</s>JFK Assassination System Date: 6/8/2015 Identification Form Agency Information AGENCY: FBI AGENCY NUMBER: 124-102222-10171 RECORD NUMBER : RECORD SERIES: HQ AGENCY FILE NUMBER #: 97-4133-8TH NR 118 AGENCY FILENUMBER: HQ Document Information ORIGINATOR: FBI FROM: WANNALL, W. R. Released under the John F. Kennedy TO: Assassination Records Collection Act of SULLIVAN, W ., C. Assassinaton Records Collection Action Act of 992 (44) U.S.C. USC 210T Note(Case#Nw) 9898 Date: 03/12/2015 TITLE: DATE: 09/25/1964 PAGES: 3 SUBJECTS: SPANISH VESSEL, SIERRA ARANZAZU, SUSP. SECRET ORGANIZATION OF CONTINENTAL ACTION, MRR, LAIASON WITH DOS DOCUMENT TYPE: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT CLASSIFICATION: SECRET RESTRICTIONS: 1B CURRENT STATUS: Redact DATE OF LAST REVIEW: 06/22/1998 DATE of LAST CRITERIA: APPROVAL OF NSA COMMENTS : COMMENTS: NW 88608 Docid:322938395 Page 1 17

Summary  
The document details an investigation into an attack on the Spanish vessel *Sierra Aranzazu* in September 1964, involving U.S. intelligence agencies, diplomatic officials, and a suspected Cuban exile organization. The FBI and CIA were implicated in the incident, with the CIA asserting that the attack was orchestrated by the Movimiento Recuperación (MRR), a group linked to anti-Castro activities. Spanish Ambassador Merry Val reported to his Foreign Ministry that U.S. authorities, including the FBI and State Department, were involved in the attack, which resulted in three Spaniards killed. The document notes that the attack was attributed to Cuban elements, with the Spanish ship mistakenly firing on a Cuban vessel. CIA officials claimed they did not directly participate but provided intelligence support to MRR. The investigation highlighted potential violations of neutrality statutes and conspiracy laws, prompting internal security reviews.  

Key People  
- W.R. Wannall (FBI agent)  
- W.C. Sullivan (U.S. official)  
- John Crimms (State Department officer)  
- Merry Val (Spanish Ambassador to the U.S.)  
- Movimiento Recuperación (MRR) members (not named individually)  

Key Locations  
- Miami, Florida  
- Puerto Rico  
- Spain (via diplomatic channels)  
- Washington, D.C. (U.S. government offices)  

Key Events  
- Attack on *Sierra Aranzazu* (September 13–16, 1964)  
- Meetings between U.S. officials (CIA, FBI, State Department, White House) and Cuban exile groups  
- CIA’s claim of indirect involvement in the attack via MRR  
- Investigation into potential neutrality violations and conspiracy charges  

Key Organizations  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)  
- U.S. Department of State  
- Movimiento Recuperación (MRR, a Cuban exile organization)  
- Spanish Foreign Ministry

JFK Declassified Files

124-10222-10171.pdf

Document Summary

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