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Cryptonym: AMHINT-56

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Definition:
Juan Francisco Blanco Fernandez, participated in DRE raids on Cuba. Head of the DRE's military section.
Status:
Documented
Discussion:
8/23/62 Slated for WAVE training as DRE intel agent and to infiltrate Pinar del Rio: https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=47831&relPageId=2&search=%22wave_7450%22

His aka was Diabin Blanco: https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=102742&search=280757_%22280+757%22#relPageId=11&tab=page

He was part of "Project JMATE" (the Bay of Pigs project, as well as Cuban operations overall) in August 1962: https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=47793&relPageId=2&search=%22as_an%20agent%20under%20project%22

His approval record shows him with Project JMATE, off and on from 1962 to 1968, originally WH/SAS/IOS and then WH/C/RP/OA: https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=17468&search=%22BLANCO_FERNANDEZ%22#relPageId=2&tab=page

See 104-10295-10314: Blanco-Fernandez's PRQ for 1964 - Personal Record Questionnaire
Sources:

104-10215-10161: INVENTORY - NON STAFF PERSONNEL: AMHINT/56

Late 8/62 report: HIs main function with the Agency was as a commando small boat operator. Joined the DRE in 1959. After Bay of Pigs he went to Venezuela embassy and then the US. He participated in the Havana raid on the Miramar of August 1962. HIs case officer at this time is Ross Crozier. Evaluated as above average intelligence but not much leadership potential.

104-10215-10402: ASSIGNMENT OF CRYPTONYM

8/27/62, request for Green List, Wendell Ullery to Chief, FI/D, William Harvey. Response on 8/31/62 is that FI/D has no further information on suspect. Bill Harvey personally affirms his cryptonym on 9/4/62: https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=47797&relPageId=2&search=%22C-101929%22_101929

104-10215-10404: JUAN FRANCISCO BLANCO FERNANDEZ

8/27/62: Wendell Ullery reports that AMHINT-56 is Blanco, 201-332676, and that his CI/OA number is 101929. The case officer is Gabe Lowe - are Lowe and Ullery one and the same? He gets his POA on 10/4/62: https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=17491&relPageId=2&search=%22wave_7450%22

https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/104-10215-10158.pdf

4/22/63 Cancellation of operational clearances for many individuals - highlighted is the clearance taken away for 201-332676 (Blanco Fernandez)

Oswald 201 File, Vol 10, Part 2

12/3/63 memo by SA Ernest I. Aragon on Homer Echevarria and Francisco Blanco aka Juan Francisco Blanco-Fernandez. Fernandez is alleged head of the military phase of the DRE in Miami. During 11/62 he enlisted in the Army at Fort Jackson, South Carolina; he is now discharged. "His mission to Chicago may have been for the purpose of securing military equipment from Thomas Moseley." Paulino Sierra may have met with Moseley in Chicago on 12/5/63: http://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=954&search=%223-11-14%22#relPageId=391&tab=page Secret Service discontinued this investigation, as they believed the focus was arms sales which is not within its jurisdiction. (p. 389)

Commission Document 87 - Secret Service report of 08 Jan 1964 re: Oswald

12/3/63 SS Agent Edward Z. Tucker memo: "(Homer A.) Echevarria allegedly made a comment the day before the assassination of President John F. Kennedy that "we now have plenty of money - our new backers are Jews - as soon as 'we' (or 'they') take care of Kennedy..."

HSCA Report, Volume III Current Section: Testimony of James J. Rowley

12/11/63 interview of Francisco Blanco by SA Ernest Aragon in Miami. Francisco Blanco stated that he was the head of the DRE's military section. One of the 18 DRE participants on the military raid at Miramar, Cuba on 8/25/62. It was believed that Francisco Blanco was in Chicago to obtain military arms for Thomas Moseley. Moseley was implicated with Homer Echeverria, suspected of trying to kill JFK in the Chicago area.

HSCA Report, Volume III Current Section: Testimony of James J. Rowley

12/19/63 report by SS agents Edward Tucker and Joseph Noonan, Chicago. Moseley and a Cuban named "Mannie" were discussing automatic weapons, detonators and explosives sought in Cuban exile circles. The authors speculated Mannie may have been Paulino Sierra. (p. 5 of report) However, there is a good argument that "Mannie" was Manuel Orcarberro Rodriguez.

104-10215-10130: APPROVAL WORK RECORD: BLANCO FERNANDEZ, JUAN FRANCISCO

This card was opened in 1964, when AMHINT-56's case officer was WH/C/RP/OA Cal Hicks. Shows actions taken with this agent between 1964-1968 when he was terminated.

104-10215-10394: REQUEST FOR RE-INSTATEMENT POA FOR JUAN F. BLANCO FERNANDEZ

5/27/64 memo re Blanco-Fernandez's PRQ, his personal record questionnaire. He obtained political asylum in Venezuela and the USA in 1961, presumably after his three-hour detention in Santiago de Cuba on 4/15/61 with his brother Manolo Comell - both of them were suspects in a bombing, but were unidentified. "He will be used as a boat operator for the AMLILAC ("Commando Groups" - Comandos Mambises and others - involved in infiltrations into Cuba) Commando Group."

104-10215-10145: DISPATCH: TERMINATION OF AMHINT-56

He served as a small boat operator for the AMLILAC ("Commando Groups" - Comandos Mambises and others - involved in infiltrations into Cuba) group at $300 a month.

104-10215-10139: CABLE: REQUEST TRAINING FOR SIX MAN LEADER GROUP SCHEDULED

07/07/66: Cable from JMWAVE to Director: Slugline PBRUMEN KUROAR CHAPPIE RAMROD: "1. Request training for six man leader group scheduled arrive ISOLATION 11 July as follows: (REDACTION) same given AMANCHORS (probably an elite CIA team of anti-Castro Cubans involved in Underwater Demolition Team - UDT - or "frogmen" operations) less emphasis UDT. ISOLATION stress leadership training and rotate leadership assignments in field exercises encompassing tradecraft, caching, observation and reporting all trainees completed JMWAVE training and have OA's and recent LCFLUTTERS (polygraph - "lie detector" - testing). 2. Trainees: AMLILAC/29 (201-728520) TA Ignacio (trained at ISO/REDACTION July 63), AMLILAC/33 (201-741331) TA Manuel (trained at ISO Feb 64), AMSKIRT-1 (201-753409) TA Pablo (trained at ISO Jan 65), AMHINT-56 (201-332676) TA Frank (JMWAVE training only), AMTRUNK-21 (201-300063) TA Luis (JMWAVE training only), AMLUNT-2 (201-324081) TA Filipe (JMWAVE training only), AMPOLISH-1 (201-285159) TA Simon ISO/REDACTION Aug 65), interpreter C/O to be assigned. 3. Request airlift leader team to ISO night 11 July and return AMANCHOR group ISO WAVE night 12 July."

See Also:
Contributors:
Dr. Juan B. Giusti • Bill Simpich

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