Cryptonym: AMDENIM-13
In his memoir, Cuban exile Ramon Font Saumell described an exfiltration mission allegedly involving Tony Cuesta (AMDENIM-14), Joaquin Powell and a CIA agent known as "Mike Gorgas." If Font was correct about the existence of "Mike Gorgas", then it is possible that it was a alias for Mickey Kappes (AMDENIM-3).
A June 1963 JMWAVE dispatch noted that both AMDENIM-1 and -13 reported fairly accurately in advance the raid on the Soviet vessel Baku and the aborted Manuel Quiza raid. JMWAVE apparently did nothing to hinder or prevent these raids from taking place, at a time when official U.S. Government policy was to discourage these attacks. AMDENIM-13 was described as a principal agent in the same dispatch.
A dispatch in October 1963 noted that AMDENIM-13's tradecraft had significantly improved. It was also noted that he would assist A-1 and the case officer with the development and management of ratline operations. Furthermore, it stated that AMDENIM-13's brother worked for Pepsi Cola in Venezuela.
AMDENIM-1 and AMDENIM-13 fell out in 1964, and the most heated disagreement appeared to occur over an infiltration mission from the WAVE area to Oriente Province in Cuba, which A-1 was not informed about until after its departure for security reasons.
104-10264-10008: CABLE: SEND BIOGRAPHIC INFO ALBERTO FERNANDEZ
12/03/60, Cable from Director to JMGOLD and Havana (Orig: C. Hicks, Unit: WH/4/PM): "1. Send biographic info Alberto Fernandez Hechevarria and Antonio Blanco Fernandez for POA request. 2. Approve plan generally to be initiated upon receipt POA's. WH Comment: *Fernandez informs Windecker that BLANCO reported on Colonos organization in Camaguey. **FERNANDEZ and HOGAN urging FRD supporters to rebel and work with a group now inside Cuba from foreign influences." Also see 104-10218-10144, a Feb. 1961 memo that identifies AMDENIM-1 through AMDENIM-14 as those who crew and maintain the Tejana. AMDENIM-13 is identified as "Joaquin Powell Rubio, 7 Dec 24, Sancti Spiritus. Small boat operator (catamaran and/or raft from Tejana to shore) and gunner."
http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/book/Ramon-Font-Saumell.pdf
Witness and Protagonist by Ramon Font Saumell: (translation from Spanish to English): Page 78: ..."As I learned later, Tony Cuesta (AMDENIM-14) was on the exfiltration trip, who with his 6 feet 3 inches and his mastery in swimming, after having jumped into the sea to make an inspection of the place, he had already arrived near the coast, and seeing the lights out, he began to go back, which was difficult because a North was coming in, the sea was churning quickly and had to swim against the waves. Thanks to his swimming skills and physical strength, Tony was able to reach the catamaran that would take them to the main ship, the 'Real', and climbed with the help of his other two companions Joaquin Powell and CIA agent Mike Gorgas, who may have starred in a truly tragic situation, because before Tony returned, when they saw the lights on the second floor, Gorgas, frightened, said that they had better leave because apparently there were problems. Powell said nothing of that, that they would have to wait, but Gorgas insisted so strongly that Powell pried the M-3 he was carrying and threatened the other, instead the precise moment that Tony appeared next to the catamaran..."
104-10235-10387: MFR-AMDENIM/1 CONTACT W/LUCAS (MDC)
11/8/62 memo by Norman Kiggins/Bob Wall: Joaquin Powell was handing out a personnel form, as was Jose Blanco Fernandez - Blanco was apparently asked to do this by Army Intelligence. Also see 104-10172-10135, p. 8 of 9: "Joaquin Powell Rubio, Emilio Posada Gomez and Francisco Canizares Gamboa: Associates."
104-10312-10360: MF: AMTILT MEMBER
06/06/63, CIA document: from Norman Kiggins/Bob Wall to COS: "AMDENIM-13 has been asked to report on 'Bayo's' movements and this morning came up with the name 'ATUN' (phon) as the matronymic of a man Bayo is running around with who came out of Gitmo weeks ago. No positive or likely traces can be found in RI. Possible traces are attached. CI/DuBois has been asked to check the name with Immigration. P.S. Ray DuBois is getting a list of people who have come out of GITMO since 11 May." Handwritten note at bottom: "Ted - I&NS has no record ATUN. (Unintelligible)." Signed by Bob W. (Robert Wall) Handwritten note at top of document: "COS: ANDEMIM-13 provided 'Constanzo' as patronymic for 'Atun' on 7 June. Thus list of attached traces appears likely. B. (Unintelligible)." (NOTE: This is clearly a reference to Julio Aton Constanzo Palau).
104-10172-10096: DISPATCH: AMDENIM/1 PROGRESS REPORT 31 MAY 1963
06/25/63, Dispatch from COS, JMWAVE to Chief, Special Affairs Staff: ..."OPERATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS: 2. The single most significant operational development in AMDENIM/1's activities has been reporting of himself and his long-time aide, AMDENIM/13, regarding movements and plans of independent raider groups in the WAVE area. Both the L-66 raid on the Soviet vessel BAKU and the Manuel QUIZA raid which aborted on Cayo Blanco in Cardenas Bay were reported pretty accurately in advance by AMDENIM/1 and AMDENIM/13." Page 2: "4...AMDENIM-13 put on payroll after having contributed his services gratis for over six months"... Page 3: "5. ANDENIM/1 and AMDENIM/13 have been heavily engaged in the development of the DOGGO operation (previously operation WILE)....AMDENIM/1 and AMDENIM/13 as principal agents have had to carry the bulk of the training and planning on their own shoulders and can manage to get the AMARROR fishermen (3) on their way back without the presence of a case officer. AMDENIM/13 was given tradecraft training along with AMTOBY/12 the radop who is to accompany the AMARROR's on their return trip to the target area. AMDENIM/13 was able to relay his training to the AMARROR's nightly and thus did provide training without making them witting of CIA. AMDENIM/1 who has been at this maritime infiltration business for over three years now, is pleased with this concept and this particular operation and is beating the bushes for similar leads."
104-10172-10121: DISPATCH: AMDENIM/1 PROGRESS REPORT - 30 SEPTEMBER 1963
10/14/63, Dispatch from COS, JMWAVE to Chief, Special Affairs Staff: Page 3: ..."10. A-1's assistant , AMDENIM/13, has become more effective during this period in that his tradecraft awareness has increased and his ability to assess agent candidates has come to the fore. His opinion of such persons as AMBOX/1 has proved accurate in the face of contradictory assessments from other sources. This characteristic makes AMDENIM/13 a valuable part of his case officers operations' development capability. AMDENIM/13 advised re his brother's residence in Venezuela as a Pepsi Cola employee, and his willingness to assist CIA in anyway possible. This fact and PRQ Part I information on the brother are now in process of being forwarded to Caracas." Page 4: ..."13. INTEL PRODUCTION: The following Intell Reports have been produced by A-1 and/or AMDENIM/13 during the period under review. Considerable more reporting has been provided that was not disseminated because of its close relationship to current operational activities:... Page 5: "15. PLANS:...AMDENIM/13 will continue to assist A-1 and the case officer with the development and management of ratline operations"..
104-10172-10101: DISPATCH: PROGRESS REPORT ON AMDENIM-1 - PERIOD 1 OCT 63-31 MAY 1964
06/24/64, Dispatch from COS, JMWAVE to Deputy Chief, WH/SA: Page 3: "7....It was interesting to note that AMDENIM-13, who had been one of Subject's closest supporters for many years and is currently a P/A for the C/O was suddenly being criticized by Subject. The answer appeared to be simply that a busy schedule with both operations and trainees was keeping AMDENIM-13 away from Subject and he saw fit to interpret this as disloyalty. AMDENIM-13 complained to the C/O frequently at this time as to the abuse Subject was heaping on him because he was not at Subject's beck and call."
104-10267-10024: DISPATCH - TRANSMITTAL OF PRQ PART 1 FOR VICTOR PANEQUE BATISTA
08/05/64, Interview of Victor Paneque Batista (Keith D. Winett report): Subject: Iden A: "Subject was interviewed and tested on 4 August 1964 at a safe site in the Miami area. The interview was requested by Norman D. Kiggins. It was conducted in Spanish and AMDENIM/13 served as interpreter..." Page 2: ..."There is an allegation in Subject's file to the effect that he was involved with the Cuban Anti-Communist Liberation Organization. Subject denied that he has ever heard the name of the organization. He admitted that he had transported arms and ammunition for the Iden B from New York to Miami. He stated that the New York contact was Iden C, a suspected homosexual, (according to AMDENIM/13)..." Iden B was the Movimiento Democrata Cristiano (MDC). Iden C was Enrique Abascal (see Page 12 for Identities).
104-10173-10195: DISPATCH: AMDENIM-1 PROGRESS REPORT THROUGH 15 SEPTEMBER 1964
09/24/64, Dispatch from COS, JMWAVE to Deputy Chief, WH/SA: Operational Activities: ..."2. As reported in Reference A Progress Report, Subject was advised that he would not be utilized directly in the preparation of the (REDACTION) ITE Team for infiltration into Oriente due to the presence of a former MDC member on the team, and the inadvisability of having the MDC aware of AMDENIM-1's association with JMWAVE....Thus AMDENIM-1 was not advised until the (REDACTION) ITE Team had departed the WAVE area. When he got the word that they were gone without his blessing, according to AMDENIM-13, he blew his top and said this is the end, meaning his long and incomparable service to JMWAVE was now over because he had been unjustly cut off from infiltrees whom he had personally recruited and developed.
104-10267-10027: DISPATCH: TYPIC/OPERATIONAL TERMINATION OF AMRUG-5
10/01/65, Dispatch from COS, JMWAVE to Chief, WH: Page 3: "DAMAGE REPORT: NAME: AMRUG-5 (Victor Paneque Batista, aka Comandante Diego Rene Ricardo. MIRR coordinator answering to AMDITTO-23/Orlando Bosch during early sixties. Sent by his uncle, AMPALM-2/Laureano Batista, to set up the training camp in Lacombe, Louisiana in 1963). Safehouse and Training Areas Exposed: AMDOT (probably an Army team that conducts training at Eglin Air Force Base) - ISOLATION (CIA's Camp Peary, also known as "The Farm"). Indigenous Agent Personnel Exposed:...AMDENIM-13..."