-

revolutionary activities since 1952.

During the year 1952-53

he began conspiring against BATISTA acting as an acconnodation

addressee for Jose Antonio ECHEVARRIA (now deceased) and close

associates of ECHEVARRIA, inclading Rolando CUBELAS.

Others

invölved with Carlos in the anti-BATISTA activities included

Ricardo MIDIN Rivas (who had been a Senator in the Prio govern-

ment

and a Vinister in the Grau government and who now resides

in Miami), Sergio MEJIAS (who had been both Senator and Minister

during the Prio government, a representative ding the Grau

government and who is now the Mayor of Matanzas), Diego Vicente

•TEJERA (now in Santo Domingo where he is trying to start a

fishing business

is a close friend of IMBERT),

Marcelino "Narzo" ATIRE no relation ta l muniel vAsallz la

Soccoras (former President of Cuba).

this same period,

he came to know Jose VENEGAS Valdespino,

known as

"El Chino";

but Carlos

never was friendly with VENEGAS knowing him only as

an associate of Rolando CUBELAS in student activities.

Carlos'

friendship with Rolando resilted iron their being introdiced by

Antonio ECHETARRIA.

In addition to serving as

for the revolationaries who vere plotting against BAlISA, Carlos

used his business premises to hide people

feeing from th. BATISTA

police and to hide arms for the revolutionaries.

contributed lands to the

revolitiona;

118.d6 1908.7

---

## Page 2

14-00000

SECRET

-2-

During the revolutionary activity against 34IISC,

ECHEVARRIA and CUBELAS had as much or more prestige than Fidel

CASTRO but after BATISTA fled from Cuba, Fidel CASTRO maneuvered

himself into control of all of Cuba to

the detriment of other

revolutionary leaders.

CUBELAS accepted CASTRO's leadership

at first but became disenchanted as CASTRO turned towards

Ommunism and as CASTRO neglected the other revolutiomrs

leaders who had struggled

against BATISTA.

Is the result of

CAstRo's attitudes and

actions, many of the old revolutionaries

became counter-revolutionaries.

the country and some

began working against the CASTRO regime in the same way as they

had worked against BATISTA.

The activities of Rolando CUBELAS and

those close to him, including Carlos, are covered in a separate

paragraph below.

C. Connection with the Agency

4.

About 1957 Carlos and a Caban businessman named R: cardo

RIVON were approached by a Czech who said that he wished to

invest a substantial sum of money in Caba and who promised quick

and substantial profits if RIVON and Carlos would join

activities.

Although Carlos no longer remembers the name of the

Czech, he believes the Agency would have a record of it.

was suspicious of the Czech and suggested that RIVON discuss the

Czech's offer with the U.S. Embassy..

that Carlos came to meet Jack Stewar get was because of this

the individual who

istened to RIVON when the latter went to the Embassy. (Stewart

that Carlos and RIVON maintain contact with the Czech

who was believed tobe connected with intelligence activities.

The close Association with (Stewart)continued and in

1959 (Stewart requested Carlos to

go to Mexico to

btain information about a Soviet exhibitiond Stewart)offered

to pay the expenses of Carlos but Carlos, who was prosperous,

refused to accept.any funds. He did attend the exhibition,

a member of the Cuban commission which arranged fur

transfer of the soviet exhibition

About August 1960, Rolando CUBELAS and Carlos were invited to a

By this time, Carlos

requirements in Switzerland.

Again Carlos refused to accept

money but agreed enthusiastically to do all that he could for the

Carlos was siver a contact plan so that he could

report to an unidentified American in Sutzerland, but although

Carlos carried out the arrangements, the American never appeared.

• SECRET

---

## Page 3

14-00000

SECRET

-3-

At this time Carlos' step-father sent a message to Suatzerland

warning Carlos that he should not return to Cuia.

student congress in Switzerland Carlos therefore went to the

He decided to reside in the U.S. but in order to

arrange for a resident visa, he had to leave the country.

Accordingly, about February 1961, Carlos went to Mexico to

request a resigent visa ron

the United States Consul.

time he saw Jack: Stevar

›in Mexico and introduced Rolando CUBELAS,

also in Mexico at that time, to (Stewartoo (Carlos had been trying

to introduce CUBELAS to the Americans forobsome time and had once

made tentative arrangements to introduce (Stewart) and CUBELAS 1n

Cuba but these previous arrangements fell through at the last

Accordingly: the first contact between CUBELAS and the

Americans took place

in Mexico about February 1961.) Carlos came

to the U.S. with a resident visa about March 1961 and has resided

in. the.u.s. from

that time until the present, although he has

trävelled frequently to other countries in connection with his

jewelry business.

lihen no Agency representatives contacted Carlos

in the U.S. for several months, he assumed that the Agency had

lost interest in hin

and no longer wished to make use

services.

time later, individuals representing the FBI

by telephone and wished to meet him, but Carlos

preferred not to begin any new association and

not interested in any further contacts concerning Cuban matters.

These phone

FBI resulted from the suggestions

made by MADAN)who has cooperated closely with the FBI at Miami.

Carlos resured

his contact with the Agency when he was

approached by (Bill Wainwright (under pseudonym, with whom he

nade a trip to Holsinki where he introduced hainwright to

03

Rolando.

There were other meetings involving Carlos, Wainwright

and CUBELAS at Stockholm, Copenhagen and Paris.

Rolando metEar 1 l-lliamson) in addition to Bill Mainurigh

D. Plans and Contacts of Rolando CUBELAS

saw 3 ?.

During the time when Carlos was in Europe and when he

CUBELAS there,

alone and at times with Wainwright)D>

or @alliamson) CUBELAS outlined to Carlos plans for a coup in

Agency Thee plans aces an hich carlos as intered nchez

(under pseudonym) involved the assassination of fidel CASTRO.

From that time until the present Carlos has tried to serve as

an intermediary between Rolando CUBELAS and the Agency.

last time that Carlos saw Rolando in person was in Madrid about

March 1965 but Carlos did talk to Rolando again, also in March

1965, by telephone when Rolando was transitting Gander en route

back to Cuba.

---

## Page 4

14-00000

SIGRET

-4-

Rolando, in order to carry out his plan for a coup in

Cuba, has had to make

a number of persons knowledgeable to a

greater or lesser extent.

Those people who now are in Cuba

and who are aware of the plans of Rolando include the following:

Cdte Ramon GUIN (who has become quite nervous and who is drinking

heavily), Cate ([nu) NIEVES (whom Rolando considers absolutely

.. reliable

and a key figure in the plan and who now is in charge

of the port of Havana),

à Captain

whose name Carlos has furnished

to the Agency but whose

name he cannot recall, who now is an

artfllery chief),

a MiG pilot (who had sérved witholando during

the righting against BATISTA) 6E1 Moro" ACEF Jor (ACE) (whose

knowledge is dangerous because he is a coward who now hesitates

to bear any responsibility in carrying out the plan): Luis sora

(who now is rector of Habana University), Marcelino

ARTIME (an old revolutionary who is thoroughly reliable and who

is a close friend of Carlos), an individual whose

name Carlos

does not recall. but who is an uncle by marriage of Tony CASTEL

(whom Carlos considers to be a worthless person),

and at least

six or seven others whose names Carlos does not know.

In addition to these individuals who are aware of the

details of Rolando's plot, there are others whose support CUBELAS

believes he can count on once action is taken but who have not

made aware of

the plot (so far. as Carlos knows) up to the

present time.

These include the following: Cdte Efigenio

ALMEIJEIRAS Or ALMEJEIRAS, Cdte Juan ALMEIDA Bosque, Raul DIAZ

Arguelles,

a Cate who is known as "Julio El Grande"

, a Lieutenant

whose first name is Guillermo and who acts as Rolando's chauf-

Pepin NARANJO (whom Carlos considers a covard), about 20

30 officers

in the armed forces whom Rolando knows

whose names are not known to Carlos, Faure CHOMON (whom Rolando

considers a communist at present but whom Rolando expects to

for personal benefit), and finally a number of

people in Las Villas.

10. Other individuals who are aware of the plans of Rolando

Luis FERNANDEZ.

211a

---

## Page 5

14-00000

SECRET

-5-

The whole plot against Fidel CASTRO could be discovered

by the cuban security serv-ce because of the many individuals who

are aware of it and because some of them are irresponsible:

by the Cuban security service.

Carlos learned this through a

telephone call made by DE LEON. DE LEON said that the mother of

"El Loco",. who resides, in Miami, had just received a letter. irom

her sister in Havana with the foregoing news.

The letter said

that "El loco" is not in jäll and has been able to visit relatives

but that he must appear for questioning throughout the day and

is not allowed to sleep at home.

(Carlos suggests that the

Agency endeavor through its contacts in Miami

to get a copy of

the letter and to warn

the mother of "El Loco" that she should

not talk to anyone about it.)

E.

Miscellaneous comments of Carlos concerning people involved

the CUBELAS plot

(In addition to the comments which already have been

reflected in previous paragraphs,

Carlos made others which are

reflected here.)

"El Nago" ROBRENO is a thoroughly irresponsible

man whom Ramiro VALDEZ, Minister of Interior, forced to leave

Cuba because ROBRENO had caused so much

trouble for the Cuban

authorities.

ROBRENO is a drunkard and woman chaser who wants to

live an easy life but who is not willing to work and never has

worked throughout his life.

these admitted defccts,

ROBRENO admires and is loyal to Rolando CUBELAS.

CUBELAS con-

siders that ROBRENO,

insofar as their own relations are concerned,

will do anything which he is told. Rolando told Carlos that be

could trust ROBRENO insofar as the plot is concerned but that

Carlos should

any money to ROBRENO because money would

merely facilitate.

ROBRENO's getting into more trouble.

about 17 June so far as Carlos can recall, ROBRENO telephoned

collect from Madrid and asked Carlos for funds.

was brief and it was difficult for Carlos to understand because

of noise and interruptions during the call.. It appeared that the

primary reason

for the call was simply to ask for money.

said that he was penniless.

H. also said that everything

appeared to be fine and asked if Carlos had any news.

said that he had

nothing to report and that he himself did not

have any cash available but

that he would probably make a trip

to Spain

in about

a week and would talk to ROBRESO then.

In

fact

Carlos has

no

intention of going to Spain in the

near

future and told

ROBRENO the foregoing merely to get rid of him.

---

## Page 6

14-00000

SECRET

-6-

"El LOCO" BLANCO is a strange person who well deserves

the nickname.

He secured his release from military service in

the U.S. by pretending to be crazier than he really is.

is unreliäble and unpredictable, he is absolutely

loyal to Rolando CUBELAS and is trusted completely by Rolando

insofar as the plot is concerned.

"El Loco" was trained by

Cuban intelligence in Cuba before he left for Spain.

There is no question about the connection of "El

with Cuban intelligence and it is considered strange that

the Agency did not display more interest in making use of this

Among other things, "El Loco" knew the identity of

a: Cuban intelligence agent who was working in a camp run by

Manuel ARTIME.

"El Loco" has said that he told ARTIME and also

people from the Agency about this individual but that nothing

was done.

Jose VENEGAS Valdespino, who has been Vice-President

of the International Students Union, had been stationed in

Prague but returned to Cuba last year.

While VENEGAS was

route to C..ba.he

passed through Barcelona,

Madrid and Paris

all of which places

he talked to Carlos.

As indicated previously

in this memorandum, Carlos has known VENEGAS since about 1952

or 1953. Although

they never had been friends, VENEGAS was

cordial and Carlos can approach him at any time.

CUBELAS know each

other.well and Carlos suspects that CUBELAS

might have told VENEGAS about the anti-Castro plot.

Rolando, like Fidel CASTRO and Camilo CIENFUEGOS, has

the capacity to attract people - even though his manners leave

much to be desired. He can be described aptly as brusque.

Rolando does not have either likng for or trust in

Manuel ARTIME and met him only because of the A,ency's insistence

and at the reco mendation of

"El Nago" and "El Loco".

criticized Carlos for getting ARTINE into the

any responsibility.

Rolando believes ARTINE is a

mercenary - out for what he can get - and a cheap politician.

Rolando does respect Manolo RAY and insisted on meeting

Rolando and Carlos consider that RAY 1s an idealist willing

to sacrifice himself for the

This is the opinion of the

man in the street in Cuba even after the

failure of RAY to keep

his glowing promise about

setting to and staying in Cuba to

promote a revolation.

i.:.

---

## Page 7

SECRET

-7-

18. Rolando told Carlos that he has an apartment on the

Plaza Civica in Habana where the 26th of Julj celebration will

take place.

Rolando said that people loyal to him will be in

the reviewing

stands at the celebration.

Carlos believes that

Rolando may make an assassination attempt on 26 July 1965.

19.

Rolando is disenchanted with the Agency. He told

carlos that the Agency has had abundant opportunity to deal with

him and to furnish-help but, chose not to do so except through

ARTIME - whom Rolardo does not trust and who told Rolando that

the Agency was offering its help through him, ARTIME.

Rolando considered that the injection of ARTIME was a

completely useless

and risky maneuver on the part of the Agency

which, if it wishes to disclaim moral responsibility for the

could have used and still should use Carlos as the

intermediary.

21. If Rolando can get through the risks, inherent in

having so many people know about his plot,

during

the next couple

of months, he certainly will carry through with his plans -

this before the end of the year.

22.

Although

Carlos recognizes the defects of both "El

Mago" and "El Luco"

, he shares their opinion that the Agency has

not treated cither

them or Rolando fairly.

Carlos believes that

both these individuals, in addition to being useful in connection

with the plot, could have been useful in many other ways because

of their access to Cuban government representatives including

intelligence people in Europe and elsewhere.

"El Mago", who still

i5 in Europe,

is extremely clever and does have entry to all

Cuban circles as a result of which Carlos believes "El Mago"still

should be used by the Agency.

F.

Miscellaneous comments of Carlos concerning additional names

which have cropped up in connection with CUBELAS

23.

Luciano NIEVES Mestre,

be irresponsible (a

"nut" like

know him personally.

Jose Luis LLOVIO who lives in Paris is believed to

for Cuban intelligence.

25. Carlos once saw "Cajo Confites" - Luis GARCIA Cerdeira

with either BERNAL

"El Nago"

ROBRENO.

CARRILLO believes that

"Cajo Confites"

an agent for the U.S. Government.

---

## Page 8

14-00000

SECRET

-8-

26:

Felipe LLAUDY is not known to belong to the Cuban

intelligence service and Carlos

has heard nothing to nake it

appear that LAUDY could be recruited.

a friend of CUBELAS

Nilo MESSER Pujol who

Is connected with ARTIlE is not

America CISERNOS, Mario FISSOLO,

were reviewed with Carlos (about midnight) he appeared to be

extremely weary and to have difficulty in continuing the inter-

view.)

G. Ambassador CARRILLO

29.

Carlos first met CARRILLO about 1957 when CARRILLO

went to Carlos' store to price an engagement ring for Pepin

NARANJO. At that time CARRILLO was the treasurer for the DRE -

which was Rolando CUBELAS'

group.

Carlos bought some bonds and

also contributed money apart from bond purchases.

CARRILLO waS

once in Miami but the time is not known.

About 1958 CARRILLO WaS

exiled from Cuba and lived in Spain where he represented the DRE.

After the collapse of BATISTA, CARRILLO returned to Cuba.

In

early 1960 he was a functionary in the Protocol Department of

the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

At that time CARRILLO's wife

• became a

customer

of Carlos' store, buying quite a bit of

inexpensive jewelry.

30. To the best of Carlos' knowledge, CARRILLO does not

suspect that Carlos

is connected with

the Agency; CARRILLO knows

that Carlos is a friend of Rolando but does not know anything

about Rolando's plot against Fidel.

The dealings

between

CARRILLO and Carlos in connection with the latter's purchases

of Cuban government jewelry arose

because Carlos once had priced

jewelry in Havana.

CARRILLO remembered this and offered to sell

jewelry to Carlos.

When Carlos bought jewelry (on our behalf),

Carlos proposed to CARRILLO that the latter tell the Cuban

government that the jewelry was being sold at a lesser price

than that which Carlos was paying.

Carlos offered to arrange the

bill of sale

to show the lesser price so that CARRILLO could

keep the difference

CARRILLO refused indignantly.

Carlos believes that CARRILLD is playing square with ted Cuban

government. Carlos believes that CARRILLO, although not a

communist, is happy with his status and priveleges as Ambassador

and that CARRILLO is not likely to defect or to accept recruit-

ment.

---

## Page 9

14-00000

SECRET

-9 -

31. However, the aunt of CARRILLO's wife is employed in

Madrid by either the USN or USAF and neither she nor CARRILLO'S

wife are pro-communist,

neither is the mother-in-law who,

although she lives at the Embassy

in Paris, is opposed to the

regine.

Carlos recommends that we talk to the mother-in-law if

we have not done so already.

Carlos does not remember the name of the aunt (by

marriage) in ladrid. However, he took a letter and some perfume

from the CARRILLO family in Paris to the aunt in Nadrid.

turned the letter over to an Agency officer for inspection priori?

to delivering it and therefore assumes that the Agency knows

who the aunt is.

(The case officer is a small fellow with white

häir, not Earle.)

33. CARRILLO appears to enjoy the confidence of Fidel

CASTRO and Celia SANCHEZ, both of whom have entrusted money

him for investment.

confidence probably is based

trust in his financial acumen rather

than on their trust in his

political beliefs.

These do not appear tole strong.

along with

the regime because it provides him with a confortable

way of life.

34.

CARRILLO knows both "El LOCO"BLANCO and "El Mago"

ROBRENO but is not a friend of either.

Probably CARRILLO

dislikes ROBRENO less than BLANCO.

H.ODIAZ Arguelles family

35.

As pointed out above, Rolando plans to use (Raul DIAZ

Arguelles inside Cuba oncecthe time for

arrives.

Carlos Knows age me dose to saned many o

friends of Carlos in getting out of Cuba even though

enemies of the CASTRO regime.ORaul did this because he then had

control of issuing exit permits. Raul) although not a completely

trustworthy person, is a pretty good sort and RoJardo belleves

that Baul) can be

depended upon in an emergency.

on her way back to

The mother of Baul Marina) was in Madrid fairly

according to

ROC LOCO" BLANCO, a Cuban working with the Amcricans named

connection with the defection atlempt.

colp

---

## Page 10

14-00000

SECRET

-10-

I. CANTILLO

Carlos knows

named CANTILLO who is assigned to the Embassy in Madrid.

shas chere the embasy in aldrence doticer

ever

CANTILLO has been mentioned to Carlos by

3. Business activities of TEPEDINO

jewelry designers in Paris and then mass produces jewelry, using

their designs in New York City.

This jewelry, while not of the

same, quality as that of Paris originals, looks exactly like the

current vogue in France and is selling extremely

to secure jewelry contracts with the Hilton hotels in

New York, Madrid and Puerto Rico.

He also has a jewelry associate

His legitimate jewelry business is so good that he has

no need to run the risk of

engaging in illegal activities.

was the case even when he was

in Havana

but is even more so the

At no time has he engaged in smuggling, for example,

in either Italy or Spain.

K. Travel Plans of TEPEDINO

TEPEDINO plans to travel to Miami about 8 or 9 July and

to spend a week relaxing and fishing.

the latter part of August, TEPEDINO expects to be in New York

City and during this time

would be happy to travel to Washington,

D.C. if the Agency

desires..

About the end of August, TEPEDINO

plans to travel to Europe where he expects to remain for a month

or month and a half.

At this time, he expects to visit Rome,

Milan, Paris and ladrid.

L. Recommendations

It is recommended that arrangements be made to give an

LCFLUTTER to TEPEDINO while he is in the Miami area.

(Questions

for inclusion in a FLUTTER examination are attached.

advantages of giving the FLUTTER examination at Miami are

One is that at Miami we do have a Spanish speaking

operator. Although TEPEDINO has adequate English for business

purposes, he does not feel at home in the language and quite

often misinterprets the English expressions.

is that testing at Miami by individuals who have not been

connected and who are not likely to be connected with him in the

future should provide an objective assessment and should not

interfere with the rapport necessary to maintain good relations

Another advantage is

---

## Page 11

14-00000

racin

SECRET

-11-

---

## Page 12

14-00000

SEUNCT

Matters to be covered in LCFLUTTER

1. True name now is Carlos TEPEDINO Gonzalez

2. True name before legal change was Carlos LOPEZ

3. Never a member of Communist party

4. Knows Rolando CUBELAS

5. Not connected with Cuban intel or security

6. CUBELAS not connected with Cuban intel or security

•7. Carlos is intermediary between the CIA and the CUBELAS group.

8. Carlos is not connected with any intel service except CIA..

9. Carlos knows Ambassador CARRILLO.

10. Carlos bought jewels from CARRILLO.

11.

Carlos reported correctly to us about the jewels and the

price paid.

12.

Carlos handled an assignment for us in Mexico about 1959 and

reported accurately.

13. Carlos went to Switzerland to do somthing for us in 1960.

14. Carlos never engaged in smuggling or illegal activity in

Europe.

15. Carlos never engaged in smuggling or illegal activity in

the U.S.

16. Carlos told us the truth about CUBELAS and members of his

group.

17.

Carlos never told CARRILLO about working with the CIA.

18.

Carlos never

told any intelligence service about working

19.

Carlos never has been directed by any intel service to work

for the CIA.

21.

Carlos has not intentionally withheld information from th

IA about CUBELAS or about Fidel CASTRO

Carlos has not informed the CASTRO Government about working

for the CIA.

.....

---