Home/ Resources / Projects / CIA Cryptonyms / bigram: ER / cryptonym: ERYTHROID-3

Cryptonym: ERYTHROID-3

Return to Main Crypts Page

Definition:
Captain Franklin Anthony Wheelock Garcia, chief of the Anti-Communist Section, Office of National Security, Nicaragua.
Status:
Probable
Discussion:
Author/researcher Greg Parker points out that "Erythroid cells" refers to red blood cells. Author/researcher Noel Twyman points out that "Gilberto Alvarado Ugarte was given the 'ERThyroid' treatment and threatened with the possibility of being declared to require extensive psychiatric confinement." Excerpt from his book Bloody Treason, chapter 23 -https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=4262#relPageId=37&tab=page Note that "ERYTHROID" and "ERTHYROID" are frequently misspelled by authors and the CIA alike! See 104-10522-10085 - Alvarado in Mexico in violation of ERYTHROID authority.
Sources:

104-10162-10289: REVOLUTIONARY ACTIVITIES OF THE NATIONAL LIBERATION FRONT IN HONDURAS AND NICARAGUA

Back in Feb. 1963, ERYTHROID-3 thought highly of ERYTHROID activity officer Alvarado.

104-10069-10025: FIELD INFORMATION REPORT ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE NATIONAL LIBERATION FRONT (FLN)

Field Information Report, 3/18/63: Gilberto Alvarado was reported as a leader of the "Frente de Liberacion Nacional (FLN - National Liberation Front), Cuban-supported and Communist-dominated revolutionary group". Another document shows that ODACID/State Dept in Honduras doubted the veracity of Alvarado's reports as of March 1963 while ERYTHROID-3 continued to think highly of Alvarado: http://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=42041&search=eitel#relPageId=2&tab=page 10/27/63, see 104-10162-10284 and 104-10162-10285: A report from ERYTHROID-3 from his "regular informant" within the guerillas - it could be Alvarado.

104-10241-10211: CABLE: IN THE FACE OF MOUNTING EVIDENCE THAT ALVARADO IS FABRICATING HIS STORY

11/27/63 cable DIR 85616 from John M. Whitten to Mexico City: "...In face of mounting evidence that Alvarado is fabricating his story of seeing Oswald take money in the Cuban embassy, urge you follow up with his local Nicaraguan case officer and avail yourself of the help of the Nicaraguan service, which can send ERYTHROID-3, a good (CIA) asset, to help in the interrogation...all he has said about Oswald he could have gotten from the newspapers, except for certain incorrect items such as his statement that Oswald wore glasses. The fact that Alvarado is a calm, nice and intelligent young man does not mean that he is not a fabricator...His interrogators must probe deeply into his make-up and lead him back thru the thought processes which may have led him to make this possible mis-step."

104-10241-10212: CABLE: FEEL ERTHYROID 3 SHOULD GO MEXI EVEN THOUGH ALVARADO MAY BE IN MEXICAN HANDS

11/28/63 cable: C/WH/3 John Whitten states that he does "feel ERTHYROID should go MEXI...assume he can be used as consultant at least."

104-10431-10123: INTELLIGENCE DOCUMENTS ON OSWALD ACTIVITIES IN MEXICO CITY

Wheelock arrived in Mexico City on Nov. 29 to assist in the interrogation of Alvarado. See 104-10522-10039: "Wheelock...born Managua 21 Feb 1924...Captain National, Chief Anti Communist Section, Office of National Security." Also see 104-10438-10179, MANA 4615: Wheelock was "five foot eight, brown hair, green eyes, weight 170."

104-10103-10194: DISCUSSIONS BETWEN THE WARREN COMMISSION AND THE CIA

11/29/63: Wheelock told Gobernacion that "Alvarado is inclined to 'go off on his own' and is impossible to control".

Warren Commission Documents/ pdf PDF version: 237512K Commission Document 442 - State Chayes Letter of 28 Feb 1964 with Copies of Telegrams State/American Embassy Mexico City

State Dept cable, 11/30/63: "Alvarado said his motive for claiming the passage of money to Oswald was to involve the United States in a way which would result in the overthrow of Oswald...Wheelock...was standing by advising with the Mexican authorities during the latter part of the investigation...the Alvarado story about having seen money pass must be completely discounted."

1993.08.12.17:09:21:250005: MEMOS RE CONTACT WITH PAPICH FM FBI

12/3/63 memorandum for the record by C/CI-SIG Birch D. O'Neal stating that Alvarado told Captain Wheelock of the Nicaraguan Intelligence Service that "he recanted his original story because of fear of physical harm; that Alvarado was being deported from Mexico to Nicaragua on 4 December 1963 and would be accompanied by Wheelock; that Wheelock assured our representative that Alvarado would be available for further interview in Nicaragua if the United States desired." Also see 104-10332-10018, p. 4 for a less redacted version. This page also has a bleed-through note from another page (see p. 5, partially redacted), which appears to read: "Ask Ashcraft - OO on Oswald." E.M. Ashcraft was the chief of the Domestic Contacts Division and a logical place for CI-SIG or other CIA officials to learn more about Oswald and whether he had been debriefed after his visit to the USSR. Also see 104-10128-10168, p. 2, where Ashcraft is asked to provide permission to inform the FBI that 1958's Soviet defector Libero Ricciaredelli was a CIA source.

104-10013-10381: CABLE RE ALVARADO RETURN.

12/6/63: Re Alvarado case, "ERYTHROID 3 returning to Managua 7 Dec."

104-10338-10005: THIRD AGENCY REFERRALS: FBI

Another note discusses how Sam Papich, FBI's liaison to CIA, met with CIA Director John McCone on 12/23/63 "to confront the CIA Director with false statements attributed to him by Mr. DeLoach's sources...(McCone) was charged with being the source of information conveyed to a high Government official and to (note: Washington columnist) Drew Pearson in that he, McCone, had stated that CIA had uncovered a plot in Mexico City indicating that Lee Harvey Oswald had received $6500 to assassinate President Kennedy...if this were true, McCone had endeavored to leave the impression with certain people that CIA had developed information not known to the Bureau and, in essence, made the Bureau look ridiculous. The Agent advised that if McCone had made such statements, we could only assume that he was employing vicious and underhanded tactics since he and his officials of his agency full knew that the story concerning the $6500 had been proved to be absolutely false...McCone was very visibly incensed..." McCone said that he never had any direct or indirect contact with Pearson and that Pearson had been attacking him over the last two weeks; that he had been in direct contact with LBJ about the Alvarado story, that CIA would keep Alvarado in a safe house until the FBI was satisfied that all necessary investigation had taken place; and that he was not critical of the FBI and had come to the defense recently of both the FBI and the Secret Service. At the end of the discussion, McCone asked about FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover's health and was told it was good. Margainalia in Hoover's handwriting states, "That news probably didn't please him."

104-10069-10027: DISPATCH ON IDENTIFICATION OF INFORMANTS AND AGENTS

3/31/64: Memo of all the agents and informants used by ERYTHROID-3: Active: "Y-1, Y-2 aka Uriel Cruz, Y-3, Rafael Lopez, Armando Rodriguez, Francisco Mendoza, Dispersion #3, Filemon Garcia, Fidel Ruiz, Jose Castro, Cornell Zapata, Carlos Castillo, "Ruiz", Carlos Montenegro, Jorge Blanco, Jose Maria, "Maruja". Inactive or 'Burnt': Jose Frasco, Jose Ugarte, Dispersion #1, Dispersion #2, Jose Reyes.

Contributors:
Bill Simpich

© Mary Ferrell Foundation. All Rights Reserved. |Site Map |MFF Policies |Contact Us