Cryptonym: AMSCREAM-1
A cable in 1967 stated that AMSCREAM-1's 201 number was 201-324631. Furthermore, a cable in May of 1968 mentioned that the present plan entailed William Wibalda (probably Robert Wall) setting up a public relations agency in partnership with either AMSCREAM-1 or AMPALM-4 (Angel Fernandez Varela).
A cable in July, 1968, stated that Wibalda was planning to pretend to be a PR counselor in Coral Gables the following month. He would be joined by AMSCREAM-1 as an associate. The cable mentioned that Wibalda's home town was St. Louis. Wibalda and AMSCREAM-1 would then attempt to develop real business in Latin America. In terms of Roberto Espin, a cable in 1960 stated that Espin was director of the WRUL program "Nora de la Unidad Revolucionaria Cubana" that the CIA funded.
Documents in 1962 and 1963 mentioned that Espin had a weekly radio program and received payment from the Cuban Revolutionary Council (CRC). William Kent, in an interview with HSCA, stated that Roberto Espin took part in radio propaganda for a cousin of Raul Castro's wife. Kent also mentioned that he met with Espin on average three times a week. Therefore, it is possible that Roberto Espin may have been AMSCREAM-1.
11/22/60: Cable from JMASH to Director: Slugline JMNET/CA: REF MASH 1744 (IN 45083): NO NIACT: "1. MASH taking full control WRUL program beginning 1 Dec and giving much consideration for use this outlet to best advantage. Would appreciate soonest HQs opinion FOLL plan and approval expenditure funds as indicated: A. Program: Nora de la Unidad Revolucionaria Cubana. B. Exec staff: Director-Roberto Espin, salary same as present. Producer: Orestes Martinez, salary $300. News director: Humberto Figueras, salary $500...6. $16,000 monthly check will be given Espin by Corbuston (William Kent) for payment to WRUL..."
104-10298-10044: DISPATCH: OPERTIONAL REPORT NO.335: WEEKLY SUMMARY OF AMBUD AND RELATED ACTIVITIES
06/04/62: Memorandum for the record, NO. 335: Subject: Weekly Summary of Cuban Revolutionary Council and Related Activities, Week of 27 May - 2 June 1962: Page 4: ..."It was also recommended as a very effective propaganda item, to take the newspaper Revolucion of the day before (Saturday) and to answer the lies and stuff it might contain. Finally a bit of music or slogan to wind up the half hour. Roberto Espin will be in charge of the mechanical details and getting each part on in time, etc., and working out the details or program. The local telephone hook-up will be arranged right to the phone in Miro's office at his house..." - - - 06/30/62: CIA originated document: CRC Finance Report for 1-30 June 1962: Page 3: ..."DATE: Jun. 28. Roberto Espin. CHECK NO.: 10368. AMOUNT: $50.00..." https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=147068&search=#relPageId=3&tab=page
09/01/62: CIA originated document: Page 6: ..."DATE: Sept. 1: Roberto Espin - weekly radio program. CHECK NO.: 11596. TOTAL: $50. Sept 1. Roberto Espin - weekly radio program. 11597. $50. Sept 1. Roberto Espin - weekly radio program. 11598. $50..."
104-10230-10039: CRC FINANCE REPORT FOR 1-30 JANUARY 1963
01/00/63: CIA originated document: Page 5: "DATE: Jan. 1/63. Roberto Espin. CHECK NO.: 13405. TOTAL: $50.00. Jan. 1/63. Roberto Espin. 13406. $50.00..."
104-10217-10185: MATERIAL ON ELOY GUTIERREZ MENOYO
02/04/65: Cable from JMWAVE to Director (Info: SDOM): "1. AMSCREAM-1 reports Key West jammed by exiles night 2 February to watch Havana TV appearance Gutierrez Menoyo, Domingo Ortega, Noel Salas and Ramon Quesada. AMSCREAM-1, UPI's Mike Alonso, AMOTS (network of Cubans trained by David Morales during 1960-61 to be a new Cuban intelligence service once Castro had been ousted), and AMSHADY-1 (Pepita Riera) subsources who watched TV at Key West say prisoners looked better groomed and dressed, more relaxed than G-2 interrogators, showing no visible evidence torture or 'brain washing.' Alonso observed Menoyo looked and sounded cold and calculating, unemotional, in contrast with previous Castro captives shown TV who seemed weary, tired, hopeless prisoners. AMSHADY-1 says SFNE people do not believe Menoyo was drugged or tortured, but plan say so for propaganda purposes..."
03/11/67: Cable from JMWAVE to Director: Slugline TYPIC AMTHIGH: "1. AMSCREAM-1 (324631) being instructed write AMTHIGH (a political action/propaganda operation using WRUL - the radio station owned by the Mormon Church - to sponsor anti-Castro broadcasts aimed at Cuba) to effect that he has been advised by all sponsors other than AMSTRUT-2's (Juanita Castro) that they cancelling their programs on AMTHIGH effective 1 May 1967. He will point out that AMSTRUT-2's business manager AMLYRIC-1 (C-95135)/Manuel Brana will arrange to send tapes to New York after that date and that all line facilities between AMSCREAM-1's studio and AMTHIGH will be discontinued. 2. Local mechanisms sponsoring broadcasts on AMTHIGH being instructed to cancel their contracts effective 1 May 1967. Only exception is AMCORE-2 (C-91333) whose funding mechanism is HQs controlled. Request HQs made appropriate arrangements have that mechanism cancel its contract with AMTHIGH 1 May 1967. Salary payments through AMTHIGH to AMCORE-2 (Luis Ernesto Conte Aguero) would, of course, be continued through 30 April 1967. 3. Please advise AMTHIGH by phone per ref."
104-10165-10191: WEEKLY REPORT AS OF 1200 HOURS 25 MAY
05/28/68: Cable from JMCOBRA to Director: ..."2. CA: A. At a series of meetings with JMWAVE officers handling agents involved, and Wibalda (probably Robert Wall), the proposed JMCOBRA (also known as Station WH/Miami) political action project was worked out. The present plan will have Wibalda set up a public relations agency in partnership with either AMSCREAM-1 or AMPALM-4 (Angel Fernandez Varela). As business appears to warrant, they will add the one remaining plus AMRAZOR-1 (probably Norman Diaz). This agency will cover present payments to AMLYRIC-1 (Manuel Brana) by buying time on his radio program. AMCORE-2 (Luis Ernesto Conte Aguero) will remain outside this business, but will be handled administratively by Wibalda...B. JMWAVE checks indicate that Wibalda, AMSCREAM-1, AMPALM-4 at YOYARD knew about the recruitment to monitor AMHURT. It is doubtful that they were guilty of the loose talk that resulted in the Diario news report. The Philco representative at JMHOPE (probably a radio station within range of Havana, probably Radio Swan, based on one of the Swan Islands near Cuba and off the coast of Honduras) revised the requirement and it can be assumed that the two PBRUMEN (Cuban) announcers knew about it. The latter might be expected to speculate about their successor facility..."
06/15/68: Cable from JMCOBRA to Director: Slugline DIRECTOR INFO JMCOBRA: "1. JMWAVE is not directly involved in arrangements but would like to make following comments for HQs and JMCOBRA (also known as Station WH/Miami) consideration: A. YOYARD attorney would be required to hold approximately $18,000 in cash or run money through his books and bank account with possibility of tax difficulties. This would also prolong YOYARD corporate which we thought all agreed was undesirable. Doubt furthermore if this acceptable under JMCOBRA guidelines since this attorney already an agreed asset to be turned over to JMCOBRA for other uses. B. Assume money held by YOYARD attorney would have to be treated as an advance and expensed month by month as given to AMCORE-2 (Luis Conte Aguero). Expenses would thus be charged to FY 69 even though advanced in FY 68. 2. JMWAVE suggests that alternative to reference plan could be payrolling of AMPALM-4 (Angel Fernandez Varela), AMSCREAM-1 and contract payments to AMCORE-2 (Luis Conte Aguero) by WOGAME devised payroll facilities. One month's termination to Wibalda (probably Robert Wall) represents no problem."
104-10165-10187: CABLE: CURRENT COVER AND FUNDING REQUIRMENTS FOR JMCOBRA MHSPAWN ACTIVITIES FOLLOW
07/10/68: Cable from JMCOBRA to Director: "1. Current cover and funding requirements for JMCOBRA (also known as Station WH/Miami) MHSPAWN (cable indicator for covert action propaganda) activities follow. A. AMSTAY (used in the late 1960's for JMWAVE). In early August Wibalda (probably Robert Wall) will hang out shingle as a public relations counselor in modest office in Coral Gables. During August he will hire secretary and be joined by AMSCREAM-1 (handwritten: 324631) as associate. He will therefore require $5,000 nest egg by 5 August to cover office rent, incorporation costs, and first month's payroll. Suggest cashiers check drawn on St. Louis bank (his home town) which Wibalda can explain as personally negotiated loan..." Mention of AMCORE-2 (Luis Ernesto Conte Aguero), AMPALM-4 (Angel Fernandez Varela), AMRAZOR-1 (probably Norman Diaz). "Those doing business in Latin America as Wibalda will represent company as having an international capability to handle public relations, promotional campaigns, and marketing surveys. Wibalda and AMSCREAM-1 will meanwhile attempt to develop real business in Latin America. The persons involved are competent to live the cover and would be in just this kind of business without our support. This enterprise will be launched without splash and its operations will be low key. The flap potential seems minimal, but it is only fair to warn any subscriber that the persons involved because of their long association (and hence loyalty and proven discretion) are vulnerable to the cluckings and graffiti about WOFIRM (CIA) ties. Our purposes would be served by a notional client providing the major sum required as a retailer together with real clients who give one time or tentative developmental contracts..."
180-10082-10227: INTERVIEW DELFIN J. CAMPANA.
02/28/78: Memorandum from Fonzi & Gonzales to G. Robert Blakey: Page 2-3: ..."Finally, in July, 1960, after having been informed that Castro had become aware of his activities, Campana himself fled Cuba aboard the same ship...Campana said he was then introduced to an agent of the CIA whom he knew only as 'Bob'...Eventually, said Campana, 'Bob' introduced him to Doug Gupton (William Kent), the cover name of the individual handling propaganda operations at the JM/WAVE station. Campana said he worked with Gupton on propaganda programs for the Bay of Pigs operation. Among the other CIA agents he worked with was Roberto Espin, who worked under Gupton in charge of Radio Swan. Both he and Espin were, at one time, both involved in dispersing CIA funds to Agency operatives on a monthly basis. He would, for instance, said Campana, be given perhaps $80,000 in cash in a bag and distribute it as payroll to Cubans involved in anti-Castro activity in Miami. He said he recently told Espin that now he thinks they were the only two 'stupid Cubans.' Neither of them, he said, stole a penny of Agency money..."
08/22/78: HSCA interview of Doug Gupton: "Douglas Gupton (William Kent) was interviewed by Dan Hardway and Gaeton Fonzi at 9:45 AM at CIA Headquarters at Langley...Mr. Gupton stated that he was in charge of propaganda operations in the JMWAVE station. He said that he was often meeting Cuban agents directly and that he also had a couple of case officers who worked for him. He provided guidance for those CO/s. He pointed out he was not involved in Radio Swan at all; that operation was handled directly out of Washington by David Phillips. Gupton stated that Roberto Espin did not work on Radio Swan but that he did do radio propaganda for a cousin of Raul Castro's wife. These were commercial broadcasts from Miami on Agency purchased time. Mr. Gupton said that he gave Espin 'general guidance' but gave him pretty much free reign otherwise...Mr. Gupton said that with some of the Cubans he had daily contact. He said he was in contact with Espin on the average of three times a week..."