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Cryptonym: AMBLYGON

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Definition:
Rolando Masferrer Rojas. Was a casual informant - not an employee - from 1948-1950.
Status:
Probable
Discussion:
The CIA has maintained that Masferrer was never employed by the Agency. This would be consistent.

See 1993.07.31.09:28:58:650059 - p. 5: In the sixties, Masferrer used the alias "Modesto Cano". Also see 104-10176-10143. Cuban G-2 agents Benigno Bravo Casal (201-349172) and Lino Daniel Nagrin Capote (201- 275155) were infiltrating Masferrer's anti-Castro group MAOC.
Sources:

104-10071-10209: FIELD INFORMATION REPORT: "PLANS FOR MAKING FILM PURPORTING TO SHOW EFFORTS OF HAITIANS TO OVERTHROW PRESIDENT FRANCOIS DUVALIER

10/12/66 report cover sheet identifies Masferrer as 201-042669.

104-10176-10220: HEADQUARTERS AGENT REVIEW - - CRYPTONYM "AMBLYGON"

It appears that the agent being reviewed is Rolando Masferrer, as his name and description as a Senator with the PSP is provided in the course of the review. Written on the report is 201-42669.

104-10176-10198: DISPATCH: OPERATIONAL , AMBLYGON

Amblygon is reporting on the PSP and Cuban governmental activities.

104-10176-10032: AGENT SERVICE RECORD: AMBLYGON

"Discussion was never had with Amblygon concerning 'employment' as such." He was used as a "casual informant" re info useful to the CIA serving as embassy personnel. "If used in the future will be reported, not as an agent source, but by name as a casual informant."

104-10071-10073: OFFICE MEMORANDUM: INTERVIEW WITH WILBUR GEE, SEAMAN PATIENT AT USPRS HOSPITAL, DETROIT

1960: The Masferrer group had barracks at 1651 Flagler in Miami, and they trained on No Name Key. The group leader at No Name Key was Big Lago, formerly a Batista police sergeant. William Bishop aka Bill Bishop aka Clarence Ward Bishop worked with General Francisco Tabernilla - also see Reel 12, Folder E - ROLANDO MASFERRER Y ROJAS,1994.03.07.10:20:53:440005 - p. 10. See 124-90089-10060, p. 104: The land on No Name Key was provided to the Masferrer forces by Publio Carbonell, after being approached by his friend the ex-Cuban Air Force pilot Evelio Alpizar. Carbonell and his family are American citizens, and have lived in Key West all of their lives. The Carbonells also had a summer camp on Big Pine Key, and Publio Carbonell provided Alpizar with a 14 foot motorboat to transport the boys to No Name Key. He said two groups of young men arrived for training during the first week of November 1960. See 124-90089-10077, p. 12 - their original instructor was Colonel Bill Bishop, but he was not well-liked and was replaced by Lt. Kenneth Joseph Proctor. p. 11 - Proctor and the other men of 1651 West Flagler were arrested for vagrancy by the Miami police.

104-10231-10184: DESIRE TO GIVE MAXIMUM PUBLICITY TO MIRO CARDONA'S "CALL TO ARMS

4/12/61 cable from Director to WAVE: "Publicize US government arrest of Masferrer (see wire service coverage) as proof no Batista groups allowed (to) operate in US obvious but unstated additional point is any movement against Castro is not Batistiano...note Cuban government finally admitted 6 April that anti-Castro patriots had opened second front in Oriente province and that major battle had occurred 30 March." See a folder copy in 1994.05.19.15:29:44:250005 - Reel 66, Folder B - AMBUD GENERAL, p. 104.

124-90090-10037: RESTRICTED

8/12/63 REDACTED NSA memo: "I have been informed that Rolando Masferrer is in Miami, organizing a group of Haitians and Cubans to attempt an invasion of Haiti. Connected with the operation is the Cuban MARQUEZ STERLING, some former BATISTA officers, and the Haitians (LEON CANTAVE) and PIERRE RIGAUD."

124-10221-10299: [RESTRICTED]

9/17/76 interview with Manuel Leonardo de Armas by the Utica field office of the FBI: "In regards to the Rolando Masferrer murder, (Manuel Leonardo) de Armas claimed that (the Cuban right wing youth organization) ABDALA considered Masferrer as an obstacle in its efforts and had formulated plans for his assassination. The possibility of planting C-4 in his automobile was explored. After a number of discussions, of which de Armas was privy, someone in ABDALA made the statement to forget about the plans to kill Masferrer. De Armas stated that shortly thereafter Masferrer was killed when his automobile was bombed. After the bombing, Mr. Robert Mills of the FBI Miami approached de Armas and inquired as to any information he may have as to the bombing and whether he was personally involved in it...Cuban Intelligence was aware that de Armas was affiliated with ABDALA and they also believed that he had direct knowledge of the Masferrer killing. As a result, during the debriefings, de Armas attributed the receipt of plastic explosive C-4 from Bob Mills who he personally identified as a CIA officer. Then he claimed that he gave the explosives to ABDALA with the implication that ABDALA was responsible for Masferrer's murder."

1993.07.21.09:31:19:460620 ROLANDO MASFERRER ROJAS: OS/SAG FILES PROVIDED TO THE HSCA

10/8/76 memo from Curtis R. Rivers to Director of Security: "Rolando Masferrer Rojas - covert (36 859) and overt (352 772) security files were located...no indication that Masferrer was ever utilized by the Agency. He is a former Cuban senator and Cuban Communist Party member (expelled in 1945), a former commander for Batista's private army, and firmly anti-Castro. The two files contain numerous reports regarding his activities in connection with an attempt to invade Cuba in 1960 and subsequent attempt to invade Haiti in 1967...a handwritten file revealed that he died in 1975 when his car was blown apart by a bomb in Florida. Since Masferrer has never been affiliated with the Agency, despite his claims, it is believed that Dade County officials should be referred to the FBI for information about Masferrer."

124-90090-10198: No Title

2/11/77 FBI memo: "Jose Elias Thumas aka Jose Elias Nacin (spoke with his childhood friend) Andres Paseiro, brother-in-law of Rolando Masferrer. Thumas and Paseiro are close friends and have known each other since they were children in Cuba. Thumas advised Paseiro that (Roberto) de Armas had stated in the (televised) interview that the explosives used to kill Masferrer had been furnished to him (de Armas) by a CIA agent named Robert Mills. De Armas then turned over the explosives to a leader of Abdala, and a few days later Masferrer was killed...(in an FBI interview) de Armas refuted his allegation concerning CIA or FBI involvement in the death of Masferrer..." Also see 157-10014-10242, p. 24 - the interview was conducted in Havana.

Contributors:
Bill Simpich

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