157 10014 10242
157-10014-10242 2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992 JFK Assassination System Identification Form Date: 7/7/2015
Agency Information
AGENCY: SSCIA RECORD NUMBER: 157-10014-10242 RECORD SERIES: MISCELLANEOUS RECORDS OF THE CHURCH COMMITTEE AGENCY FILE NUMBER: 07-M-147
Document Information
ORIGINATOR: SSCIA FROM: TO: TITLE: DATE: 00/00/1975 PAGES: 690 SUBJECTS: ANTI-CASTRO ACTIVITIES ORGANIZED CRIME CIA ASSASSINATION, KENNEDY, JOHN DOCUMENT TYPE: REPORT CLASSIFICATION: Declassified RESTRICTIONS: 1B; IC; 3 CURRENT STATUS: Redact DATE OF LAST REVIEW: 03/31/2000 OPENING CRITERIA : COMMENTS: CCBOX 441
v9.1 NW 50955 DocId: 32423630 Page 1 1
JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM IDENTIFICATION FORM AGENCY INFORMATION
AGENCY: SSCIA RECORD NUMBER : 157-10014-10242 RECORDS SERIES: MISCELLANEOUS RECORDS OF THE CHURCH COMMITTEE AGENCY FILE NUMBER : 07-M-147
DOCUMENT INFORMATION
ORIGINATOR : SSCIA FROM : TO : TITLE : DATE: 00/00/75 PAGES: 690 SUBJECTS: ORGANIZED CRIME Date : 08/09/95 Page : 1
ANTI-CASTRO ACTIVITIES CIA ASSASSINATION, KENNEDY, JOHN DOCUMENT TYPE: REPORT CLASSIFICATION : TOP SECRET RESTRICTIONS: REFERRED CURRENT STATUS: POSTPONED IN FULL DATE OF LAST REVIEW : 01/21/99 OPENING CRITERIA : COMMENTS: CCBOX 441 [R] ITEM IS RESTRICTED NW 50955 DocId: 32423630 Page 2
Ny Daily SUNDAY NIS, A1 075 SECRETS OF THE CIA!!!
American Mata Hari Who Duped Castro
Marie Lorenz: spied on Fidel.¶
: : Its clandestine operations now ondergoing e sometimes painful official estuting, the Central Intelligence Age y rainte.ns, as always, a tight lip. Lat. from interviews with the egents who i redout te do the CIA's clock-and-dagger work. News reporter Post Meskil tells here for the first time of the intrigue thut surfaced in the Cuban miscile e. is, controllation that pushed the US to the brink of war with the Su iet Union. First of a scries. ! DY PAUL MICKIL છે : A I EAUTIFUL German-American copiongee agents, Caribbean conspira- tors, aid Cuban freedom fighters were girl scored an intelligence coup fo interviewed for this series, on CIA thể CLA by stealing sceret paperderations in the Caribbean and the chored vth Fidel Castro ! 1 merican of their clandestine ac- takice are sold here for the first time, we are being investigated by the • A fantastic scheme to scize a Soviet ship and use it to chtain the release of the captured American spy ship Pueblo. • Secret deals with American mob sters who had lost their multiniillion- dollar Cüben gambling casinos.... • Armed raids on Cuba and many shipments of guerrilla fighters, weap- ons, explosives and other wer materi als to the island before and after the Day of Pigs ficsco. Marie Lerema played a temall but Caribbean conspiracies. er the prere, the tollice on Intelli-important role in the labyrinth of New were mens showing th ٢٠ sclested; aer Soviet missile installations En Caba. peace and Vice President Rockefeller's Commission on CIA Activities. red Marie Dosen to cred whbors quictly in New York, was th Ec of the Caribbean cold war, She was one of the most clamorous members of a spring recrc.ued for. the Central Indigence Arc Frank isomni, a cactime triple agent whe later became became known to the ameris can public as Watergate burgler Frack Sturgis. According to sources, the CIA was, dar or another, involved in: Chcesassinate foreign heads mcluding, Castro of Cuba, Papa Doc Muvalier or Haiti and Pafael Trojilo of Me Dominican Repai of state, Singa Certroite attempt to invade Papama and sabotage the Pana- rma Canal. : • The explosion of a munitions ship Ms. Lorenz, Sturgis, other formet it Havana harbor. : Her Culan adventures begen on balmy event, in Tehreer cary 1950, when. a lanch C Caben scrolution- palied clemmede the gleaming ary flag palic -white luxury Her Lelin, anchored in Havana harber on the next-to-last stop ofa Caribbean م In the launch were 20 or so heavily arned Cubans, all wearing beards and rumpled live-green fatigues. The Iner's, accommodation lauder was (Continard en reje 35). Box 441 NW 50955 DocId: 32423630 Page 3
** , (Continuad from 2) lowered and the bisbal (bearded ... dalhard like pirates, kro nades d dangling from their belts and thachira xuns uns swinging from their shoulders and ran for cover with their dinner- women in evening themed Jacketed husbandal Lelieving the ship was twing raided by andit Lut otler, Arwerwan' tearists recognized the leader of the sinister-looking laral as Fidel Castro, the new pedime pdime minister of Cuha, Hari Who Duped Custo the lull, chari afic dictator, luther airborne illusions were shattered doon after the plane Linded. "I was ved Idealistic she said. "I was going on an adventure and to to my first Jo I 1 was going to help the new goverit punt. Instead, I betame Castro's play thi "I was dris in from the airport to the Havana Ilton, where Fidel had taken over the 4th floor. For the next four months, hardly ever got qt of the Hilton. When I did get out, was, Pind they crowded around him for: auto-muler guard. I'd wanted to go down to coffee shop, two burundus graphi. "I'm a friend," "The shoute! obviously enyrying the commotion lepiad caused. "I like Americans." The Berlin's shopper, former Gerbian Nivy Capt. Heinrich Lorenz, lagited the barindos to stay for cocktail and dianer, and he introduced Qustro this vifarious 18-year-old ear-old daughter, Mori "My father spoke Spanish and he it along well with Castro," Marie Jold this reporter. "lle took Castro and his nen on a tour of the ship, then alked them to please leave their guns of dide 11:3 dining room before they sat hown fof dinner. છ "Castro said they didn't feel safe vithout guns, so my father all wed Gem to keep their pistols, but he iande Livem legve the machine guns, automat ic' rifles and grenades in the smoking Caste sat at the captain's table, between Lorenz and Marie. During the meal, he smiled frequently at Marie, nad she was as impressed as any nor- nal techage girl would be by compli ments from, the flamboyant hero of the Caban revolution.' She spoke German and English, which she had learned from her Ameri- can mother. Castro said he needed a sacretary who could write lettera in these languages. Before the moal was over, he offered the job to Marie. 1 Took Offer As Joke "He asked me to stay in Havana and work for him," she said. "My fa ther and I both laughed. My father said I was going back to Germany to finish my education." promised to write to her, 80 Castro pro the pool or coffee would go with me." 'I Wat His Priloner Asled to refine her relatio hip with Castro dujing this period. Maria said: "I want prisoner. I was Arap- ped." "Were youlover in love with Fidel?" "No; never. How can you be in love when you're afraid, when you're treated like a piece of furniture, when pou're, sleeping with a live hazooka, unde the hed, when you're living in a guns on every table and cigar butik all over the floor?" she conting room with "My way of thinking was gwas Gerijan," "Everything, in my life had been orderly, very neat, and estcial- ly a prime minister, could be so disor- canized. I thought he would have clean never really any I several offices, with desks, chairs and telephones. All he had, at this foint, was B suite of rooms at the ton, where he lived and worked. I was kept in one of the rooms. The door to the hall locked from the outside. Barbudos anul visitors were in thespext rooln, but the door between the toms was kept locked. "All I could do was read loks, study Spanish, walk back and forth, hsten to the radio or go on the balcony and look out over Havana. I was miserable. My father tried to find out what had happened to me. He contact- ed the American Embassy in Havana Marie was born un American citizen) but nothing; happened. "The only clothes I had were what I brought with me from New York. I couldn't go out to buy anything. Fidel had me measured for a uniform so 1 would look like a member of the 26th of July Movement. An olive-green uni- form with a lieutenant's star. she gave him two addresses-her par- ents home in Bremen, Germany, and her brother's apartment in New York, where she planned to stay when the Caribbean cruise ended. She never ex-of pected to see or hear from Fidel again. About two weeks later, two Cuban "That way, when I was allowed out officers called on Marie in New York. I under guard, he thought people would They carried a message from Castro, saying he was in desperate need of an English-German translator. lie had sent Cubana Airlines plane to bring her back to Havana. "I made a big mistake," Marle said., "I got on that plane." During the flight to Havana, she tried to imagine her life in Castroland. She thought she wohlt have a deck in the premier's seculatial pool and a staall apartment of her own. She may even have dreamed of a romance with
Source of Tarrabscci Sturgis says SAL Garcia momo think I was of his officers. But almost every Havana housewife heard rumors that Castro was keeping a for- eigner, an American girl, at the fiilton. I was becoming a problem to him. "One day two barbudos came to the rooid while Fidel was out. They said they were there to help me. They took me on a 20-njinete Lane ride to the whowed me the beautiful black and bouch there and then drove me hy jeep to this huge prison complex. They showed me a cell NW 50955 DocId:32423630 Page .4..
(Continued from smire 2) lowered and the bisbal (bearded ... dalhard like pirates, kro nades d dangling from their belts and thachira xuns uns swinging from their shoulders and ran for cover with their dinner- women in evening themed Jacketed husbandal Lelieving the ship was twing raided by andit Lut otler, Arwerwan' tearists recognized the leader of the sinister-looking laral as Fidel Castro, the new pedime pdime minister of Cuha, the lull, chari afic dictator, luther airborne illusions were shattered doon after the plane Linded. "I was ved Idealistic she said. "I was going on an adventure and to to my first Jo I 1 was going to help the new goverit punt. Instead, I betame Castro's play thi "I was dris in from the airport to the Havana Ilton, where Fidel had taken over the 4th floor. For the next four months, hardly ever got qt of the Hilton. When I did get out, was, Pind they crowded around him for: auto-muler guard. I'd wanted to go down to coffee shop, two burundus graphi. "I'm a friend," "The shoute! obviously enyrying the commotion lepiad caused. "I like Americans." The Berlin's shopper, former Gerbian Nivy Capt. Heinrich Lorenz, lagited the barindos to stay for cocktail and dianer, and he introduced Qustro this vifarious 18-year-old ear-old daughter, Mori "My father spoke Spanish and he it along well with Castro," Marie Jold this reporter. "lle took Castro and his nen on a tour of the ship, then alked them to please leave their guns of dide 11:3 dining room before they sat hown fof dinner. છ "Castro said they didn't feel safe vithout guns, so my father all wed Gem to keep their pistols, but he iande Livem legve the machine guns, automat ic' rifles and grenades in the smoking Caste sat at the captain's table, between Lorenz and Marie. During the meal, he smiled frequently at Marie, nad she was as impressed as any nor- nal techage girl would be by compli ments from, the flamboyant hero of the Caban revolution.' She spoke German and English, which she had learned from her Ameri- can mother. Castro said he needed a sacretary who could write lettera in these languages. Before the moal was over, he offered the job to Marie. 1 Took Offer As Joke "He asked me to stay in Havana and work for him," she said. "My fa ther and I both laughed. My father said I was going back to Germany to finish my education." promised to write to her, 80 Castro pro the lull, chari afic dictator, luther Marie was born un American citizen) but nothing; happened. "The only clothes I had were what I brought with me from New York. I couldn't go out to buy anything. Fidel had me measured for a uniform so 1 would look like a member of the 26th of July Movement. An olive-green uni- form with a lieutenant's star. "That way, when I was allowed out I under guard, he thought people would say, "I'm of his officers. But almost every Havana housewife heard rumors that Castro was keeping a for- eigner, an American girl, at the fiilton. I was becoming a problem to him. "One day two barbudos came to the rooid while Fidel was out. They said they were there to help me. They took me on a 20-njinete Lane ride to the whowed me the beautiful black and bouch there and then drove me hy jeep to this huge prison complex. They showed me a cell Discovery of missile sitęs in Cuba provokod a cold-war showdown bolwaan tian Prezident Jolin F. Kennedy and thhon Soviat Premier Nikita Khrushcliov, a confrontation that had the world holding iis breath.
A chance meeting in Havana harbor aboard a cruise ship captained by her fathor brought Marie Lorenz and Fidel Castro logether. It began a liaison destined to have international repercussions. where dictator Fulgencio Batista had imprisoned Fidel and Raol (Fidel's brother) years before. I went into the rell to look at a bronze plaque on the wall. They shut the door and locked me in the coll. Then they went away. She Wasn't Pampered "I spent a week there, eating the same food as the other prisoners blacks beans, rice, stale bread and cof- fee. As far as I know, I was the only woman there. "Every morning we would hear the firing squads. As soon as it got light, the birds would start singing. Then the guns would go off. Then marching and quiet. Then breakfast and cell checks. The guards would check to see if you'd hanged yourself during the night or if you'd done something; wrong in there where there was hardly room to turn around. It was hourible. "After seven days, I was taken out and flown back to Havana." Mevin was never told why she was jailed. She now believes Castro had her locked up to make sure she didn't es-
NW 50955 DocId:32423630 Page .4..¶
Date: 08/09/95 Page: 2
cape while he was out of the count v visiting the United States and South Anterica. One night she was with Castro, and his bodyguards 111 the lobby of the Riviera Hotel when a handsome, wav- haared man aproached her. He wore the obve-green rehel uniform and the msignia of a captain m the Cuban Bir force. While Castro was conferring with his sides on the other side of the lobby, the captain mingled with the barbudos around Marie and whispered to her in English: "I know about you." "Can you help me?" she responded. "I'an you get me out of here?" "Yes. I'm with the American Embassy. I'll get you out." This was her introduction to Com- mandante Frank Fiorini (later known as Frank Sturgis), Castro confidant and hired agent for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Agrees to Spy on Fidel For the next few weeks Frank kept in contact with her in person and through Castro officers who were working for him. Marie agreed to spy on Castro. She filched secret documenta and reported Castro's conversations with important visitors overheard through the hotel, walls. Ily now, she could read and speak Spanish fairly well. Thee kuite was full of guns and papers," she said. "Fidel had papers atrewn all over the tables, the floor, the bed, the dresser. He had one filing cabinet that was never locked. It was full of money, papers, documents, maps. I took papers out and slipped them to Frank. Fidel never missed them. "Frank said, 'Get all the data you can, and I did. I was a regular Mata Hari." Then Marie became sick, and Frank arranged her escape. Two Cuban offi- cers took her out of the hotel while Castro was away and put her on a Cubana Airlines flight to New York. i About that time, Frank also set up the escapes of two top Cuban air force officers, a project that forced him to leave Cuba. He moved his luse of operations to Miami, bat he kept in touch with his agents on the island and his CIA contacta in Havana and Wash-
When she recovered from her ill- ness, Marie jo ned him in Florida and volunteered for a mission that meant certain death if show were caught. Early in 1960, Castro went t
SECRETS OF THE CIA!!! American Mata Hari Who Duped Castro Nw bouly SUNDAY NIS, A1075 50955 DocId: 32423630 Page 3
SUNDAY NEWS, JUNE 185 1976 : CIA Sent Bedmate 3 To Kill Castro in '60 By PAUL MESKIL WY The Central Intelligence Agency sent a shapely Mata Hari to Cuba in 1960 to kill her former lover, Fidel Castro. Its Details of this case were uncovered by The News and a Senate Intelligenes a Committee investigator who learned that a mystery woman had been involved in assassination plot against the Cuban dictator. It was the first of several CLA-sponsored attempts to exe- cate Castro. The mystery woman has now been identified by the committee and The News as Marie Lorenz, an attractive German-American brunette who shared Castro's Havana hotel suite for soveral months in 1959. When a commit- tee investigator confronted her with evidence linking her to the assassination plot, she admitted that she had been recruited for the attempted hit. Exclusive Account Then, last week, she gave this reporter an exclusive account of mission SO secret that she never mentioned it to anyone for ith yearg. Ms. Lorenz, who now lives in New York, is the daughter of the late German Navy Capt. Heinrich Lorenz and his Ameri can wife. After World War 11, Lorenz became skipper of the luxury liner Berlin. He took Marie along on Caribbean cruise in Folmary month aft۰۰ the Cuban nt. Isро 1959, a 145PO a the Berlin in Havana harbor and dined with the captain and his vivacious teenage daughter. He later per- suaded Maric to return to Hava- na to work as his personal inter- preter. When she arrived she was installed in Castro's 24th- floor suite at the Havana Hilton. She soon realized she was virtual prisoner. Quizzed by FBI a Frank Fiorini, an American who had become a Cuban Revo- Lutionary Army officer and a CIA agent, contacted her and persuaded her to photograph Castro's secret papers. He later helped her escape. She left Havana in January NW 50955 DocId; 32423630 Page, 5. The Memo That Started It "f far left" On Dec 11, 1959 Col. J. C. King, head of the EA Western Hemisphere Division, wrote a memorandum to Director Allen Dulles, according to a Semate commit.... report Noting cer the "far left" regiime 11: Cuba, com corage other Latin American countrics against US intercsts he recommended tha consideration in piven to the elimination of Fidel Castra Fone of the co Sose to Fidel, such as as his brother Kano compamon, Che Guevara, have the same mesmeri appeal to the passes. Man informe intorned people believe that te dapper ance of Fidel would greatly accelerate a fall of the prisom government Dulles ant Deputy Director Director of P Plams Ricans B approved the recommendation, and the CLA inched a pon assassination campaign a gainst Castro that lasted at Dast five years. This is the excinsive story of the first try.
SUNDAY NEWS, JUNE 18, CIA Sent a Bedmate TO Kill Castro in '60 (Conanied om page 3) in Fronini 1103 York was the York Hospita for 1. illness the 111 incuba and told V:1 Her i- the: and the 11 11 F11 In: 1102 111 111 11 several more Yat Were disci on the 11 1 11 " she to he-171 - said the C "111 -2- gave her two capsules full of poison powder. She was to sprinkle the powder in Castro's coffee. "I guess the company (CIA) supplied them. Frank said it was a company operation." form that Castro had given her, Wha work. site Cabar . : Designating her a lieutenant in the Revolationary Army, Ms 161 and the FBI. Missions she "asked about my atti- 1: de towar Castro : sa-id: in atid " " 1. Lii " 111 to and - 4213.1 Why do-n't you kill " 1311 don't know how, " 11 in and "" : 1 " (he and Frank Flach.
There is in the fast cleans -aid there was 1. meetings, at which " A few visited the suite a previously and stolen his secrets. And he certainly didn't suspect she had come back to kill him. 11e " " and 'Not the rest it comes, he fell asleep on the bed, in his fatigues and with a cigar in his mouth. I had no confidence left, 1 but I knew this was the chance to do it. "I went into the bathroom and opened the jar of cold cream. I stuck my finger in it and the whole thing came out like yuck. couldn't find the capsules. They had melted. 1710 -6137 4.