Alpha 66 run by U.S. Army

[Steve Thomas]

"Run" may be too strong a word, but,

I just ran across an interesting memo from J. Walter Yeagley in the Department of Justice to J. Edgar Hoover dated January 21, 1964.

https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=147533&search=Sargen#relPageId=2&tab=page

In that memo, Yeagley said that there was a plan underway to use Anotonio Veciana, Eloy Gutiérrez Menoyo and Andres Nazario Sargen, who was the Secretary General of SNFE Alpha 66 in Miami as U.S. Army intelligence sources. The memo said that “Gutiérrez Menoyo is now a “registered Army source” in the intelligence source registry maintained by the Central Intelligence Agency.” The memo references a “Major Ferris, one of the Army intelligence representatives attending the January 6^th conference that their plan had been approved.”

Andrés Nazario Sargén was a founder of Alpha 66 along with other prominent anti-communist fighters such as his older brother Aurelio Nazario, Eloy Gutiérrez Menoyo and Antonio Veciana.

In a May 26, 1964 report filed by Wallace Heitman on Manuel Rodriguez Orcacarberro, Heitman recounts an interview he had with Orcarberro on February 10, 1964.

https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=11481#relPageId=221&tab=page

This is CD 1085 pp. 220-221.

At that time, Orcarberro told Heitman that in June, 1963, Andres Nazario Sargen, who was the Secretary of SNFE Alpha 66 in Miami wrote him a letter asking him to attempt to form a local Dallas group of the organization. Orcarberro said he was successful and a full slate of officers had been selected.

 

Steve Thomas

 

 

[Ron Bulman]

"By January of 1962, U.S. Army counter-intelligence had been established on Alpha 66 members, and contacts were made throughout 1963.  In particular, Army counter-intelligence (CI) had made contact with Antonio Veciana in October 1962.  He was assigned code number DUP 748 on January 30, 1063." pg. 51, Someone Would Have Talked.

[David Boylan]

Steve/Ron,

Lots of Colonels in this doc.

http://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/jfk/NARA-Oct2017/2018/180-10104-10394.pdf

http://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/jfk/NARA-Oct2017/NARA-Nov-2017/194-10012-10037.pdf

The CIA was mostly done with Veciana by 1962 and passed him on the the Army. Harvey had had it. Veciana was collecting money and passed it on to Menoyo's SFNE instead of Alpha 66. Veciana collected $37,000 and $27,000 went to SNFE. Veciana was well known to CIA. So when Phillips said he didn't know him or hadn't heard of him, he was full of it. 

Trafficante put out a hit on Menoyo because Menoyo owed him big bucks for weapons and equipment. Enrique Molina, Loran Hall's friend, met with one of Trafficante's guys. Hemming always said Molina was G2. Here's doc with Hall, Molina and Eddie "Bayo" Perez. 

http://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/jfk/NARA-Oct2017/2018/docid-32296293.pdf

As set out in the LHM, TRAFFICANTE wants MENOYO killed because be received $250,000 in arms and equipment from TRAFFICANTE)) but did not pay for them • 

http://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/jfk/NARA-Oct2017/2018/docid-32312413.pdf

NSA also picked up a planned hit on Veciana. 

http://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/jfk/NARA-Oct2017/NARA-Nov9-2017/144-10001-10172.pdf

[Larry Hancock]

These documents round out the earlier picture we had, primarily again from Army Intelligence.  Army Intel made early contact with Viciana, actually designating him as an informant, with the primary interest of obtaining info on Russian weapons and Russian military activities in Cuba form Alpha 66 missions.  The maintained contact with Alpha 66 through late 61 and 62 and reported this to the CIA...one of the key questions on this is who they reported it to at CIA. Phillips was moving on after the Cuba project to Mexico City so one question is whether the reporting would have officially gone to him (of course in following all things Cuban Phillips would have known about Veciana and Alpha 66, the question is how much through official reports).  Chronology of his new assignment vs. these reports is very important.

We also know that JM/WAVE itself had a source reporting from inside on Alpha 66 during 1962 and were aware of their missions but did nothing to interdict them (contrary to Kennedy Admin policy).  We know that from reports of Victor Hernandez and actual remarks from David Morales in JMWAVE documents.

And we have documents showing that in the spring of 1963, the military side of the SGA proposed using Alpha 66 for more "bang and boom" against Cuba and the CIA recommended against it, based on the opinion that it would be virtually impossible to control them.

Aside from all this, we have the Veciana/Bishop story that suggest Phillips was helping Alpha 66 organize, getting them PR and encouraging them to attack Russian targets. The notes about PR in the first document David posted are interested in that regard...as is the fact that there were "sources" were providing Army intel info on Alpha 66 missions....the question is who those sources are?  At first it read as if it might be Veciana himself but a closer read suggests otherwise.

So....David, your remark was that CIA was working directly with Veciana or Alpha 66 first and then passed him on to the Army....I.m missing that but I'd love to see a direct CIA/informant/asset relationship to him in 61/62 and what office that would have been through.  If its in these new documents help me see that because its a point that really needs to be cleared up, especially with the work Newman is currently doing on Veciana. 

[David Boylan]

Larry, there were a few indications that I've seen. Here's one, page 6. Cal Hicks, not sure if that is his real name.

https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/180-10144-10153.pdf

The other was a Task Force W report from William Harvey himself. He was complaining about Veciana. I'll see if I can locate this. 

[Ron Bulman]

"In mid March of 1963, the militant Cuban exile group Alpha 66 called a press conference in Washington.  They announced an attack on a Russian freighter... Veciana told Fonzi the attack and press conference had been deliberately planned by his handler, Maurice Bishop, to publicly embarrass Kennedy and force him to move against Castro".  pg. 68, Destiny Betrayed.

Pg. 332.  "According to Veciana Alpha 66 was essentially a Phillips creation".

In DB or SWHT one it is mentioned that "Bishop"  was Veciana's handler at the CIA the entire 13 (?) years he worked with them.  It does all get deep and confusing.

Edited July 2, 2018 by Ron Bulman

[Larry Hancock]

Indeed it does Ron,  and Veciana is definitely the source for saying that Bishop was a force behind helping organize, fund  and promote Alpha 66.  If true, the questions are:  a) Was Bishop actually Phillips and if not who was he?  b) If it was Phillips was he making the Veciana contacts on his own with his own agenda or acting covertly for the CIA?   There has been no record of the latter so the speculation was that Phillips might have been going rogue as early as the creation of Alpha 66, which was certainly being encouraged towards Russian attack missions that the JFK crack down would have opposed.  Indeed Veciana remarks that Bishop wanted to put JFK's back to the wall and force action against Castro via the attacks.

David, thanks, that could be very helpful...I know Harvey and the CIA officially was complaining about the Alpha 66 attacks - which would be a HQ attitude.  On the other hand JM/WAVE was aware of their plans (as apparently was the Army) and was doing noting to stop them.  In one memo Morales even speculates how interesting it might be if Alpha 66 was being manipulated without their knowledge. 

I've always wanted to tie this down one way or the other and of course in doing so deal with all the open questions about Veciana and Phillips as either an official - highly covert - relationship or a rogue act on Phillips part.

[Michael Clark]

34 minutes ago, Larry Hancock said:

These documents round out the earlier picture we had, primarily again from Army Intelligence.  Army Intel made early contact with Viciana, actually designating him as an informant, with the primary interest of obtaining info on Russian weapons and Russian military activities in Cuba form Alpha 66 missions.  The maintained contact with Alpha 66 through late 61 and 62 and reported this to the CIA...one of the key questions on this is who they reported it to at CIA. Phillips was moving on after the Cuba project to Mexico City so one question is whether the reporting would have officially gone to him (of course in following all things Cuban Phillips would have known about Veciana and Alpha 66, the question is how much through official reports).  Chronology of his new assignment vs. these reports is very important.

We also know that JM/WAVE itself had a source reporting from inside on Alpha 66 during 1962 and were aware of their missions but did nothing to interdict them (contrary to Kennedy Admin policy).  We know that from reports of Victor Hernandez and actual remarks from David Morales in JMWAVE documents.

And we have documents showing that in the spring of 1963, the military side of the SGA proposed using Alpha 66 for more "bang and boom" against Cuba and the CIA recommended against it, based on the opinion that it would be virtually impossible to control them.

Aside from all this, we have the Veciana/Bishop story that suggest Phillips was helping Alpha 66 organize, getting them PR and encouraging them to attack Russian targets. The notes about PR in the first document David posted are interested in that regard...as is the fact that there were "sources" were providing Army intel info on Alpha 66 missions....the question is who those sources are?  At first it read as if it might be Veciana himself but a closer read suggests otherwise.

So....David, your remark was that CIA was working directly with Veciana or Alpha 66 first and then passed him on to the Army....I.m missing that but I'd love to see a direct CIA/informant/asset relationship to him in 61/62 and what office that would have been through.  If its in these new documents help me see that because its a point that really needs to be cleared up, especially with the work Newman is currently doing on Veciana. 

I would like to see a wish list thread of things we for which we should keep our eyes open. A specific thread for that would be good. Having something specific to look for would  make the reading more interesting. 

[Larry Hancock]

David, that is a very interesting CIA summary document on Veciana - totally new to me.  It would seem to substantiate that Veciana contacted the CIA inside Cuba (and if not Phillips, then who?).  And then contacted them again after he came out, in 62.  Being of a suspicious nature, I wonder if that means he contacted Phillips inside Cuba, was officially rejected then contacted Phillips again in 62 and was officially rejected while Phillips decided to take matters in his own hands and encourage him to form Alpha 66? 

The document certainly suggests CIA officially rejected working with him, repeatedly.  It also makes it clear that Veciana had assassination on his mind..and we know he did since he was part of an abortive plot just before he made it out of Cuba.

[Larry Hancock]

Michael,  here would be my thought on what to look for...given documents we have had and what Newman introduced at the Lancer conference last fall.

1) Anything that shows us who or even what section of the CIA station in Havana that Veciana contacted about assassinating Castro in 1960. That would answer one huge question. 

2) The same for who at CIA he contacted in 1962. David's document confirms that those contacts were made so we know we are hunting for something real and that does confirm that Veciana was approaching the CIA - and being rejected.  So any contact document on his approaches and subsequent rejection are key.

3) Anything that shows an effort by CIA to monitor Alpha 66, including sources (whether they be Army sources or CIA sources).  We know that the administration was upset and embarrassed by the ongoing raids,  we know that Alpha was actually more successful on its missions than JM/WAVE.  The question is how much did CIA HQ know about the missions as compared to JM/WAVE and was somebody playing games.  In SWHT I present info that JM/WAVE had advance knowledge of the missions,  we should see if they provided that to HQ in their reports or somebody was sandbagging HQ and/or the SGA with a local agenda. 

In reference to that, look for any reports going to J.C. King.  We know that JM/WAVE and King approved the TILT mission without informing the SGA and RFK.  Up to now that has been an exception, question is was it also happening with Alpha 66.

 

 

[Ron Bulman]

Larry, I'm trying to comprehend Phillips going rouge, totally off the books, on his own.  I wonder if he may have been given a "free hand" (maybe Harvey too?) by someone at the level of say Helms and/or Angleton, maybe previously even Dulles.  It's hard for me to see how he could have done all he may have without official sanction of some sort, and, their support literally in terms of say logistics at times.  Kind of a do what you have to but for the sake of plausible deniability we don't want to know the details (well maybe Angleton would have wanted to know the details).  Didn't Phillips get a promotion to Chief of the Western Hemisphere two or three years after the JFK assassination?

[David Boylan]

Here's another DOD/Army doc on the Army/Alpha 66 and related groups from the Califona papers.

http://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/jfk/NARA-Oct2017/docid-32423734.pdf

[Larry Hancock]

I have the same problem Ron, but on one hand there is no evidence of a truly close personal working relationship between Phillips and the old school CIA cadre like Helms, Dulles at all...even Hunt.  The guys from the earliest days had some band of brothers types of relationships,  Harvey and Angleton being an example, but Phillips started out as a contract guy and had none of that sort of history.  I first began to suspect he had his own agendas when I found a disciplinary memo in his file for something really strange in regard to a sting involving the Russians in MC and uranium sales. Apparently that was unauthorized. He also had his own special history with going to private companies involved in pre-Castro Cuba and raising major amounts of money, we see that in the Tejuana III boat project.  He appears to have started that and then gotten approval.  Also there is no doubt he had his own private PR network, I discuss that in SWHT. 

As to his promotion, actually that was several years later after serving in various roles in Latin America including COS in Brazil and then being sent into the Chile project, where a variety of apparently rogue activities occurred that the CIA had to later work to keep out of the investigations.  Now whether those involed "head nods" or whether Phillips and company (including Tony Sforza) just used their own initiative, I don't now.  I did explore the cover-up in Shadow Warfare though, which apparently resulted in Sforza's early retirement.

I wish I could answer the question for sure, but there are signs that he was quite willing to go his own way at times, maybe somebody was giving him a vest pocket approval, maybe not.  And it would have been different people at different times.

On the other hand, I'm absolutely sure people like Angleton and Harvey operated as part of the old school and had a lot more discretionary room, partially because both were involved in CI and CI/SIG which was highly compartmentalized and autonomous within Agency operations.

[Ron Bulman]

2 hours ago, Larry Hancock said:

Michael,  here would be my thought on what to look for...given documents we have had and what Newman introduced at the Lancer conference last fall.

1) Anything that shows us who or even what section of the CIA station in Havana that Veciana contacted about assassinating Castro in 1960. That would answer one huge question. 

2) The same for who at CIA he contacted in 1962. David's document confirms that those contacts were made so we know we are hunting for something real and that does confirm that Veciana was approaching the CIA - and being rejected.  So any contact document on his approaches and subsequent rejection are key.

3) Anything that shows an effort by CIA to monitor Alpha 66, including sources (whether they be Army sources or CIA sources).  We know that the administration was upset and embarrassed by the ongoing raids,  we know that Alpha was actually more successful on its missions than JM/WAVE.  The question is how much did CIA HQ know about the missions as compared to JM/WAVE and was somebody playing games.  In SWHT I present info that JM/WAVE had advance knowledge of the missions,  we should see if they provided that to HQ in their reports or somebody was sandbagging HQ and/or the SGA with a local agenda. 

In reference to that, look for any reports going to J.C. King.  We know that JM/WAVE and King approved the TILT mission without informing the SGA and RFK.  Up to now that has been an exception, question is was it also happening with Alpha 66.

 

 

I'm confused again, easily says my wife.  I don't know if A-66 was conducting raids of their own. But in SWHT it says Operation TILT, i.e. the Bayo-Pawley raid was staffed with Alpha 66 personnel, with Military Coordination by Rip Robertson who worked for David Morales.  Is it safe to say, eight months before the assassination Alpha 66 was still maybe influenced by the CIA and possibly being used by them?  I know, a lot of if's there, speculation...

[Larry Hancock]

The raids of spring 1963 were being done by Commandos L, which did include members of Alpha 66.  Members of Alpha 66 also were recruited and participated in the TILT mission.  Alpha 66 was still active as an organization in 1963 but the Cuba raids were being most visibly done by Commandos L and other new groups. By spring 63 CIA was pushing back at the Special Group level against any involvement with Alpha 66 (which had been proposed by Army members of the group).  So as a group its problematic, however many members of Alpha 66 joined and worked with other groups; same for members of DRE who belonged to Alpha 66 or MRR etc. 

I guess my best answer is that by 63 things had fragmented a good deal, there were individuals on the outside (not backed by the Kennedy Administration) working with different groups and groups on the inside (Artime, Quintero/AM/WORLD) who were sanctioned and heavily supported financially.  I'd say that by 1963 individual names and what those individuals were doing and who trusted who become more important than groups. And more important in regards to what happened in Dallas.

Yeah, I know that's probably not a big help...sorry...