104 10221 10222

104-10221-10222

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION SECRET

DBA 31-1065

Copy to: I - INS, Miami, Florida (All 877 123)(RM)

Report of: EUGENE L. PAYNE Dates: DEC-10-1962 Field Office File: 105-6466 Title: FELIPE VIDAL SANTIAGO Character: INTERNAL SECURITY - CUBA

Synopsis: Subject, a Cuban refugee, entered the U. S. on 8/9/60, from Colombia. Subject defected from the CASTRO govern- ment while employed as Cuban Naval Attache in Caracas, Venezuela. Subject is a former graduate of the Cuban Naval Academy and in exile has been involved in considerable anti-CASTRO clandestine activity against Cuba. Subject has affiliated with various anti-CASTRO organizations in the Miami, Fla., area and in 11/62, was reported to be associated with an individual having contacts with a Guatemala government official.

DETAILS: PREDICATION

Investigation in this matter was based upon information from MM T-1, another government agency which conducts security and intelligence-type investigations, who advised on August 8, 1962, that information had been received from a sub-source of unknown reliability, who advised as follows:

FELIPE VIDAL, 2293 N. W. 7th Street, Miami, Florida, an individual who formerly held a responsible position in the Cuban Navy, had accompanied an individual identified as JACK CANNON, a United States citizen, on an anti-CASTRO clandestino trip to Cuba between October 18 and 23, 1961, in which they were purportedly transporting $80,000.00 worth of arms. The boat operated by CANNON, who also uses the name JACK SHEA, and the subject was sunk along the North Coast of Cuba and the arms were lost.

Although CANNON was allegedly engaged in anti- CASTRO activities, MM T-1's sub-source pointed out that after dealing with him in business and learning about his background, he suspected that CANNON was actually involved in clandestine missions for the CASTRO regime with ramifications relating to criminal activity in the Miami area.

BACKGROUND

A. Residence

According to the records of Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), Miami, Florida, as made available on December 6, 1962, by CHARLES CHALLANDES, Investigator, subject resides at 2293 N. W. 7th Street, Miami, Florida.

B. Birth Data and Alien Status

On June 14, 1961, INS, Miami, Florida, made available to the Miami Office information relating to

political refugees entering the United States since January 1, 1959. Included in this list was FELIPE VIDAL SANTIAGO, born February 3, 1926, at Havana, Cuba.

On December 6, 1962, Investigator CHALLANDES, mentioned above, made available their file Number All 877 123 relating to the subject, which contained the following infor- mation:

VIDAL arrived in the United States on August 9, 1960, from Bogota, Colombia, and applied for a B-2 visa for four months to visit his refugee wife. He pointed out he was a Lieutenant in the Cuban Navy from 1944 to 1956. In 1958 he affiliated himself with FIDEL CASTRO and after January 1, 1959, he was appointed Chief of the Maritime Police by the CASTRO government. On October 16, 1959, he was appointed Naval Attache at Caracas, Venezuela. He defected on March 7, 1960, in Caracas because of the communist infiltration of the Cuban government.

On April 8, 1961, VIDAL applied for political asylum. VIDAL indicated that in the United States he would reside at 708 N. W. 23rd Street, Miami, Florida, and had in his possession a document identifying himself as the co- ordinator of the anti-CASTRO organization Movimiento de Liberacion Democratico Revolucionario.

On August 10, 1960, INS obtained a sworn signed statement from VIDAL in which he stated he was discharged from the Cuban Navy under the government of FULGENCIO BATISTA because of his opposition to BATISTA.

VIDAL indicated he never joined the July 26th revolutionary of FIDEL CASTRO, but was affiliated with all groups of the revolution. In October, 1957, VIDAL was co-ordinator of the Organizacion Accion Resistencia (The Clandestine Resistence Action Organization). He pointed out that in Havana, Cuba, he participated in dissemination of propaganda, sabotage, organized strikes, and meetings in jails, all on behalf of the CASTRO revolution.

VIDAL pointed out that in 1958 a pact was formed in Caracas naming MANUEL URRUTIA as President of the new government, but that CASTRO later usurped the presidency. After URRUTIA was overthrown, VIDAL became disenchanted and began to cooperate with anti-CASTRO organizations. He asked for foreign duty, and after noting continued CASTRO activities against the government of ROMULO BETANCOURT and the movement of Russian agents to Cuba, he removed his family from Cuba, went to Colombia, and defected.

VIDAL emphasized that he had never been a member of the Communist Party in Cuba.

On October 3, 1962, MM T-2, a Cuban refugee familiar with certain phases of anti-CASTRO activity in the Miami area and who has limited information regarding communist activities in Cuba, advised that captioned subject was personally known to him in Cuba, where he had the repu- tation of being an opportunist and extremely fond of drinking and carousing. He was a Captain in CASTRO's Navy in Cienfuegos, Cuba.

SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES SINCE DEFECTION FROM CASTRO REGIME

The December 7, 1960, issue of "La Prensa," a daily Spanish language newspaper published in New York, carried an article entitled, "Establish United Cuban Front in Miami." This article stated that the United Front of Liberation in the City of Miami was announced by members of the group, which included Commander FELIPE VIDAL SANTIAGO of the Movement of Democratic Revolutionary Liberation, among others.

On February 20, 1961, MM T-3, a Cuban familiar with certain Cuban activity in the Miami area, advised SANTIAGO VIDAL and another individual of an anti-CASTRO group are purchasing radio equipment.

On April 4, 1961, CARLOS PRIO SOCARRAS, former President of Cuba, advised an Agent of the FBI that a boat owned by FELIPE VIDAL SANTIAGO, former Cuban Naval Attache to Caracas, Venezuela, had been dispatched to the coast of Cuba. The boat had been gone approximately ten days and had not yet returned. PRIO advised the purpose of the trip was to bring out of Cuba a close friend of PRIO, identified as JULIO GARCERAN, former magistrate of the Supreme Court of Cuba. GARCERAN was to be brought to the South Florida area in VIDAL's boat.

The July 4, 1961, issue of the "Diario las Americas," a Spanish language newspaper published in Miami, carried an article entitled, "United Front for National Liberation,"

lating in effect that the Constitution of 1940 would be restored by the liberating army and unify 1 the Cuban anti-communist forces. The article bore the signature of Commander FELIPE VIDAL SANTIAGO on behalf of the "Democratic Recovery of Cuba."

The April 27, 1962, issue of the "Miami Herald," a daily newspaper published in Miami, carried an article pertaining to the training of exiles in the Miami area, Subject, on behalf of the United Liberation Front, was listed as one of the participants in this training.

On May 25, 1962, MM T-1 advised that subject would in all probability be included in the military comission of anti-CASTRO Cuban exiles which was being organized by Central American countries to cooperate in action against the CASTRO government.

On August 8, 1962, MM T-1, as previously indicated, advised that JACK CANNON, who claims he is engaged in anti- CASTRO activities and has made 43 clandestine trips to Cuba in various ships, transporting arms and documents and ex- filtrating people, advised his ship was sunk somewhere along the North Coast of Cuba, but was able to save himself in a small plastic boat with an outboard motor which was on board, and arrived in Cay Sals. He reportedly was ac- companied on the trip by FELIPE VIDAL, 2293 N. W. 7th Street, Miami, Florida, who formerly held a responsible position in the Cuban Navy during the CASTRO regime. On this trip, CANNON said they were transporting $80,000.00 worth of arms and these were reportedly lost when the boat sank.

According to the source of MM T-1, JACK CANNON, who's a United States citizen and former CASTRO guerrilla- man, is suspected of working for the Cuban government. He resides at 2020 N. E. 135th Street, North Miami, Florida, where he and his Cuban wife, MARIA SUAREZ, are tenants. The source of MM T-1 advised he had had some business relations with CANNON and upon obtaining some information about him, strongly suspects he is involved in some clandes- tine mission for the CASTRO regime, with ramifications of criminal offenses in Miami. He stated he suspects CANNON is the same man who was known in Cuba by the name of DUVAL and who was MORGAN's adjutant during the executions per- formed in Cuba.

MM T-1 advised that on August 27, 1962, FRANK FIORINI, an individual active in anti-CASTRO activity, had indicated that he had participated in discussions for the previous three days with the subject and other members connected with the JULIO CARCERAN group. FIORINI had discussed participation in activity relating to the pro- curement of crews for a number of B-26 planes, and it was decided that candidates for these crews were not to be members of the anti-CASTRO Cuban Revolutionary Council.

According to MM T-1, the pilots recruited were to be sent to unnamed Central American bases and targets were to be Guantanamo Naval Base and the City of Santiago de Cuba, or some target in that general vicinity. No specific date was set for this operation, but FIORINI was given the date of August 31, 1962, as a time limit to find crews. FIORINI stated he had offered his services to VIDAL, but was told he could not participate,

On October 22, 1962, MM T-4, who t-s been in- volved in Cuban volutionary activities fo. the past five years, advised that the subject was planning to depart that date for Cuba on a military mission. Ac- cording to MM T-4, VIDAL was accompanied by the American adventurer ROY HARGRAVES. VIDAL allegedly has 15 men in his group and recently visited New York.

On November 19, 1962, MM T-4 advised that VIDAL's friend, ROY HARGRAVES, is a friend of JOHN BONILLA, Consul General of Guatemala, and that both are mutual friends of an old Nicaraguan revolutionist. This Nicaraguan recently hired HARGRAVES to place a fire bomb in an unidentified boat. He is reported to have stated that the Nicaraguan government did not want to sponsor any action against CASTRO, but would confer with BONILLA, who has knowledge of the establishment of an Inter-American Brigade.

On October 29, 1962, MM T-4 advised that the subject was planning a mission to Cuba. The subject recently returned from Cuba, where he claimed to have been on a mission. VIDAL is reported to have said that when they were 35 miles off the Cuban coast, his boat was followed by a Cuban gunboat, and that when they were ten miles off the coast, another gunboat joined in the surveillance. At this point VIDAL returned to Miami. He was reportedly using a borrowed boat and the purpose of the mission was to drop an agent in the Matanzas Province of Cuba,

On November 13, 1962, MM T-4 advised that approxi- mately three weeks previously the subject had departed from

Vaca Key, Marathon, Florida, in a private boat on a trip to Cuba,

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a physical description of the subject:

Name: FELIPE VIDAL SANTIAGO Alias: Felipe Vidal Race: White Sex: Male Date of Birth: February 3, 1926 Place of Birth: Havana, Cuba Address: 2293 N. W. 7th Street Miami, Florida Height: 6' Build: Slender Hair: Brown, receding Peculiarities: Wears mustache Occupation: Cuban Naval Officer Marital Status: Married Wife: RAQUEL GONZALEZ FEAL Father: HONORATO VIDAL MADRAZO Mother: MARIA DEL CARMEN SANTIAGO ALVAREZ Fingerprint PS Classification: 19 L 17 W MIII II Alien Number: A11 877 123