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124-10218-10058] 2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F_ KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992
JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM
IDENTIICATION FORM
AGENCY NNFORMATION
AGENCY: FBI
RECORD NUMBER: 124-10218-10058
RECORD SERIES: HO
AGENCY FILE_NUMBER: 2-2173-1ST NR 130
DOCUMENT NNFORMATION
ORIGNATOR: DOS
FROM: SAUNDERS HAROLD H
T: THE SECRETARY
TITLE:
DATE: 10/18/1976
PAGES: 10
SUBJCT: CASTRO, FIDEL, SPEECH, ALLEGATIONS, CIA INVOLVEMENT, CUBANA
AIRLINER, BOMBING
DOCUMENT TYPE: PAPER TEXTUAL DOCUMENT
ORIGNNAL NEW
Secret
CLASSIFICATION: CLASSHFICATION:
REVIEW DATE: 05/12/1998 UPDATE DATE:
STATUS Redact
RESTRICTIONS:
JFK Act 6 (1)(B)
JFK Act 6 (4)
COMNTS: NNC MEMO
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October 19 , 1976
W A
Additional Questions (anbwers and comento peeded bx
I2tenorning october Z)
Laej Lbueen_e
1 Fas CIA had any relatlonghip with Posada ' 8 Invegtlgative
agency or any other buginesg he have had?
2, Gwnat was the nature of the contacts CIA had with Pogada
after he Nas ternlnated? Mhat aia the contacts have t0 do
with cuba?Ys)
3 LWho w43 the visa for that Pogada approached the CIA and
the defense attadhe about in' Jue 1976776)
4 Doeg the CIA believe that the sourca of TDFIR DB-315/10256:
deliberately , delayed passing On Bobch 8 end Posada' & remarkb:
about hltting 4 Cuban Plane until after the incidents?
5 Does the CIA have any addltlonal relevant infornatlon
on any of the people named in the draft nexoranduil Or any
other Informatlon relating, to the gabotage of the plane ,
which lt has not Yet disgominated in TDFIR form?
Woula CIA Please provide whatever Infornation ie has
concerning Orlando Garcia and Ricardo Morales 80_ that para
b on , Page 8 or the draft memorandum can be completed?
1
NOT RECORPED
ak j08;W 6 23 MAY (1
1977
1
3" L
9 CA HAS Wio QRJEGTION:To
DEGLKSGIFICAZHON: ANDZOR m
RELEASE OF CA INFORMATION
In This. DOCUMENT ASsa Tned
26
JM li4(97
SECRET /SENSITIVE
70 MAY 1
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by Cuban counterrevolutionaries _ NOw we
decidedly believe the first ass umption is correct
The CIA directly participated in the destruction
of the Cubana aircraft in Barbados
~The principal leaders of Cuban exile terrorist
groups are closely linked through the CORU organi
zation to CIA activities against Cuba
In his speech , Castro did not make any
specific alle
gations concerning a USG relationship with Orlando Bosch
or Luis Posada two Cuban exile activists who were arrested
by Venezuelan authorities in connection with: the Cubana
crash) However the link with Bosch is implied since he
is reported to be chief of CORU , the umbrella organization
of Cuban exile terrorists
Individuals Allegedly Involved
Hernan Ricardo: Lozano
a Involvement in the Crash: He was arrested in
Trinidad on
suspicion of having planted
a bomb in the Cubana-
plane_ Caracas radio announced on October 18 that he
6)
confessed to sabotaging the airliner A CI47 source in
Caracas reports that Ricardo may have been trained in the
use of explosives and investigative techniques by Luis
Posada _ CIA information also. reveals that Trinidadian
officials have told the Venezuelans that they have a tapea]c)
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3
Gelephone conversation between Ricardo and Posada discussing
their participation in the bombing;
RRicardo , a Venezuelan citizen}: a photographer employed
by Posada in his industrial-security firm in -Caracas A
(2
CCIA] source says that Ricardo is also- a part time employee
of the Venezuelan, Intelligence Service (DISIP) He reportedly
gathered photographic materiai
on groups and individuals of
interest to DISIP and the Venezuelan Government_ He was
M=
hired DISIP when Pasada; was official of that organization_
6)
The CIA source says that the Venezuelan Government is
concerned an woula: be faced wwith serious problems if these
connections become_public knowledge;
b Relationship with US [CIA states it has had no
contact with Ricardo The Us Legal Attache in Caracas,
S;
Josedh Leo says that he has had some dealings with; Ricardo for
h ) {
in expediting Visa applications for a DISIP official' S
G Beanbs ] eeece LnmeAAfrAiual Axims) Tpo
son, nahingele He also contacted Leo eweeimeseO
photagraphs ana biographical data on members of the Cuban
Embassy in Caracas Apparently, the material came from DISIP
6) phran6.o y
filed During
one
visit)attemptf to solicit suggestions from
the #egal Attache on activities which' might be directed
agailst the Cuban Embassy an anti-Castro group to which he
belonged _ Leo. says_he discouraged Ricardo, pointing outthat
the us Covernment was attempting to prevent disruptive_ and
SECRET
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help
64
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Creuue
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by
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terrorist activities by anti-Castro groups in the US , and
Ricardo never . repeated the suggestion
Ereddy Luge
a Involvement in the crash Lugo_ was arrested in
Trinidad with Ricardo on
suspicion of having planted the bob
aboara the Cubana plane _ AA CIA source alleges that Eugo
apparently was only peripherally involved , in the bombing ana
is not considered to be one of the leading participants
Lugo, a Venezuelan citizen; is also 2 photographer
M)
employed Posada' s company
According to k CIA] source he
also worked for DISIP under the Same arrangements noted above
for Ricardo.
b Relationship Iith US: [CIA states that it has had
no contact with Lugo- The nane
and phone number of US Legal
Attache Leo were discovered in Lugo 5 address book when he
no
was arrested in Trinidad Leo says that he has had Ca
contact with Lugo and speculates that his name and: phone were
furnished to Lugo by Posada
Luis Posada Carriles
a Involvement in Crash Posada was arrested on
October 14 in Venezuela along Ivith Orlando Bosch and three
others accused of conspiring to sabotage the plane Posada ,
a Cuban exile Tho is now a Venezuelan citizen, is vehemently
anti-Castro ana is suspected of having been the main supporter
of Bosch during the latter' s stay in Venezuela" prior to being
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arrested in November 1974 . Posada was formerly chief of the
counterintelligence division of the Venezuelan intelligence
service, DISIP
ba Relationship with US CIA says that Posada was a
informant_ The relationship was discontinued in
1967, but contact was reestablished in October of the same
year_ When he lost his position in DISIP in March 1974 , CIA
says lthe relationship was 88 amicably terminated. 0$ Though he
was not thereafter, CIA continued to have accasional
contact with him until February 1976 when a formal written
agreement of termination was signed_ The latest contact
between CIA representatives and Posada occurred in June 1976.
when CIA declined to assist Posada on a visa matter :36)
The US army attache has also used a Posada business
partner (also a Cuban exile whose name we do not have) as
an informant (though not as an agent)
Our Legal Attache (Joseph Leo) became acquainted with
6 )
Posada: during the latter S employmentlby DISIP and after
his resignation
1
Posada continued to contact Leo on rare
occasions
1
usually in order to obtain personal service in
regard to Visa requests for relatives and business associates,
Senembel 30,1926 @ Olplel !
the last being Ricardo on Oetober 1976 Leo says he has
%
seen Posada on about three occasions since 1973 , the last being
in June 1976 when Posada inquired if the FBI; had interest in
a Venezuelan who had hired two of his "operatives" as body
guards _
Drentm
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July paid
paid
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1e2/1.
Gucuxs
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Orlando Bosch
a Involvement in Crash: As noted above Bosch Was
arrested in Venezuela for alleged involvenent in the Cubina
crash. In late June, a CIA Source reported" that an exile
group headed . bY Bosch planned to bomb a Cubana flight betrveen
Panama and Havana An FBI sburce has alleged that one aitemp M
was made but the bomb did not detonate_ second try occurzed
in Jamaica on 9 , but the bomb exploded before the suit_
case in which it was carried was: put aboard the plane
According to CIA sourcesl Venezuelan President Carlos
Andres Perez is saia to. be sympathetic to Bosch and has
permitted him to travel freely in the country and solicit funds
with the understanding. that Venezuela would not be used as a
base of operations or
place of refuge_ Bosch reportedly promised
not to engage in terrorist activity while in Venezuela and
received a token S500 contribution from Perez: CAnother CIA
sourcereported that after Bosch S arrival in Caracas in September
he stated during
a fund raising dinner that "Now that our
organization has come out of the Letelier job looking good , We
are going_ to try something else_ 01 A few days_ later Posada
allegedly said, "We- are going to hita Cuban airliner 6} and
"Orlando (Bosch) has the details 0}
b Relationship with US _ LCIA says there are no current:
or recent agency contacts with Orlando Bosch. The US is
currently: attempting to have Bosch deported from Venezuela
SECRET
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i41a|
July
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to the US
T
where he is subject to
immediate imprisonment for
parole
violationl~4eee mlJ
Frank Castro
a Involvement in Crash: Venezuelan officials reportedly
believe that Castro, (head of the FLNC terrorist organization,
a component group in CORU) is deeply involved in the crash,
though we have no details of-his supposed involvement_ Frank
Castro was in Venezuela in late September 1976 and in mid-
October was back- in Miami Frank Castro has admitted to FBI
'agents that he met with Bosch in Caracas: on September 26 or
27 but denies any personal knowledge of the bombing of the
Cubana plane-
b Relationship with US ; [CIA says there are no current
Or recent agency contacts with Frank Castro who is an
American citizen with permanent residence in Santo Domingo _
Orlando Garcia and Ricardo Morales Navarrete
a Involvement in Crash: Orlando Garcia is President
Perez 4 security and intelligence advisor and Morales is Garcia S
deputy; both are Cuban exiles who are now Venezuelan citizens _
S
CIA sourcelclaims that Garcia was directed to protect and
assist Bosch during his stay in Venezuela. Another CIA sourcels
reported that Garcia and Posada met Bosch upon his arrival and
escorted him to his hotel_ Both Garcia and Morales reportedly
attended the fund-raising dinner during which Bosch allegedly
made the remark about the 0 Letelier job_ 10 and after the Cubana
SECRET
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crash Garcia may have made an effort to get Bosch out of
Venezuela. It is possible, therefore that Garcia and/or
Morales may have known in advance about the operation which
led to the bombing of the plane_
b Relationship with US :
Felix Martinez Suarez
a Involvement in Crash: None except bY the alleged
association with Ricardo , contained in Fidel Castro's charges -
b Relationship with US : CIA says that Suarez was a
CIA media asset: from 1961 to January 1974 when he was
terminated as a result of his exposure in the Venezuelan media J
Castro's allegation regarding_ CORU : With regara to
Castro' s charge on CIA links with CORU_ an FBI report of
September 17 states that confidential source abroad" clains
to have been told by Roberto Carballo (leader of the Association
M &
of Veterans of the Bay of Bigs , AVBC , one of the component
organizations of CORU) that in July of this year Carballo and
three other Cuban exiles had been approached by representatives
SECRET
SENSTTTIE
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"a
Il