</s>178-10002-10279 2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992 7th ASSASSination System Date: N/S/17/201 Identification Form Agency Information AGENCY : ROCKCOM RECORD NUMBER : 178-1002-102779 RECORD SERIES : ASSASSINATIONS AGENCY FILE NUMBER: A-1(0) CORRESPONDENCE-ASSASSINTATIONS AGENCY FILENBER : A-I(0] CORRESPASSENCE-assASSINATIONS Document Information ORIGINATOR : ROCKEFELLER COMMISSION FROM: Document Information TO: TITLE: DEPOSITION OF WILLIAM STURBITTS DATE: 04/16/1975 PAGES: 4 SUBJECTS: ANTI-CASTRO ACTIVITIES CIA ANTI.CASTRO ACTIVITIVES STURBITS, WILLIAMS FITZGERALD, DESMOND KENNEY, ROBERT CUBAN EXILES DOCUMENT TYPE: DEPOSITIONS DOCUMENITY TYPE: CLASSIFICATION : Secret RESTRICTIONS: 1A: 1A: IB: IC RESISTATIONS: CURSISTATIONS : Reduced DATE OF LAST REVIEW : 02/17./2001 OPENING CRITERIA : COMMENTS : Selected pages from deposition. Full document is number 1781000210091. 1 NW 50955 DocId: 32275454 Page 1

Summary  
The document contains a deposition of William C. Sturbitts, a former CIA employee, detailing his involvement in Cuban operations from 1964 to 1973 under Task Force W and the Special Activities Staff. He describes interactions with key figures such as Ted Shackley, Paul Henze, Jake Esterline, and Desmond Fitzgerald, who oversaw anti-Castro activities. Sturbitts references a 1963 meeting in Paris where Nestor Sanchez discussed acquiring weapons for a military figure linked to Fidel Castro, though he clarifies that "attempts" against Castro is an overstatement. The deposition notes the termination of Cuban operations by 1972 and their shift to Washington-based units. It also mentions the provision of 19 volumes of documents to the Rockefeller Commission, though specific contents are not detailed. A separate summary discusses CIA paramilitary activities in southern Florida, including sabotage, raids, and economic warfare against Cuba, such as manipulating sugar prices and disrupting supply chains via preemptive purchases. The CIA collaborated with U.S. agencies like the Treasury Department and FBI for economic sanctions and logistical support. Another summary details the Miami Station’s role in counterintelligence operations, including surveilling Cuban exiles and managing groups like AMOTS (American Organization of Cuban Exiles), which engaged in intelligence gathering under non-official cover. The text also references Howard Hunt’s sick leave status on November 22, 1963 (the day of JFK’s assassination) and his interactions with Miami media outlets.  

Key People  
- **William C. Sturbitts**: Former CIA Special Assistant for Latin America involved in Cuban operations.  
- **Desmond Fitzgerald**: Head of the Special Activities Staff and later Deputy Director of Plans (DDP).  
- **Ted Shackley**: Former chief of the Miami Station (1963–1968).  
- **Paul Henze**: Succeeded Shackley as Miami Station chief (1966–1968).  
- **Jake Esterline**: Chief of the Miami Station from 1968 to 1973.  
- **Nestor Sanchez**: Individual involved in discussions about potential assassination plots against Castro.  
- **Howard Hunt**: CIA operative linked to Cuban operations, with sick leave status on November 22, 1963.  
- **Frank Sturgis**: Alleged intermediary with no documented Agency ties.  
- **Gerald Ford Library personnel**: Document originators and repository for the text.  

Key Locations  
- **Washington, D.C.**: Headquarters for CIA operations and coordination.  
- **Miami**: Base for paramilitary activities, Miami Station, and non-official cover companies.  
- **Key West**: Training facilities for UDT (Underwater Demolition Team) units.  
- **Swan Island**: Location of Radio Swan, a CIA-operated radio station for propaganda broadcasts.  
- **Havana**: Target of economic and media campaigns.  
- **Paris (France)**: Site of a 1963 meeting discussing weapons acquisition for Castro’s military contacts.  

Key Events  
- **Establishment of Task Force W** (post-Bay of Pigs, 1961) and its reorganization into the Special Activities Staff and Cuban Operations Group.  
- **Discussions on assassination attempts against Fidel Castro**: Mentioned in a 1963 Paris meeting involving Nestor Sanchez and Fitzgerald, though Sturbitts clarifies "attempts" is an overstatement.  
- **Paramilitary raids and sabotage** against Cuba, including infiltration/exfiltration missions and cache-laying for agents.  
- **Economic warfare**: Manipulation of sugar prices, restrictions on nickel exports, and preemptive purchases of critical commodities (e.g., oil) to disrupt Cuban industries.  
- **Media campaigns via Radio Swan**: Propaganda broadcasts targeting Cuba and global audiences.  
- **Collaboration with U.S. agencies**: Coordination with the Treasury Department, FBI, Navy, and Coast Guard for economic sanctions and logistical support.  
- **Termination of Cuban operations** by 1972, with activities shifted to Washington-based units.  
- **Howard Hunt’s sick leave status** on November 22, 1963 (day of JFK’s assassination).  

Key Organizations  
- **Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)**: Central to all operations, including Task Force W, Special Activities Staff, and Cuban Operations Group.  
- **Rockefeller Commission**: Conducted the investigation into CIA anti-Castro activities.  
- **Western Hemisphere Division**: Involved in reorganizing Cuban Operations Group post-1965.  
- **Department of Commerce and Treasury**: Enforced economic sanctions against Cuba.  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Collaborated with CIA on counterintelligence and surveillance operations.  
- **American Organization of Cuban Exiles (AMOTS)**: A group of CIA-subsidized exiles engaged in intelligence gathering under non-official cover.  
- **National Security Agency (NSA)**: Conducted electronic intercepts targeting Cuban government communications.  
- **Revolutionary Democratic Front (FRD)**: A political front for Cuban exile groups, monitored by the CIA.

JFK Declassified Files

178-10002-10279.pdf

Document Summary

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