Cryptonym: SKIN-1
John Newman, Where Angels Tread Lightly, pp. 221-222
July 1959: "...the more the planning for the Dominican attack went forward, the more its operational security was compromised. In early July Cuban intelligence spotted a secret emissary of Trujillo - a Spanish priest named Ricardo Velazco Ordonez - who had arrived in Havana to review the preparations for the uprising, for which Morgan and Menoyo were supposed to be gathering support. They were to knit together the political leadership that would assume power after Castro was overthrown. According to Escalante, Velazco met secretly with former Cuban senator Arturo Hernandez Tellaheche and Cainas Milanes and offered them the presidency and vice presidency, respectively, of the future Cuban government. Later in July, (David) Phillips found himself sitting across from Cainas Milanes in a clandestine meeting that he (Phillips) quickly realized he did not want to be in."
"On December 17, 1960 (SJ T-2 - Miguel Antonio Sanchez Ramos, see the unredacted page 2) furnished the following information regarding (Ramon Alvarez Velazco): He first heard of Father Velazco in the Dominican Republic in August 1959, at which time John Abbes Garcia, chief of the Dominican (SIM), had negotiated a deal with William Morgan, the former American paratrooper who fought with the forces of Fidel Castro in Cuba against Fulgencio Batista, former president of Cuba. Abbes Garcia was at that time preparing a flight into Cuba with a plane-load of ten Cubans to join forces with Morgan in a plot against Castro. Father Velazco was apparently supposed to accompany the flight, but did not do so inasmuch he was apparently too drunk to make the trip. In about September 1959 (Sanchez Ramos) REDACTED from Carlos Gacel, a SIM agent, that Father Velazco REDACTED engineer of the deal between Morgan and Abbes. (Sanchez Ramos) further advised that in February or March, 1960, Father Velazco visited SIM headquarters on many occasions in connection with a plot against Trujillo involving the Roman Catholic Church and provided the SIM with information regarding individuals involved in the plot."
"On June 14, 1961, Maximo Fermin Alvarez Silva, President of International Anti-Communist Legion (100-384323) in Puerto Rico, furnished information regarding the activities of the various anti-Castro organizations." He reported the MRP as still functioning but its underground was not as effective as reported and Manuel Ray not as popular as the propaganda indicated.
104-10102-10073: OPERATION ALPHA 66 - INTERNAL SECURITY - CUBA - REGISTRATION ACT - CUBA.
1962: "SJ T-1 (identity unknown) stated that Veciana has now indicated to him the names of three individuals who are now in Cuba who are expected to assist Alpha 66 in their plan of action. They are Vincente Noble, Guillermo Ruiz, and Bernardo Paradela. SJ T-1 noted that he knows all three as they had been connected in 1956 with the Servicio de Inteligencia Militar (SIM) in the Dominican Republic. According to Veciana, Paradela is in jail in Cuba and SJ T-1 cannot figure out how he can be of much help. However, Noble and Ruiz are on the loose in Cuba and, according to SJ T-1, are cold-blooded killers. SJ T-2 advised that Antonio Veciana was formerly the chief of Action of the Movimiento Revolucionario del Pueblo (MRP) in the Havana area...(at page 6:) SJ T-2 says that he hopes he has not made a mistake by helping Veciana and Alpha-66, but he feels that under the leadership of someone like Veciana the plans of Alpha-66 might work out to the benefit of all Cubans..."
4/30/62 SJ T-2 is described as Miguel Antonio Sanchez Ramos, a former PSI, New York. See pp. 10-11: https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=90893&search=t-2#relPageId=10&tab=page - "SJ T-2 on April 16, 1962, advised that one Fermin Alvarez Silva and another Cuban known only as "El Coreano" stopped at the Teamsters' office located on Figueroa Street, Santurce, Puerto Rico, and attempted to sell advertising for the anti-communist paper 'Caribe' published by Alvarez Silva...Alvarez introduced the Cuban with him known as 'El Coreano', former chief of the Political Brigade of the Dominican Military Intelligence Service (SIM)...Frank Chavez was a friend of Arturo Espillat, and when Ramfis Trujillo, the son of the former Generalissimo Trujillo wanted to kill Espillat, Chavez had two gunmen ready to fly to the Dominican Republic and bring him to Puerto Rico...SJ T-2 said there was no mention of the whereabouts of Espillat at that moment nor was there any mention of the meeting between (Wilfredo) Nateras and Espillat...It is noted that the nickname 'El Coreano' is used by Miguel Antonio Sanchez Ramos, the former chief of the Political Brigade of the Dominican Military Intelligence Service (SIM)."
9/10/62: Memo from TFW/CI Paul Maggio states that AMSKIN-1 reported that Antonio Veciana/AMSHALE-1 and several other men with Alpha-66 were planning an attack on Havana on this date. Veciana appeared to be staying at his base in Puerto Rico and was planning to monitor the raid by radio. The reference to AMSKIN-1 appears to be a mistake by the writer, because SK appears to be a digraph for Puerto Rico. ("Tansing" possibly handwritten at the top of the cable to the right of INFO).
180-10141-10251: 180-10141-10251
9/30/62; In a review of Manolo Ray files by HSCA: "Puerto Rican police are apparently canvassing Cuban exiles regarding Manolo Ray. In SKIN report #54 dated 30 Sept 1962, he refers to fact that both he and Fermin Alvarez Silva were visited by officer of PR Internal Security force soliciting their opinions of Ray."
10/5/62 memo from San Jose to Director: "Veciana left SJAN abruptly for Miami - presumably take charge final stages preparation of next ALPHA-66 operation which expected between 9 and 11 October. In absence Veciana overture to SKIN-1 either for participation in the operation or assistance procuring arms, no possibility SKIN-1 stay close to action. Will follow locally but ALPHA-66 elements in SJAN appear only rooting section and very slightly informed. SKIN-1 also reports there is growing belief here that Gutierrez Menoyo is military chief ALPHA-66." Marginalia on the document says "Gutierrez Menoyo".
104-10069-10209: DISPATCH: OPERATIONAL--JMWAVE TRACES ON MEMBERS OF ALPHA 66
11/2/62-11/5/62, re cable from Chief, JMWAVE to Chief, Task Force W: Traces were done on members of Alpha 66. Here's one: "Jeronimo or Geronimo Estevez (Collections) Subject is a Cuban exile in Puerto Rico. He is one of four individuals in whose name an Alpha 66 back account in Puerto Rico is held (JUAN-0636, 7 July 1962). Subject met with SKIN-1 in Puerto Rico on 12 July 1962 concerning Alpha-66 matters...Subject, named as an Alpha-66 active member, told SKIN-1 on 30 August 1962, their plans for military action against Cuba still stand." Estevez was interviewed by the Miami Herald on 10/30/62, identified as an Alpha-66 leader in Puerto Rico, quoted as saying Alpha-66 had done some fighting in Cuba "a few days past".
Re 1/14/64: As of this date Miguel Antonio Sanchez Ramos is cited as MM T-1 in a memo saying that "the Dept told the Bureau" that Veciana, Gutierrez Menoyo and Nazario Sargen are being used by Army Intelligence as of 1/14/64.
104-10179-10196: CABLE RE: FERMIN ALVAREZ SILVA TOLD
3/31/64 cable from San Juan to Director: "Fermin Alvarez Silva told SKIN-1 29 Mar that a Dolores "Lolita" Cuevas, a close friend who is also close to Gov. Munoz Marin and Manolo Ray, told him that Ray had informed her that the JURE 'invasion' of Cuba is scheduled for 22 April."