Invasion of Cuba from
Dominican Republic 1959
[Reference: RIF 124-10294-10051, FBI record 2-1423-9TH NR 36]
DATE: 05/05/59
1-Mr. Belmont
1-Mr. Donahoe
1-Mr. Correr
1-Mr. Nasca
1-Mr. Mullins
TO: A. H. Belmont
FROM: S. B. Donahoe
SUBJECT: ANTI-FIDEL CASTRO ACTIVITIES
INTERNAL SECURITY-CUBA
During the past few days we have received information from three
substantial sources that invasion of Cuba from Dominican Republic is
imminent. The sources are: (1) General Manuel Benitez, head
of National Police of Cuba from 1940 to 1944 and member of Cuban
Legislature from 1948 to 1958; (2) Frank Perez Perez, a source of Miami
Office who is aligned with General Benitez and Rolando Masferrer,
former Cuban Senator and newspaperman who maintained a private army of
hoodlums while Batista was in power and who has been described as a
bandit and gangster; (3) I. Irving Davidson, registered agent of
Israeli and Nicaraguan Governments who talked with Batista in the
Dominican Republic on 4/29/59 and who quotes Batista as stating a group
of Cuban riffraff is planning invasion of Cuba from the Dominican
Republic with approval of Generalissimo Trujillo who feels Castro will
attack if not attacked first.
General Benitez stated General Jose Pedraza Cabrera, who headed
Batista's final campaign against Castro, will be Commander-in-Chief of
this new movement which has headquarters in Dominican Republic.
Pedraza is in exile there at the present time. While in charge of
Batista's army, Pedraza was considered a very brave man and
disciplinarian. He was part of three-man junta which ruled Cuba
immediately following Batista's downfall. Perez claims all other
Latin-American countries have sanctioned this movement against Cuba and
claims Dr. Emilio Nunez Portuondo, chief Cuban delegate to United
Nations prior to Castro's victory, will undoubtedly head the
revolutionary junta which will control Cuba for six months until free
elections can be held. Following were named as financial
contributors to this new movement in addition to Batista who General
Benitez claims contributed $2,000,000: (1) Fernando de la Riva, Cuban
mining executive; (2) Marino Lopez Blanco, former Cuban Senator and
consular official who was stationed in Florida until Castro assumed
power; (3) Amadeo Lopez Castro, close personal friend and economic
advisor to Batista who was one of leading candidates to succeed Batista
before revolution; (4) Francisco Cajigas, former government official
under Batista who was admitted to the United States immediately after
Batista's downfall; (5) Roberto "Chili" Mendoza, wealthy sugar magnate
who headed group which held gambling concession at Hotel Havana-Hilton
prior to Castro's victory; (6) Garcia Montes, Minister of Education
under Batista; (7) Colonel Orlando Piedra, Chief of Cuban Bureau of
Investigations under Batista. Our requests for investigations in
Cuba by Cuban National Police were approved by Piedra and he assisted
us in handling informal deportations from Cuba. We have sent
numerous letters of thanks to Piedra. He fled to the Dominican
Republic on 1/1/59 and later claimed INS refused him admittance tot he
U. S. which INS denies. He owns considerable property in Miami
and reportedly amassed a fortune from "take" on gambling activities
while head of Bureau of Investigations; (8) Carlos Govea, described as
a wealthy Cuban. Bufiles do not definitely identify this
individual. In the early 1940's a Lieutenant Carlos Govea, member
of a wealthy and influential family of engineers and contractors, was
source of American Embassy and Legal Attache in Havana while serving on
Havana Police Department. Carlos Govea y Araoz, born 3/20/18,
Havana, was admitted to U. S. on ½/53 to attend the Institute of
Sugar Stabilization.
General Benitez claims $25,000 has been delivered to William Alexander
Morgan, the American who was a leader of the "Second Front" in
Escambray Mountains during Cuban Revolution. Morgan supposedly is
angry at Castro who did not give him or other "Second Front" leaders
recognition in the new government. Morgan was born at Cleveland,
Ohio, in 1928 and is U. S. citizen. He served in U. S. Army from
1946 until his dishonorable discharge on 4/11/50 which resulted from
his conviction by a court-martial on escape from custody charges.
In 1946 he was arrested on felony charge and he was also charged with
armed robbery while in the Army. He reportedly is veteran of
Korean War and is described as a judo expert. Recently Morgan's
father told Bureau Agents son is emotionally disturbed and in need of
psychiatric help. He has deserted two or three wives, some with
children, in the past several years. Eloy Menoyo was
Commander-in-Chief of the "Second Front" during the Cuban Revolution
and he originally was reported as in favor of a military junta taking
over Cuba in preference to Castro. However, he came to the U. S.
on a good-will trip in March, 1959, and, according to State Department,
then indicated he had no ambitions of his own and was 100% in favor of
Castro's group. On 4/3/59 Andrew Szentgyorgyi (St. George), a
free lance writer and photographer, advised he had just returned from a
month's visit to Cuba where he learned a new opposition group headed by
Menoyo and Morgan was being formed in the Escambray region.
Other persons named by Benitez and Perez as potential leaders in new
Cuban Government if Castro is overthrown were: (1) Dr. Octavio Montero,
described as a distinguished medical doctor and professor at University
of Havana. Bufiles contain no information concerning Montero; (2)
Manuel Antonio Varona, prominent Cuban politician who was Prime
Minister under former President Carlos Prio Socarras. Varona not
in U. S. at present time but is registered as agent for Council for
Cuban Liberation, on anti-Batista group; (3) Emilio Ochoa, described as
representative of Orthodox Party. Ochoa possibly is identical
with Emilio Laureano Ochoa y Ochoa who was subject of Registration Act
investigation by Miami in 1954. the latter reportedly was
connected with Cuban Orthodox Party and was then living in exile in
Miami. His registration was solicited by the Department on basis
of our investigation which revealed he was involved in printing of
anti-Batista propaganda for shipment from Miami to locations outside
the U. S. He did register on 4/26/54 and CIA advised he returned
to Cuba clandestinely in late 1954 to await revolution there but in
January, 1955, went to Mexico. As of May, 1955, Ochoa was back in
Miami and he terminated his registration with the Department on
10/26/55; (4) Eusebio Mujal, Secretary General of largest labor group
in Cuba, Cuba Confederation of Labor, until Batista's overthrow.
Benitez claims he is now in Mexico in exile and is cooperating with the
new movement as are other anti-communist Cuban labor elements.
Rolando Masferrer on 4/29/59 advised he has no doubt forces opposed to
Castro will unite and that he will join the group if it looks
good. He named Aureliano Sanchez Arango as another Cuban leader
who is cooperating with the new movement. According to Masferrer,
Sanchez leads revolutionary group known as "Triple A." Sanchez was
Minister of Education under President Prio at which time he was
described as Prio's closest friend. In recent years he has been
jailed many times for political reasons and has been in exile in
several countries, including the U. S. He has been engaged in
plans to overthrow Batista for many years but was in Mexico in 1957 and
it is not known if he played any part in assisting Castro.
U. S. residents, in addition to those previously named, who
reportedly are assisting the new movement are: (1) Daniel
Vasquez, former close associate of ex-President Prio, who is presently
under indictment with Prio and others for conspiring to violate the
Neutrality Statute. Vasquez published a Spanish-language
newspaper, "Tribuna," which is definitely anti-Castro. He has
been cooperating with Miami Office in recent past and claims his paper
aims to fight communism and to show people in U. S. and Cuban extent of
communist entrenchment in Cuba; (2) Richard Jaffe, Miami real estate
man associated with Masferrer who told Miami several thousand copies of
"Tribuna" were dropped on Cuba on 4/22 and 25/59.
General Benitez, our chief source of information concerning this group,
frequently writes laudatory letters to Bureau and offers to assist us
in any possible way. He is staunch anti-communist and has
denounced communist influence in Castro's regime. He reportedly
acquired $4,000,000 or $5,000,000 while in charge of Cuba's National
Police from 1940 to 1944. When Batista was ousted in 1944,
Benitez was jailed for short time and came to Miami upon release.
He was involved in unsuccessful plot to overthrow Cuban Government in
1947. He returned to Cuba in 1948 after being elected to Cuban
Legislature where he served until 1958. He told Legat, Havana, in
1958 he was Batista's choice for Mayor of Havana in elections later
that year and planned to steal more money as Mayor than he did as Chief
of Police. Benitez was not elected Mayor and, according to Legat,
His reputation in Cuba is very poor.
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