</s>104-10102-10231 |2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992 SECRET 14 January 1977 MEMORANDUM SUBJECT: Jose Ricardo RABEL Nunez (AMLEO-3) (201-249386) 1. Born 7 April 1922 in Havana, Cuba, the son of a native-born American citizen. RABELS was brought up in comfor- table circumstances. He attended high school in Cuba, com- pleted the last year in New Orleans, Louisiana, and entered Tulane University in September 1938. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in December 1940 and eventually saw combat in France, Belgium, Germany and Austria. After eventually saw discharge in December 1945, RABEL returned to Cuba to attend the University of Havana and this began a life of job changes, moving rootless and forth between the U ., and Cuba, and, in general, rootless living. 2. RAEBL'S background reads like that of a man with no alllegiances-or loyalty and no particular goals. Viewed in retrospect, his career presents a picture of unreliability. It is probable that RABELL's rootslessness and apparent. unreliability applied both to his relations with CASTRO and to those with the Agency. It is quite possible, therefore, that he not only served the Agency to his superficial way but that he did the same for CASTRD at various times when it suited his purposes. Without postulating this sort of dual role (one which fits very well with his previous life) it is almost impossible to explain some of the reasonably good things he did for the Agency and the quite certain allegations that he was a CASTRQ agent. This explanation is not fully satis- factory, but it does explain his career better than the charge RETURN TO CIA Background Use Only Do Not Reproduce #12923

Summary:  
Jose Ricardo Rabel Nunez (AMLEO-3), born on 7 April 1922 in Havana, Cuba, to a native-born American citizen, led a rootless life between the U.S. and Cuba from 1945 onward. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II, participating in combat in France, Belgium, Germany, and Austria, and was discharged in December 1945. After returning to Cuba, he attended the University of Havana and later moved between the U.S. and Cuba, working in various roles. Rabel joined anti-Batista exile groups in the U.S., then returned to Cuba in late 1952 to support Cuban armed forces plotting against Batista. He served as a liaison officer with the U.S. Army mission in Cuba from November 1954 to April 1956, later becoming involved with the 26th of July Movement and smuggling weapons to Camilo Cienfuegos. After Castro's victory, Rabel was appointed Chief of Viviendas Campesinas until defecting to the U.S. in December 1962. He provided intelligence for the AMTRUNK Operation, including recruiting ARMUNK-10, and led a Rebel Army Group supported by the American Legion in early 1964. Rabel faced accusations of being a Castro agent as early as July 1963, with claims from LTAMIL-3 and Fernando Rey. He was arrested in Cuba in September 1965, cooperated with the DSB while imprisoned, and was released in July or August 1967. His termination by the CIA in July 1964 stemmed from difficulties exfiltrating his wife and child, which may have been linked to Castro's punishment for alleged espionage duties.  

Key People:  
- Jose Ricardo Rabel Nunez (AMLEO-3)  
- Fidel Castro  
- Alfonso Rodriguez  
- Dr. Marta Frayde Barrau  
- LTAMIL-3  
- Fernando Rey  
- Camilo Cienfuegos  
- Luis Rabbl Nunez  

Key Locations:  
- Havana, Cuba  
- New Orleans, Louisiana  
- Tulane University (New Orleans)  
- United States  
- Cuba (specifically locations related to anti-Batista activities and Castro's regime)  

Key Events:  
- Rabel's military service in World War II (1940–1945)  
- Joining anti-Batista exile groups in the U.S. (late 1952)  
- Serving as a liaison officer with the U.S. Army mission in Cuba (November 1954–April 1956)  
- Involvement with the 26th of July Movement and smuggling weapons to Camilo Cienfuegos  
- Defection to the U.S. in December 1962  
- Participation in the AMTRUNK Operation (recruiting ARMUNK-10)  
- Leadership of a Rebel Army Group supported by the American Legion (early 1964)  
- Arrest in Cuba in September 1965 and imprisonment until July/August 1967  
- Accusations of being a Castro agent as early as July 1963  

Key Organizations:  
- U.S. Army  
- Cuban armed forces (anti-Batista groups)  
- 26th of July Movement  
- Castro's regime (Cuban government)  
- CIA (Agency, AMTRUNK Operation)  
- DSB (likely a reference to East German intelligence, though context is unclear)  
- American Legion (supporting Rebel Army Group)

JFK Declassified Files

104-10102-10231.pdf

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