Pseudonym: Duarte, Julio
11/09/63: FBI report from Miami: Titled: Frente Revolucionario Anticomunista (FRAC), (Revolutionary Anti-Communist Front), Internal Security - Cuba..."Previous investigation in this matter has revealed that Manuel Aguilar, 829 S. W. 9th Street, Miami, is the head of FRAC. He, in association with the following American adventurers, has planned to make a trip to Cuba for the purpose of gathering propaganda material for the John Birch Society to obtain money to sustain military-type raids on Cuba...The FRAC has munitions and equipment necessary for the propaganda trip, and plans to mobilize two boats, one called the 'Little Ann,' and the other named 'Pitusa I.' The 'Pitusa I' has received a complete overhaul and a new Chrysler marine engine...On October 23, 1963, Detective Lieutenant Ford, Miami Police Department, telephonically advised that Manuel Aguilar, 829 S. W. 9th Avenue, supposedly purchased a box of guns and ammunition from Ralph Hernandez, 135 S. W. 19th Avenue on October 22, 1963. In the transfer of the box, Aguilar noticed that the box contained only rocks instead of guns. At this time, an unidentified companion of Hernandez pulled a gun on Aguilar, and robbed him of approximately $1,000.00, the money which Aguilar was going to pay for the guns...On October 25, 1963, MM T-1 advised an American by the name of Lorenzo Hall was back in town...He said he had been in Dallas, Texas, and had some kind of trouble with the police there. Hall disappeared from the area; presumably, he was going to Georgia...The trip which the Customs agents stopped on October 30, 1963, was a spur-of-the-moment arrangement between Aguilar and Hall. Hall was to agree to take some unnamed individuals to Cuba with him. The trip actually was Hall's expedition, and he only borrowed or rented the boat 'Pitusa I'..."
08/65: Page 423: ..."FULN - Frente Unido de Liberacion Nacional (United Front of National Liberation): Leader: Major Felipe Vidal Santiago Anido, Secretary General (deceased). This organization has not functioned with the PGCC for some time. In March 1964, Vidal and four FULN members infiltrated into Cuba. They were captured by GOC forces, convicted and executed by a firing squad in May 1964. With Vidal's death, the FULN ceased to exist, and the remaining members joined other organizations. The FULN consisted of the following eight organizations...Frente Revolucionario Anti-Comunista (FRAC): Leaders: Luis de Pazos (aka Luis Duran), Manuel Aguilar (aka Julio Duarte)..."
http://cuban-exile.com/doc_076-100/doc0090.html
06/04/67: Memorandum from Tom Dunkin to Dick Billings..."Hall finally made connection with Manolo Aguilar, head of FRAC (Frente Revolucionario Anti-Comunista), for use of Aguilar's boat the "Putusa". Quartered Hall, Seymour and Howard, who they met in Miami, for next few days in apartment of transient cropduster pilot associate of mine, William Jacob Tillman, at, if recall correctly, 1814 NW 14th or 22nd Ct...apartment was upstairs from friend who worked with Delta Air Lines in operations, Worth Davidson, now in Honolulu (will check with him to determine correct address)...Departure date, around nightfall on Tuesday 29 October, found three vehicles to be used. Earlier; Hall, Aguilar, Howard Seymour and I had driven to launch site suggested by Aguilar, which was on road to Ocean Reef Club on Key Largo, on south side of key...Drove to rendezvous point, which was made a bit troublesome due to fact that despite fact turnoff dirt road was exactly (if I recall correctly) 6 ½ miles from junction with U.S. 1, Aguilar's car had a broken speedometer and there were several dirt road turning off to right... After couple of hours, backtracked to marine on U.S. 1 and telephoned Aguilar's house to see if he departed. Wife said he had been gone for several hours... Aguilar and Hall never showed...Felt I would check Aguilar home, and Customs shed area in case of arrest, and no need for all to miss sleep. Found Hall walking from Customs shed...Around midmorning Hall and Aguilar went to Customs to see what they could retrieve in way of personal equipment not contraband. I went with them in capacity as Miami Herald correspondent, shot pictures of seized contraband. Had to purchase $50 auto which caught fire in carburetor, (not seriously) when driven back to Aguilar's house. That evening, Harber, Pinow, and Collins showed up at Aguilar's to commiserate with the unfortunates. Thought Hemming also was there, but don't believe he was..."
124-10369-10025: ADMIN FOLDER-I9: HSCA ADMINISTRATIVE FOLDER, LEE HARVEY OSWALD VOLUME XXII
06/18/70: Interview of Manuel Aguilar by Joseph A. Agee, 111th MI Group (III): On 17 June 1970, Manuel NMN Aguilar was interviewed at the Miami Field Office, Region III, 111th MI Group, Miami, Florida, regarding information he volunteered concerning an anti-Castro Cuban exile group called Frente Revolucionaria Anti-Communista en Cuba (FRACC) (Anti-Communist Revolutionary Front in Cuba), of which he claimed to be a leader. Aguilar, a jeweller employed by Kappy’s Jewelry Store, 1423 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach, Florida, who resides at 458 SW 10th Street, Miami, stated in substance as follows: In approximately 1959, Subject helped form FRACC in Cuba when it became known that the Castro regime was turning Communist. Subject claimed that at that time he was a member of Castro’s Naval Intelligence. He alleged that he attempted to obtain help from the American Embassy, but the only help he received was from a Col Samuel Louis Bouque (phonetic), then the US Military Attache, who made personal donations to FRACC but offered no official help. When Subject could not obtain official aid, he and the other members of FRACC went underground...In approximately March 1961, Subject escaped from Cuba when he learned that he was being investigated for subversive activities. Since coming to the US, he has been working with about 50 persons living in various parts of the US in order to send aid to members of FRACC in Cuba...Subject was referred to the Miami Field Office by Roy Hargrave, presently a patient at Palm springs General Hospital, 1475 W 49th Street, Hialeah, Florida. Through Hargrave, Subject met an individual who claimed to be a Captain in the US Army Reserves, not further identified, who stated that he could train Subject and the other members of FRACC. AGENT’S NOTES: The interview of Subject was conducted in the Spanish language. He appeared to be sincere, truthful and was completely cooperative throughout the interview."
124-10369-10025: ADMIN FOLDER-I9: HSCA ADMINISTRATIVE FOLDER, LEE HARVEY OSWALD VOLUME XXII
06/19/70: Report by Charles N. Phillips, 111th MI Group (III): Name of Subject: Aguilar, Manuel..."On 18 June 1970, Mr. Roy Emory Hargraves, who resides at 9515 SW 95th Avenue, Miami, Florida, telephone 226-4646, and who was born 14 February 1940 at Saint Louis, Missouri, was interviewed in his hospital room...Palm Springs General Hospital...Hialeah, Florida, where he is in convalescence from a ruptured spine. Hargraves, who has known Manuel Aguilar stated in substance as follows: Source became interested in becoming a mercenary in 1961. He later came to Miami and was able to gradually work himself into the ranks of volunteer mercenaries within the area who wanted to go to Cuba to assist in the overthrow of the Castro regime. Hargraves met Gerald Patrick Hemming...referred to by Source as 'Jerry'...Jerry was the organizing force behind the volunteer military structures from 1962 to 1964. While working for Hemming, Source met Felipe Vidal-Santiago who had been the Chief of Maritime Police under Castro and later became the Military Attache to Columbia, South America. Santiago defected to the US in 1960. It was through Santiago, in 1961, that Source met Subject who is also known as 'Minola.' According to Santiago, Subject could be trusted, was level headed but was apt to disobey orders when he felt that there was something more important to do. Santiago related that Subject had worked for Raul Castro’s right-hand man, a seven-foot Negro named Hector Aldamas. Following Santiago’s defection to the US in 1960, he repeatedly sent money and supplies into Cuba by way of Subject. Subject was the contact man and was sending out reports, but suddenly, without warning, he left the island and came to the US in 1961. He was not known to lie about any matters, but Santiago believed his reports to be somewhat exaggerated. Prior to working under Castro’s administration, Subject had spent nine years as a cell leader against the Batista regime..." (CONTINUED BELOW)
124-10369-10025: ADMIN FOLDER-I9: HSCA ADMINISTRATIVE FOLDER, LEE HARVEY OSWALD VOLUME XXII
06/19/70: Report by Charles N. Phillips, 111th MI Group (III): Name of Subject: Aguilar, Manuel: "...Source provided the name of Hosea Duarte, a one-time head of intelligence for one of the provinces in Cuba under Castro as a person that could lend credence to the worth of Subject. Duarte is head of an organization called UNARE (NFI), located at PO Box 8020, Hollywood, California...and is also an author of a series of books dealing with life in Cuba. Another person knowledgeable of Subject’s ability is Ivan Vidal-Santiago, brother of Felipe Vidal-Santiago, who was killed in 1964. Ivan is presently located at 731 SW 5th Street...Miami... Ivan also operates a 'safehouse' for meetings located at 498 NW 23d Avenue, Miami...Source mentioned as an aside that during the build-up of 1963, a number of volunteer civilians was making their way across the US into Florida. It was during this time that three individuals from California became known within his separate 'clic.' Source supplied the names as follows: Lorenzo Hall...William Seymore...Lawrence Howard... According to Jerry Hemming, both Howard and Hall met with Lee Harvey Oswald in Texas while enroute to Florida prior to the John Kennedy assassination. After President Kennedy was killed, Hemming related to Source that he felt that the assassination was a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) plot to do away with Kennedy since Howard and Hall were believed to have been connected with the CIA. Source, at a later date, confronted Howard with the question concerning his part in the alleged connection with the Kennedy assassination. Howard 'clammed up' and became nervous concerning the matter and avoided the subject completely..." (CONTINUED BELOW)
124-10369-10025: ADMIN FOLDER-I9: HSCA ADMINISTRATIVE FOLDER, LEE HARVEY OSWALD VOLUME XXII
06/19/70: Report by Charles N. Phillips, 111th MI Group (III): Name of Subject: Aguilar, Manuel: "Additionally, due to Source’s long involvement with military civilian movements against Cuba, a man by the name of Steven J. Burton, who presently resides at 4829 Morella Avenue, North Hollywood, California, telephone 766-1916, came to Source’s home while he was living in California, following the Robert Kennedy assassination and displayed photographs of Sirhan B. Sirhan, in efforts to make identification. Source was unable to make identification but stated that Burton was in the employ of Jerry Hemming at the time. AGENT’S NOTES: Source was completely cooperative during the interview and provided names, addresses, and telephone numbers from a small address in his possession. He appeared to be somewhat self-centered and desired to talk more about himself than Subject. As a spot-check for accuracy of information concerning individuals, the name and address of Steven J. Burton, listed above, was checked through the Los Angeles Field Office of the 115th MI Group. The North Hollywood telephone directory reflected a listing for Bernard Burton at 4829 Morella Avenue, telephone 766-1916. It is felt that Source was completely truthful in his answers and had strong feelings concerning the abilities of Subject."
11/25/70: Memorandum from SAC, Miami to Director, FBI: Subject: Frente Revolucionario Anticomunista (FRAC), (Revolutionary Anti-Communist Front), IS- Cuba..."Miami is of the opinion, based on previous personal contacts with Aguilar, that he is mentally disturbed and has no compunction about fabricating information. It is believed that the same description could be applied to Roy Hargraves. Aguilar and the FRAC are not currently of any significance among Cuban exile groups. With regard to the information Hargraves attributed to Aguilar in his interview with Military Intelligence, it is noted that almost identical information was furnished to the Miami Office by Payton Magruder, an ex-army officer who lives in Coral Gables, Florida, and who was contacted by Hargraves in an effort to further this alleged scheme. Aguilar, however, was not mentioned in the information furnished by Magruder. This information was was furnished to the Bureau by teletype dated 8/28/70 under the caption 'ROY EMORY HARGRAVES; GERALD PATRICK HEMMING; IS-CUBA; NNA-CUBA.' It is noted that Hargraves failed to put this plan into operation, and he continues to remain in the Miami area. It appears likely that Hargraves persuaded Aguilar to approach the people at Military Intelligence with the aim of obtaining financial and military assistance which would have been for the benefit of Hargraves rather than Aguilar. In view of the above, it is not believed that Aguilar or the FRAC warrant additional investigation at this time. Any indication of renewal of activity on the part of either will be promptly reported to the Bureau..."
11/25/70: FBI Report from Miami: Titled: Frente Revolucionario Anticomunista (FRAC), (Revolutionary Anti-Communist Front), Internal Security - Cuba: "Manuel Aguilar Alvarez, when interviewed in July, 1963, said that he was the leader of an anti-Castro organization known as FRAC. He said that his organization was purposely small in order to avoid infiltration by Cuban Government agents...Aguilar said that in 1959 he formed the FRAC in Cuba when it became known that the Castro Government was turning communist. In approximately March, 1961, Aguilar escaped from Cuba when he learned that he was being investigated for anti-government activities...Aguilar was associated with one Roy Emory Hargraves, 9515 S.W. 95th Avenue, Miami, who reportedly had introduced him to a person who said that he was a captain in the U.S. Army Reserves, not further identified, who stated that he could train Aguilar and other members of FRAC. MM T-3 also furnished information which was obtained from the above mentioned Roy Emory Hargraves. Hargraves related that he had become involved in anti-Castro activities along with other 'volunteer mercenaries' in Miami in 1961, at which time he become acquainted with Manuel Aguilar. Hargraves went on to state that he had been contacted by Aguilar on June 15, 1970, with regard to a plan which Aguilar wanted to execute against Cuba....With regard to the training of personnel of the FRAC, Hargraves said that there was a Special Forces Captain named Carl Hickey who was slated to assist in this training. He identified two others who would assist in the training as Sergeant Gilbert, a reservist who is also a police officer, believed to be with the Opa Locka Police Department, and Second Lieutenant Jose Pujol, 261-66-0168, who was then attending some type of school in Fort Benning, Georgia..."
06/29/78: HSCA document by P. M. Orr from DOD Notes: This document contains summary information about Roy Hargraves and mentioned Aguilar.
Larry Hancock, Someone Would Have Talked: Documented! The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy and the Conspiracy to Mislead History (2010)
Page 273: Roy Hargraves had been affiliated both with Gerry Hemming's group and with activist exile groups such as 30th of November. (23). In the period of September 1963 to March 1964, Hargraves was primarily associated with Felipe Vidal Santiago. Hargraves was reported to the FBI as having travaled to Dallas in late fall and of being in possession of Secret Service credentials. Hargraves continued his anti-communist activities for several years. In 1968, he was involved in the bombing of Black Panther groups in Los Angeles. In 1970, Hargraves, along with Ivan Vidal, Felipe's relative, and Gerry Hemming were involved in a complex plot to simulate attacks on U.S. installations that would implicate Cuba and provoke a military reaction. Also in 1970, Hargraves attempted to introduce Manuel Aguilar to Army Intelligence as a potential asset in anti-Cuban activities. There is also reason to speculate that both Hargraves and Vidal were in contact with an individual representing himself as working with Army Intelligence during 1963. (24)..."