104 10069 10077

1104-10069-10077 2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992

COELINCOL 0016)3,244,087 加人A 3037元 27 November 1962

Subject: Reported Use of Yacht Potomac by Alpha 66

  1. On 20 Nov 62 LAFO received an unsolicited telephone call on the listed telephone number. The caller wanted to advise that there was reportedly in the harbor at Long Beach a vessel., formerly used by the late Theodore Roosevelt, called the Potomac. This vessel, according to the informant, was being used by the Alpha 66 organization. She was believed taking on a carge of weapons crated as Argentine beef, and destined to leave soon for Seattle. He added that a Wes Davis had just signed on as an engineer, and there was another character named Cliff Roberts on board. Both were described as bearded adventurers.

  2. The caller refused to identify himself, claiming that he did not know whether contact with the Agency would be approved by his employer, and further did not know whether or not the information was valid or of interest. LCDR L. Lessing- Lessing Long Beach,

  3. In response to a call to the Intelligence Officer, UUCG, it was learned that ther is a vessel, the Potowac, formerly one of the 155' USCG cutters. For some time it had been used by the late F. D. Roosevelt as the presidential yacht. Later it had been disposed of to the Maryland (State) Fish and Game Commission, and more recently it had been acquired by the Hydra-Capital, Inc., 41.0 West Coast Highway, Newport Beach, California (OR 5-1549).

  4. USCG advised further that an investigator for the Los Angeles County Prosecutor, D. L. Wheeler, had accepted an assignment (taking leave of absence to do so) to bring the Potomac from the Barbados to California. The plan, supposedly, was to make her a floating museum of some sort. On his arrival in Bartados, Wheeler is reported to have found the craft in foul shape, with only a single engine operative. He refused the job and returned to Los Angeles. The craft later, however, did turn up in San Diego in October and was later observed tied up in Cerritos Channel; Los Angeles harbor area; and subsequently, she was moved back to San Diego, where it is presently in a shipyard. She has since been painted, and appears to be undergoing some modifications to her hull. us Dept of Juskee - Frd. Beds I 4, Cal

  5. The unidentified informant (paragraphs 1 and 2), subsequently identified as Asst. US Attorney Bill Spivaky was re-contacted by telephone. It was suggested to him that in the event any more information concerning the Potomac and the likelihood of her use in any foreign activity came his way, we would appreciate another call. On this occasion, Spivak volunteered the statement that it was his understanding that the Cliff Roberts he had referred to pre- viously had come from Barbados with the vessel. This was Spivak's first reference to Barbados.

  6. The above is for your information only. The sketchiness of the material presented LAFO as well as the circumstances of its origin militate against its credibility. As a consequence, no follow-up is anticipated unless requested.

TFW-301100.62 mss

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