RICARDO RODRIGUEZ RAMIREZ, 'MEREJO' OF ESCAMBRAY FAME AND FORMER LIEUTENANT OF OSVALDO RAMIREZ, ARRIVED IN WAVE.
Originator: CIA
From: JMWAVE
To: BELL
Document date: 04/14/1961
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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104-10169-10258

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

"?

RETURN TO CIA

Background Use Only

• Do Not Reproduce

668

•DATE

1& APR 61

то"

• BELL

FROM & JANAVE

CLASSIFIED MESSAGE

SECRET

ACTION A BELL 15

•. DOP 2,

COP, N0OP/A, DAS 2, TI/D A, WA, EELL S/C , :

SOMING

APR 14

20492 61

ROUTINE

IN 3437

BELL SITE VAVE 5647

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ZIP ZRPERUSAL

11:3439

REF A. BELL 1184

HB. WAVE 3593

6004316)

1 RICARDO RODRIGUEZ RAMIREZ, "MEREJO" OF ESCAMBRAY. FAME AND

FORMER LIEUTENANT OF OSVALDO RAMIREZ, ARRIVED IN WAVE ARE 6 APR...

ACCOMPANIED BY WIFE, JUAN CONSUEGRA VALDES, AND THREE FISHERMEN.

2. FRELIMINARY DEBRIEFING OF "MEREJO" INDICATES THAT HE WAS

ABLE TO DO VERY LITTLE DURING THE ESCAMBRAY FIGHTING, MOST OF

HIS TIME BEING SPENT IN AVOIDING THE MILITIA WHILE TRYING TO

RECEIVE AIR DROPS WHICH NEVER MATERIALIZED. MEREJOS TOTAL TIME

AS AN INSURGENT IN THE ESCAMBRAY FRONT TOTALED ABOUT THREE MONTHS•

HIS AREA OF OPS WAS CONFINED MAINLY TO THE SIERRA DE SANCTI SPIRING

AND AROUND THE TOWNS OF SANCTI SPIRITUS AND JATIBONICO.

3. "MEREJO" WENT TO THE HILLS IN THE LATTER PART OF DECEMBER

60 ON THE INSTRUCTIONS OF AMDIP/S WHO AT THIS TIME WAS TRYINO

TO ORGANIZE AND SUPPLY THE INSURGENTS IN THE ESCAMBRAY AREA.

BY : JANUARY 61 MEREJO VIEN[MAXIMO LORENZO, LT CARBONELL) AND

MA 21E

SECRET

REPRODUCTION BY OTHER THAN THE ISSUING OFFICE iS PROMISITiO.

Capy No.

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14-00000

LOSSETIED LESSA-E

dAVE 5037

3437

PhIL

OSVALDO RAMIREZ VERE ABLE TO GATHER A FORCE OF ABOUT FIVE TO

SIX HUNDRED MEN IN THE SAN AMBYOSIO AREA OF WHICH ONLY ABOUT

ONE HUNDRED VERE ARMED. THIS FORCE VAS MOBILIZED ON THE BASIS

OF INFORMATION FROM AMDIP/S UHO SAID THAT THEY VOULD RECEIVE AN

AIR DROP ON 6 JAN. THE DROP NEVER CAME AND DUR TO THE ACTIVITY

OF THE INSURGENTS IN THE AREA OF THE DZ THE GOC BROUGHT IN i FORCE

OF ABOUT 30,000 MILITIA IN A PERIOD OF ABOUT FOUR DAYS WHICH

FORCED TKE REBELS TO DISPERSE. IN MEREJO'S OPINION THIS VAS

ONE OF THE GREATEST SETBACKS OF THE ENTIRE ESCAMBRAY FIGHTING

AND WAS A MAJOR CAUSE-OF THE FINAL. COLLAPSE OF THE ESCAMBRAY

FRONT.

4. ON 8 JAN MEREJO AND OSVALDO RAMIREZ WERE FORCED TO DIVIDE

THEIR DWINDLING FORCES IN ORDER TO BREAX OUT OF A THREATENED

ENCIRCLEPENT BY THE MILITIAL AFTER SEPARATING FROM OSVALDO,

MEREJO AND HIS MEN WERE CONTINUALLY ON THE RUN FROM 9 JAN UNTIL

8 FEB AT WHICH TIME HE HAD A SHORT RESPITE TO TAKE THE AIR DROP

OF PARA 1 A, REF A. IN ADDITION TO INFORMATION ABOUT THE DROP

IN REF & MEREJO SAID THEY HEARD THE PLANE AT THE APPOINTED TINE

BUT WERE NOT ABLE TO SEE IT BECAUSE OF THE CLOUDS WHICH COVERED

THE DZ AREA. THE PLANE PASSED GER AND NOTHING WAS DROPPED

ALTHOUGH THE DZ WAS LIGHTED WITH THE PROPER SIGNAL, A CROSS

OF SEVEN LIGHTS, MEREJO"ASSUMED THAT THE PLANE HAD NOT DROPPED

AND WOULD COME BACK THE FOLLOWING NIGHT. HOWEVER, NEXT DAY

HE HEARD THAT A LARGE DROP HAD BEEN MADE ON THE TWON OF SANTA

LUCIA SOME 12 KIS AWAY FAON THE DZ AND THAT THE MILITIA

RECOVERED EVERYTHING.

REFRADUCTIDY SY OTILE THIN

d le prentellee

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CLiFFITIES MESSAGE

177:

HAVE 5088

3437

SO DUE TO THE LARGE ANOUMI OF LATERIAL DROPPED THE GOE

APPARENTLY ASSUMED THAT IT VAS INTENDED FOR A ALRGE FORCE OF

INSURGENTS AND IMMEDIATELY POURED MILITIA INTO THE AREA TO .

FERRET THEM OUT. MEREJO MAD TO DISPERESE HIS REMAINING FORCE,

• ABOUT 288 MEN OF WHICH ONLY 26 VERE ARMED, IN ORDER TO BREAX

• OUT OF THE ENCIRCLEMENT. MEREJO VITH ELEVEN MEN TRIED TO MAXE

HIS YAY TO CAMAGUAY: ON THE WAY HE STOPPED TO GET TOOD AND

CLOTHING IN THE HOUSE OF A FRIEND, LEOPOLD RODRIGUEZ, • NEAR

SANCTI SPIRITUS. WHILE THERY VERE THERE THE HOUSE WAS RAIDED

BY THE LOCAL CHIEF OF THE G-2, BERNARDO ARIAS, AND SEVEN MILITIA MEN.

IN THE ENSUING FIGHT MEREJO AND HIS MEN KILLED ARIAS, HIS BODY.

GUARD AND TWO MILITIA MEN. THE REST OF THE MILITIA MEN RAN

AWAY AND MEREJO AND HIS GROUP ESCAPED VITH ONLY ONE MAN WOUNDED.

6. AFTER KILLING. ARIAS MEREJO MADE HIS WAY TO LAS TOSAS

HOPING THAT THE AREA WOULD HAVE COOLED OFF AND THAT HE COULD'

ESTABLISH HIMSELF THERE AND BEGIN, OPERATIONS AGAIN. A FRIENDLY

FARNER TOLD HIM THAT A SPECIATIMILIIIA FORCE NUMBERING ABOUT

3000 MEN WAS ROAMING LAS TOSAS LOOKING FOR MEREJO PERSONALLY.

MEREJO DECIDED HE WOULD HAVE TO GIVE UP THE FIGHT IN ESCAMBRAY

AND LEAVE THE AREA ENTIRELY. HE CONTAGTER ANOLÁZCO CUEBELO

AN AMDIP/S ORGANIZER IN CRIBAGUAN WITH. WHOM MEREJO'S WIFE HAS

HIDING, AND ASKED HIM TO HELP HIM ESCAPE. (CUEBELO PROVIDED TWO

AUTOMOBILES WHICH ENABLED MEREJO, HIS WIFE AND EIGHT OF HIS -NEN

TO GET TO HAVA WHERE THEY WERE HIDDEN BY THE AMDIP/S HAVA

CRGANIZATIGN UNICE CAS UNDER THE DIRECTION OF A FOCELSO ULARE

DE FRACO.] MEREJO STAYED IN HAVA UNTIL ABGUT 22 MAR UNTIL HE

Gophet

REPROOUÉTICH GI OFFER THAN PESO NO GITICE IS PROHIBITEO,

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WAVE 5647

7÷27

PAIE

HAS MOVED TO LA ISBELA ON THE NORTH COAST OF LAS VILLAS HERE

HE WAS PUT IN THE HANDS OF FISHERMAN UHO VERE TO EFFECT MIS

RECEPTION WITH A BOAT FROM POPRINE.

1o MERESO AND HIS VIFE STAYED VITH THE FISHERHEN FOR ABOUT

1A DAYS, BEING SHIFTED FROM BOAT TO BOAT, WHILE TRYING TO MAKE

RECEPTIONS WITH BOATS FROM PEPRIME. CONTACT WITH THE BOAT

FROM PBPRIME WAS PREVENTED EACH TIME BY THE PRESENCE OF A GOC

PATROL CRAFT WHICH HUNG AROUND THE RECEPTION AREA AT CAYO

DUTTON. CYAVE COMMENT: MEREJO VAS TO BE EXFILTRATED VIA OPS

CARROT, TUP.NIP, RUTABAGA ANDBOVLINE ALL OF WHICH FAILED BECAUSE OF

NO RECEPTION. I MEREJO AND THE FISHERMEN BELIEVED THAT THE GOC

PATROL CRAFT WAS AVARE THAT A RECEPTION IN THE DUTTON AREA WAS

TO TAKE: PLACE.

•

8. WHEN THE DUTTON AREA BECAME TOO HOT THEY MOVED TO THE

AREA OF CAYO JUTIA AND TRIED TO SET UP A RECEPTION AT THIS POINT

SWAVE COMMENT: DISCUSSION OF THE DIFFICULTIES WITH RECEPTION

AT CAYO DUTTON AND ATTEMPTS TO ARRANGE RECEPTION AT JUTIA ARE

REFLECTED IN THE ANDIP/S WIT TRAFFIC PASSED TO VAVE.?

9. ON 25 MARCH WORD WAS RECEIVED BY COURIER FROM HAVA THAT

AMDIP/S'S RADIO IN HAYA HAD BEEN CAPTURED BY THE GOG ALONG

WITH THE FILES AND THAT THREE OF THE FISHERMEN'S NAMES HAD BEEN

COMPROMISED, IT WAS DECIDED THAT THE FISHERMEN WOULD HAVE TO

LEAVE CUBA TO AVOID ARREST. ON A APR MEREJO, HIS WIFE AND

• CONSUEGRA LEFT CUBA WITH THE FISHERMEN IN ONE OF THEIR BOATS

ARRIVING IN THE HAVE AREA ON 6 APRO

REPRÔSVETION

TRAN

SENTEN

TSUINO UITTEE iS PROMIBITZO.

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CLASSIFIED BESSA E

HAVE 5647

jN 3437

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18. FAILURE OF THE RECEPTION AT CAYO DUTTON APPRARS TO

BE A DEFINITE INDICATION THAT THE GOC HAS BEEN READING THE

ANDIPIS UIT TRAFFIC TO HAVA ALL ALONS AND IS A PRIME EXAMPLE

OF HON AN INSECURE INDIGENOUS CONHO NET CAN JEOPARDIZE AND BLOW

GEHTER OPS WHICH ARE OTHERVISE SECURELY MOUNTED.

PREE 5

ENO OF MESSAGE.

REPROSUCTION OFT i NE

9941

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