Cryptonym: AMTABBY-27
See 104-10308-10083: In January 1964, AMTABBY-27 had not received a visa for his proposed trip to Venezuela.
From 1965 to 1967 AMTABBY-27 used various sources, such as Gerald Patrick Hemming, Aton Constanzo Palau, Armando Medina Montes de Oca, Ramon Orozco Crespo, Orlando Bosch Avila (AMDITTO-23) and Luis Posada Carriles (AMCLEVE-15).
104-10192-10013, page 6: Source was described as "a Cuban refugee who is associated with activists in the Miami area. Source is regarded as reliable and previous reporting from him has proved to be reliable." This source turned out to be Luis Posada. Posada's source was Ramon Escarda Rubio.
104-10163-10087, pp. 14-15: Identified as an "executive pilot" and business partner with IUSTEER (possibly Fausto Gomez Gomez). LITABBY-27 has the IRD (Interrogation Research Division) number of C-87513.
The 201 number for AMTABBY-27 looks like it is 201-287180, but possibly it is 201-323565 or even something else entirely. 104-10220-10088: The problem is that 201-287180 is identified as "Garcia Pujol", but his C-number is something like C-86568. Maybe he had more than one number?
http://bayofpigs2506.com/THE%20MAKASIS.pdf Rafael Garcia Pujol is identified as "El Huevo", and numerous times in this Congo publication of Cuban veterans. Also identified are Mario (and Francisco) Ginebra Groero Perez and Fausto Gomez Gomez. 124-90150-10172: Gomez may be identical with the 1959 Cuban hijacker Antulio Ramirez Ortiz!
104-10192-10026 describes either AMTABBY-27 or Ramon Orozco (it is ambiguous) as the "Cuban emigre in text. Do not use real name." Ramon Orozco is believed to be AMTABBY-16.
104-10192-10013 indicates that AMTABBY-27 is either a member of Comandos L or close to a member of the group, as discussed below.
104-10308-10083: CONTACT REPORT#38: 35 PRQ IS WERE GIVEN TO THE CASE OFFICER FOR TRACES
01/29/64, Contact Report by Warren Guertler (probably Karl Rohrer): "OPERATION: AMWORLD, CONTACT: AMYUM-19 (Cesar Baro Esteva), TIME AND PLACE: 1500-1730 hours, 28 Jan. 64, S/H, NEXT MEETING: Unscheduled. SUMMARY:..."5. AMTABBY-27 still has not received his visa for Venezuela. A-19 believes that the man on the Cuban desk (either at the Consulate or in the Foreign Ministry, Guertler forgot to note this) is pro AMBANG. (Comment: CARA 8409 could confirm suspicion. (REDACTION) contact says visa application lost or not forwarded. The undersigned will so inform A-19 and request new application to be made)..."
5/17/65 FBI memo: Luis Sierra is busted with a load of weapons. He was working with Luis Posada in Roberto Alejos' operation to overthrow the government of Guatemala - Roberto Alejos leased his land in Guatemala in 1960 to serve as the primary training site for the Bay of Pigs ground troops known as JMTRAX or Base Trax. (See Alejandro de Quesada, The Bay of Pigs: Cuba 1961 (Elite))This list includes Ramon Escarda Rubio and Aton Constanzo Palau. Notice that Carlos HERNANDEZ Sanchez was also one of the recruits. That was what he was doing after AMWORLD. Ramon OROZCO/AMTABBY-16 was also a recruit.
6/10/65 CIA memo TDCS DB-315/01985-65: From source described in marginalia as "Jose Antonio Constanzo Palau": "A commando force of 49 Cuban exiles and 11 Americans is being formed in Miami, Florida, by Odelio Garcia Derizanz and Gerald Patrick Hemming and is being supported by an unidentified person who is believed to reside outside the Miami area. The commando team is to be used by Dominican general Antonio Imbert Barreras, head of the loyalist forces in the Dominican Republic, presumably to topple Francisco Caamano Deno, leader of the rebel forces. Efforts are being made to have this team transported to the Dominican Republic as soon as possible. (Field Comment: While the source of the following report is believed to be accurate in his reporting, it is believed that the scope of the planning and the imminent action claimed by Odelio Garcia Derizanz and Aton Constanzo Palau may have been exaggerated. On 8 June 65, an independent source also reported on this activity but it should be noted that the report also stemmed from statements made by Constanzo Palau. Hemming is an American soldier of fortune who has been involved in a number of abortive anti-Castro Cuban operations staged from the Miami or Florida Keys area over the past four years. Statements made by Hemming in the past have proved often to be of doubtful reliability..." 124-10303-10004, p. 4: Constanzo Palau told the FBI that the purpose was to aid Joaquin Balague, former President and head of the Reform Party, and not to aid Dominican strongman General Imbert as he had previously believed. Also see 104-10264-10103: Constanzo Palau (201-732000) and Gerry Hemming (201-309125) are doing the recruiting of the sixty men, according to "a Cuban refugee in Miami". Also see 104-10218-10278, confirming Constanzo is 201-732000.
1994.04.28.14:57:28:100005: Reel 8, Folder F - GERALD PATRICK HEMMING
06/11/65, Cable from JMWAVE: "SUPDATA: AMTABBY-27 from Gerald Patrick Hemming on 8 and 9 June 1965, received 10 June. This report supplements UFG-7254)..." Note that Odelio Garcia Derizanz was putting a 60-man commando team together with Hemming to intervene in the Dominican Republic - Garcia's financial backer (as seen below) was I. Isadore Davidson. See Reel 51, Folder N - IRVING DAVIDSON, p. 44, the Washington Evening Star, 6/9/65, "Dominican has DC Lobbyist": "The newest candidate mentioned by Johnson administration officials to head a Dominican government - former president Joaquin Balanguer - is being pushed by I. Irving Davidson, a Washington lobbyist. Davidson already numbers among his clients the president of Haiti, Francois Duvalier; the military chief of Nicaragua, General Anastasio Somoza; and a Texas company controlled by the Murchison brothers." (p. 10): Also working closely with them on this was Julio Aton Constanzo Palau. See 104-10273-10217, p. 10: Garcia was also a pilot who discussed stealing an airplane if he had to - he may have been AMTABBY-27. Also see 104-10273-10219, which is supposed to be "released in full" but actually far more redacted.
6/11/65, 12:43 am FBI teletype from Miami to Director: "Luis Posada, a Cuban refugee in Miami, who has furnished reliable info in the past...on June 10...furnished the following: Constanzo and Hemming are recruiting Cuban refugees and American adventurers to go to the DR as commandos...Luis Posada said his source is Ramon Escarda Rubio who is constant contact with Constanzo and Hemming..." See 104-10264-10103: This document refers to Escarda only as "source". See 104-10178-10060: Escarda is described as a frogman with experience in demolition. See 104-10052-10003, p. 5: Escarda and Francisco Rodriguez Tamayo are described as training instructors for paratroopers. See 104-10178-10055, p. 4: Escarda is described as 201-732179. See 104-10216-10068, 06/17/65 memo from JMWAVE to Director: "1. On 16 June 65, Aton Constanzo Palau told AMTABBY-27 that Constanzo and Gerald Patrick Hemming had met with Isadore Irving Davidson's latter's office 15 June....AMCLEVE-15 (Luis Posada) reported that Ramon Escarda Rubio and Francisco Rodriguez Tamayo had heard Hemming say on 9 June that commandos in the Dominican Republic would be provided heavy weapons"....Davidson then spoke of Wayne Morse's charges against Davidson, and said that two more senators preparing similar charges. He then remarked he not afraid (of) being stopped by US agencies, but very much afraid of press." .."3. Constanzo told AMTABBY-27 he knows of man in WAVE area who assisted Davidson in cleaning up 2000 Reising submachine guns in 1963 that Davidson was selling to General Somoza of Nicaragua. 4. Hemming told Davidson on 15 June he unable (to) keep 14 June meeting because of (FBI) surveillance. Davidson told Hemming, "I am tired of running, this show has green light from top and I don't care if (FBI), (CIA), and (DIA) are watching us." Also see 124-10214-10487, p. 3 of 5, where Howard Davis/MM T-639-S, a top pilot, says that he has been in daily contact with Hemming since 6/18/65.
104-10178-10059: CABLE: WHO ASSISTED IN PROCUREMENT OF GUNS
07/09/65, Cable from JMWAVE to IW: "SUPDATA: AMCLEVE-15 (Luis Posada Carriles) who assisted in procurement of guns. Field Comment based AMTABBY-27..." The field comment discusses a Cuban exile that intends to purchase 50 pounds of pentolite (among other things). Pentolite is the substance that Escarda trades in large quantities.
10/16/65, Cable from JMWAVE to WH 8: Slugline INTEL DYVOUR JMPALM: "SUPDATA: AMTABBY-27 from Armando Medina Montes de Oca..." Page 2: A Cuban émigré, former member of a Cuban commando group, who is no longer associated with activists. Source is regarded as reliable, and previous reporting from him has proved to be accurate."
10/28/65, Cable from JMWAVE to IW: "SUPDATA: AMTABBY-27 on 25 Oct from Subj 201-282573 (Ramon Orozco Crespo aka AMTABBY-16) who 'Cuban émigré' in text. Do not use true name. RID: Index Bosch, and Gutierrez."
11/16/65, Cable from JMWAVE to IW: "SUPDATA:...Paras 9 and 10 AMTABBY-27 on 15 Nov..." One of the five sources, matching the reference to a "Cuban refugee associated with activists in the Miami area" and the following reference to being a member of Comandos L. - - - Pages 6-7: ..."8. Source of paras 9 and 10: A Cuban refugee who is associated with activists in the Miami area. Source is regarded as reliable and previous reporting from him has proved to be reliable. 9. During the morning of 15 November a member of Comandos L stated that Comandos L had attacked the coast of Cuba using a plan which had originally been prepared in May 1965. (Field Comment: OF. TDCSDB 31501665-65, 15 May 1965) under the provisions of this original attack plan Comandos L was to use one Seabird model vessel which was to be the strike boat armed with a 30 caliber light machine gun and one eight-shot 20-mm cannon. The strike boat was to be accompanied by a mother vessel which was berthed at Pompano Beach, Florida. 10. According to the member of Comandos L the strike boat on 14 November approached to within 600 yards of the shore and fired both a 50 caliber machine gun and 20 mm recoiless rifle. The member explained that it was necessary to remain at this distance from shore because of a Cuban 50 caliber machine gun emplacement on shore of which the raiding party had previous knowledge. Because of the long range involved the fire from the raiding vessel was not effective as it might have been. One of the men who might have been on the strike vessel was possibly Orlando Arrazola Rodriguez, a Comandos L member who was still not at home during the morning of 15 November..."
104-10163-10176: CABLE: ARTIME BUESA, MANUEL, (VOL XIV).
11/26/65, Cable from Director to JMWAVE: Slugline DYVOUR PBRUMEN AMTABBY-27: "1. As General Montiel actually said to AMTABBY-27 per Ref A, that 'coup a necessary undertaking in Costa Rica, considerable credence added Ref A and past reports this subject. View this, request WAVE recognition Montiel statement above made to AMTABBY-27 and if possible elaborate. 2. Can WAVE officer who contacts Alegrett discreetly determine validity implied Somoza support to coup effort." See 104-10192-10012: 12/28/65, Cable from JMWAVE to Director: "SUPDATA: No project. Source for para 2: AMTABBY-27, 27 December 1965, from Orlando Bosch who asked A-27 to participate in raid..."
104-10216-10064: DAVIDSON BELIEVED IDENTICAL WITH ISADORE IRVING DAVIDSON
08/23/67, Cable from Director to JMWAVE (Orig: M. Forsythe, WH/COG/CA/PP): Slugline TYPIC AMOT: "WH comment:..***Gerald Patrick Hemming, when drunk, told AMTABBY-27 that Irving Davidson was his financial backer." Releasing Officer: Jacob D. Esterline, AC/WHD. Coordinating Officer: Paul E. Oberst, C/WH/COG/CA. (Signature), C/WH/COG/MO. Authenticating Officer: Earl J. Williamson, AC/WH/COG.
1/28/68: A police source stated that members of the Secret Anti-Communist Army (Ejercito Secreto Anti-comunista) have been meeting at Constanzo Palau's home - they now call themselves Cuban Power. These Cubans are responsible for the recent bombings, "including the airplane at the airport and the three business places in southwest Miami". The source said Manuel Villafana (LITAINT-1/Bay of Pigs/Comandos Mambises) was the leader of the group, had worked for CIA in the past and probably still did. See 1993.07.21.16:50:43:900280: RODRIGUEZ (TAMAYO), FRANCISCO - OS/SAG SECURITY FILES FOR HSCA, December 1968: After Julio Aton is shot and seriously wounded, Pancho Varona/AMCONCERT-1 accuses "Enrique" (one of the aliases used by Tony Sforza/AMRYE-1) as giving the instructions to a plan to assassinate Julio Aton Constanzo. The men who did the shooting were allegedly Ricardo Morales Navarette/AMDESK-1, Francisco Rodriguez Tamayo, and "El Gall__". The other planners were allegedly Joaquin Sanjenis/AMOT-2, Vincente Zorrilla/AMOT-3 and Manuel Villapana/LITAINT-1.