Cryptonym: AMSPELL

1994.04.12.15:46:22:600005: Reel 26, Folder C - DRE.

1950?-1962: "The DRE is a Cuban based organization originally established as the Directorio Revolucionario to combat the Machado and Batista regimes...the DRE leaders opposed Castro until it was unsafe for them to remain at large. Then they either went underground or fled to Miami, where the DRE headquarters in exile was set up...(After the Bay of Pigs) the DRE internal organization was badly damaged. Its leader, Alberto Muller Quintana (note: AMHINT-1) was captured and sentenced to thirty years in prison. In mid-1961 the DRE organization in Miami, in conjunction with WAVE station, began a program (AMBARB) to send Cuban students to Latin American universities. These students were to distribute anti-Castro propaganda, organize local anti-Castro Cuban groups, work among university groups, and otherwise conduct agitation and propaganda operations. Concurrent with this program, WAVE trains a number of DRE members as infiltration agents (AMHINT); their training includes clandestine radio, weapons, survival techniques, and clandestine operations procedures...The DRE is perhaps the most militant and and most deeply motivated of all the Cuban exile groups. It leans toward strong and persistent anti-Castro action. For this reason it is also prone to take independent operations without any warning to or permission from CIA..."

104-10213-10085: MEMORANDUM: DATA ON THE DRE AND SEVERAL CUBAN EXILES

Subject, DRE: "The DRE was founded by a group of students at Habana University in 1954 as an instrument of opposition to the regime of Fulgencio Batista...(Also see 104-10225-10009, p. 2: "In 1956, Miguel Angel Diaz-Isalgue/AMICE-14 helped found the DRE, which helped Castro come to power in Cuba."

104-10170-10156: GARRISON'S CHARGES AGAINST CIA

CIA memo to the DCI: describes DRE as "an anti-Castro organization conceived, created and funded by CIA." (Written 9/15/67)

180-10142-10246: DIRECTARIO REVOLUCIONARIO ESTUDIANTIAL (DRE)

"In late spring of 1960, three DRE leaders, Alberto Mueller, Ernesto Fernandez Travieso and Juan Manuel Salvat Roque escaped from Cuba...undated news article, 'Red Terrorism Rules at Havana University' by Hal Hendrix, Miami News, and arrived in Miami...However, when they became officially under the wing of the CIA, it was decided the DRE should become an affiliate but not a member of the (FRD)."

10AH81: HSCA Report, Volume X

"By April 1961, 400 (DRE) guerillas were operating effectively from the Sierra Maestra mountains. Nevertheless, 74 men were captured concurrently with a failure to receive air-dropped supplies...The DRE chief of military intelligence told the (HSCA) committee he thought the (Bay of Pigs) invasion was designed to fail and that it was only conceived to relieve the pressure building in the anti-Castro exile community."

104-10171-10026: CABLE RE CURRENT STATUS OF DRE

6/22/61 book cable from Director to 18 stations: "(CIA) sponsored (DRE) based Miami now maintains pool of capable and qualified student representatives available for three to six month assignment any given area. These youths experienced clandestine agents in Cuban struggle and will be briefed to exploit all prop media in fight against Castro and communism...Request stations express their interest (in) these assignments."

104-10213-10085 MEMORANDUM: DATA ON THE DRE AND SEVERAL CUBAN EXILES

"As of March 1962 the DRE was receiving $9000 a month from the Agency for salaries of 55 assets in Miami, Florida, and $2000 a month for overhead costs...Agency support to the DRE was terminated by mid-1967."

104-10170-10051: AMSPELL PROGRESS REPORT FOR SEPTEMBER 1962

9/27/62 memo by Harold Noemayr (Ross Crozier): "(DRE) feels that (US) policy on (Cuba) cannot be influenced by the rising tide of public opinion and congressional action, partly because (JFK) is surrounded by a group of advisors who are 'one step from being parlor pinks or worse'. The list began with Chester Bowles."

104-10170-10044: CABLE RE MIAMI HERALD ARTICLE "FIDEL-HATER ROVER BOYS WANT ACTION' AND AMSPELL

10/23/62 cable with slugline GYROSE AMSPELL: "Miami Herald 22 Oct carried article by Al Burt entitled, "Fidel-Hater Rover Boys Want Action" on page 11-C in which number of statements are attributed to AMHINT-REDACTED, Jose Maria Lasa U./AMBARB-54 and Jose A. Gonzales-Lanusa/AMHINT-12 at recent press conference. Gist of article is AMSPELL being used by (CIA) for PW ops and travel, but arms and PM ops not being supported..." DRE said that it was flabbergasted by article. "they held press meeting with Burt but none of their statements were published."

104-10171-10003: G-2 PENETRATION ACTION AGAINST AMSPELL ORGANIZATION AND OTHER GROUPS

1/22/63 dispatch between Chief of Station, JMWAVE to Chief, TFW: "On 4 January 1963 AMHINT-27 met with QUANTUM-51 in New York City, and QUANTUM-51 advised him that Jorge Medina Bringuier, the Secretary General of AMSPELL in (Cuba), is a G-2 agent. Medina and Aedo (first name unknown), who were said by QUANTUM-51 to be on the AMSPELL National Executive, were actually G-2 penetrations. They planned to 'roll up' the entire AMSPELL organization and 'other groups' in one sweep and then escape by boat and contact AMHINT-53 in the JMWAVE area. Medina was in contact with AMHINT-53 while in Cuba and planned to use AMHINT-53 to establish his bona fides with (CIA)."

104-10308-10170: MEMO: DRE - DIRECTORIO REVOLUTIONARIO ESTUDIANTIL (STUDENT REVOLUTIONARY DIRECTORY)

1/28/63, from JMWAVE to HQ: "Jorge MEDINA Bringuier, Sec. Gen. of the DRE in Cuba, was G-2 agent, that MEDINA was in contact with FERNANDEZ (note: Juan Fernandez, AMHINT-56) while in Cuba and planned to use FERNANDEZ to establish his bona fides with CIA."

104-10181-10113: MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD: POSSIBLE DRE ANIMUS TOWARDS PRESIDENT KENNEDY

4/3/67 Art Dooley summary: "The DRE was an anti-communist student organization funded covertly by CIA. It was known by the cryptonym AMSPELL. In the fall of 1962, the DRE organization in Cuba was penetrated and wrapped-up by the DGI...Lee Harvey Oswald approached Carlos Bringuier, the New Orleans delegate of the Cuban Student Directorate on 5 August 1963 and volunteered to join the organization and to help train Cubans to fight against Castro. Bringuier turned him down believing him to be either an FBI informant or Communist penetration agent...According to Paul Oberst, of the Cuban Operations Group (COG/CA) CIA did not fund this organization although we had contacts with some of its members. It is abundantly clear that the DRE had no part of the Kennedy assassination. Oswald was never a member of the DRE, which in fact rejected him."