Cryptonym: ZENITH
1993.07.26.11:10:27:590410: MEMO: NINO DIAZ
4/20/60 memo for Director of Security Sheffield Edwards to Director, FBI, attn: Sam Papich: "(Nino Diaz) is being considered in connection with (Project Zenith)."
180-10142-10306: 180-10142-10306
Summary of Tony Varona's Office of Security file, by HSCA attorney Leslie Wizelman: "(April 1960), Varona is being considered in connection with Project Zenith and will be paroled into the United States under the Special Agreement between the Attorney General and the CIA."
124-10325-10254: 124-10325-10254
9/28/60 memo from SAC, Miami to Director, FBI (105-88923): "For the Bureau's information, Richard King, who has been in charge of CIA covert operations in Miami, has advised that within the near future he will be reassigned to Washington. William McClare, who has been assigned to the Miami for some time, will be in charge...CIA operations in Miami will henceforth operate under the cover name of Zenith Technical Enterprise and be located in Building 25, South Campus, University of Miami. The CIA men assigned will be known as Department of Defense employees for the purpose of inspection...Mr. King has advised that CIA operations at the present time in this area are limited to engaging in clandestine maritime operations against Cuba, including contact with and supply of underground operations in that country." Each individual operations had to be approved by Richard Bissell.
180-10145-10158: 180-10145-10158
Chrono for Carlos Eduardo Hernandez Sanchez (AMHAZE-2523): "Feb. 23, 1961, considered for Project Zenith, arrived at JMFIG..."
Brad Ayers, The Zenith Secret (Vox Pop, 2006), p. 17
"He introduced himself as Bob Wall, assistant chief of operations at the station...Bob told us not to use the term CIA. When we had to make reference to the agency, we would use the word 'company'. He went on to explain that the Miami headquarters (of the CIA) was covered under a civilian corporation known as Zenith Technical Enterprises. The station, or 'company', was located on the University of Miami's South Campus, adjacent to the abandoned Richmond Navai Air Station, which had been developed by the Navy during World War II as a dirigible base...Dave Morales, chief of operations, was the only branch chief who treated us less than respectfully. He ran all the station's activities with a heavy hand and was famous for his temper. We soon learned that no one, save (station chief) Ted Shackley himself, argued with Dave. To cross him in any way was to invite trouble...(Major Edward Roderick and I had cover) as Department of the Army civilians...I was given the fictitious identity of Daniel B. Williams...Rip (Robertson), in his mid-forties, was a contract employee of fairly long standing with the CIA...like Dave Morales, nicknamed 'The Big Indian' (aka El Indio), to whom he was directly responsible, Rip was said to be stubborn, independent, and jealously protective of his men."
1993.07.23.11:32:34:120410: ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES APPLICATION FOR EMPLOYMENT
1961-1963: Arthur Vaivada/William Wabalda -true name probably Bob Wall - put together a resume that states: "Research analyst: From Sept 1961 to Jan 1963. Starting salary $8500, final salary $9000. Employer: Zenith Technical Enterprises, Inc., Building 25, Coral Reef Drive, Miami 56, Supervisor: Mr. Calvin Pastors, Supervised 2/5 (members of) personnel
1993.08.04.16:57:34:680028: DIRECTOR CABLES, DIR 84980 - 85757.
11/27/63, cable DIR 85293 from SAS/Personnel Albert Hoeser to JMWAVE, slugline RYBAT TYPIC PERS: "...you have the following sixteen military personnel who were obtained TDY through a special DOD channel but who also must be charged to ceiling if converted to PCS, i.e. Major Roderick (DIR-83960)...(the list includes Edward Roderick and Bradley Ayers, referred to in the previous post)."
11/15/66, memo from Ralph Farb, Chief Intelligence Officer, INS to FBI re Project Zenith (Cuban National): "Vladimir Rodriguez Lahera (note, AMMUG-1) has had a change of status to that of permanent resident and his parole status under Project Zenith is therefore considered to be terminated."
1994.09.01.17:11:34:220028: DCI MORNING MEETING MINUTES EXCERPTS FOR 1971
Jack Anderson, 4/17/71, "CIA Plotted to Blast Cuba Refinery": "Now we have learned of a CIA plot to blow up Cuba's most productive oil refinery. Painstaking preparations were made, and a commando team was given intense training. Using U-2 photos so detailed that they showed every bush, Major Edward Roderick, an Army engineer on loan to the CIA, constructed a mockup of the plant. He even figured out how mortars could be pre-aimed, then placed by commandos in a precise spot and fired on the run. But he junked the idea because a human error of an inch or two could send a mortar shell into an inhabited area. Then the whole plan was junked after President Kennedy's assassination...Ayers got the assignment of training a tough Cuban cadre in the swamps of the Everglades and the beaches of the Keys. He was supposed to teach them enough surf landing skill, underwater swimming, demolition, boat handling, and simple survival for them to lead commandos into Cuba to blow up the multi-million-dollar refinery."