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Cryptonym: AMCHITTER

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Definition:
Unknown identity. AMCHITTER reported on comments made by Eusebio Azcue, the former Cuban Consul in Mexico City, in December of 1959. AMCHITTER was described as a "person with good contacts in the Cuban Government."
Status:
Unknown
Discussion:
A cable in July, 1959, described AMCHITTER as a "person with good Nicaraguan exile contacts." One of those mentioned in AMCHITTER related documents was Pablo Agustin Aldama Lopez (Acosta), an attaché to the Cuban Embassy in Mexico, who had been alleged by an untested source to be the head of Cuban intelligence operations in Mexico.

A FBI memo in October of 1960 stated that the CIA was then in the process of attempting to recruit Aldama.

A cable in December of 1963 stated that AMCHITTER-1 was previously LIMASK-1. LIMASK-1 was the source of a dispatch from Mexico City in July of 1960, which stated that Saviur Cancio Pena would provide the cartoons for the Rescate newspaper, which would probably be the mouthpiece of the FRD in Mexico. A FBI report in 1955 stated that Salvador Pena used the pen name Saviur Cancio Pena. Another FBI report in 1959 mentioned Salvador Cancio Pena was a CIA informant, and appeared to have connections with Nicaraguan matters. A CIA report in 1964 on Cuban Intelligence in Mexico stated that "Cubans who function with the CIA, activities of Saviur Cancia Pena and Enrique Hernandez, other elements that work with the CIA."
Sources:

104-10518-10307: CABLE: REVOLUTIONARY PLOTTING AGAINST SOMOZA REGIME

04/20/59: Cable from Havana to Director: Slugline INTEL JMPLOW: SUPDATA SOURCE AMCHITTER: UNTESTED SOURCE IN FIELD COMMENT AMCLUCK (Miguel Nadal Conte)...SOURCE WITH GOOD NICARAGUAN CONTACTS (B): "1. Cesar Roca and eleven members of his Legion Cubana arrested on orders Major Ernesto Guevara Serna, commander La Cabana fortress, and being held in fortress (Field Comment: Legion Cubana has been reported as one of the Cuban organizations which might participate in the invasion of Nicaragua. Press sources indicate 30 additional men recently discharged from Cuban army and who had volunteered their services to fight Somoza arrested and held in La Cabana. Laurence Holt, who claims to be a former U.S. marine, told members of a commie-influenced Nicaraguan exile group in Havana that the Cubans are the only effective fighters already in Central America and that they have been going there in small expeditions for sometime in preparation for the fight against Somoza. When Holt accused Nicaraguans in Havana of cowardice fight ensued. Source says Holt now under arrest on unknown charges. Nicaraguan exiles believe he American agent. Accuracy Holt statement cannot be judged, but quite possible small expeditions have been leaving Cuba. Reports of this type have been persistent. As recent example untested source (note: AMCLUCK) reported on 16 April that two small yachts had left north Pinar del Rio in past week to contribute gradual build-up of force in Central America for Nicaraguan invasion. Latter source had no additional details)."

104-10073-10111: NICARAGUAN REVOLUTIONARY ACTIVITIES.

07/08/59: Cable from Havana to Director: Slugline INTEL JMPLOW: "SUPDATA SOURCE: AMCHITTER...Cuba/Nicaragua/Honduras/Costa Rica...DOI: 4-7 July 59. PADA Cuba, Habana 7 July 59...SOURCE: Person with good Nicaraguan exile contacts (B). "1. Juan Orta, principal administrative assistant to Prime Minister Fidel Castro Ruz, says that some arms which the 26 of July Movement had cached in Florida are still there and could be made available to Nicaraguan revolutionaries. 2. Mario Alfaro, Nicaraguan revolutionary, returned to Habana from Costa Rica on 5 July to obtain more arms. He has been in touch with Major Eloy Gutierrez Menoyo, head of the Cuban Second National Front of the Escambray, and the latter has already given him 50 weapons and intimated he can supply boots and uniforms. 3. Rafael Somarriba, Nicaraguan revolutionary who reportedly was captured by Honduran authorities recently, was flown to Habana with some of his followers on 4 July in a Honduran army aircraft and is being held at Ciudad Libertad in Habana..."

104-10167-10119: CONVERSATION WITH REICHARDT, 4 SEPTEMBER.

09/09/59: Memo for the record from Thomas J. Flores, WH/3/AO: "1. I phoned Reichhardt (probably Ken Crosby) in the afternoon and caught him at his office. He told me that he had talked with Bill Pawley on the phone and will lunch with him next week. 2. I told him that the cryptonym he had asked for in his UMW-A-4 is AMCHITTER..."

104-10069-10243: OPERATION AND SOURCE COVER SHEET - "CUBA'S INTERNATIONAL TRADE

12/11/59: Operational and Source Cover Sheet from Habana: Report No.: HKH-2351. Report made by: Edward D. Knapman (probably Warren E. Frank). Report Approved by: Woodrow C. Olien (James Noel). "Source Cryptonym: AMCHITTER. Source, Operational Data and Comments: Subject: Cuba's International Trade. Comment: Eusebio Azcue (See HKH-2347) told source the substance of the attached report on Soviet satellite trade with Cuba. Dec 59. RI please index: Eusebio Azcue."

104-10069-10236: OPERATIONAL AND SOURCE COVER SHEET - CUBAN ACTIVITIES IN MEXICO RE EUSEBIO AZCUE LOPEZ.

12/11/59: Operational and Source Cover Sheet from Habana: Report No.: HKH-2347. Report made by: Edward D. Knapman (probably Warren E. Frank). Report approved by: Woodrow C. Olien (James Noel). "Source Cryptonym: AMCHITTER. Source, Operational Data and Comments: Subject: Cuban Activities in Mexico. The Field Comment was based on MEXI-4340 and MEXI-4386. RI please index: Eusebio Azcue Lopez, Pablo Agustin Aldama Lopez."

104-10069-10237: FIELD INFORMATION REPORT: CUBAN ACTIVITIES IN MEXICO RE EUSEBIO AZCUE LOPEZ.

12/11/59: Field Information Report: Country: Cuba/Mexico. Report No.: HKH-2347. Subject: Cuban Activities in Mexico. References: HMMA-13035. Date of Info: Early December 1959. Place & Date Acq.: Cuba, Habana (8 December 1959): "Source: Person with Cuban Government contacts (B)...1. Eusebio Azcue Lopez, former director of the Cuban peasant housing program, left Habana for Mexico City on 7 December 1959. (1). 2. Azcue says that Agustin Aldama is the chief of Cuban Intelligence in Mexico City and that he operates on a budget of 1,500 dollars a month. (2). (1) Source Comment: The purpose of Azcue's trip is not known. Azcue, who was the former Cuban Consul in Mexico City, has always had an anti-American streak, and is now blindly antagonistic to the United States. He said that the Cuban Government's program is anti-capitalist and that one of its principal aims is to discredit both the United States and its economic system throughout Latin America. Azcue said that the economic goal of the Castro regime is to socialize Cuba completely. He termed the revolutionary system 'Cuban Communism.' (2) Field Comment: Pablo Agustin Aldama Acosta, an attache to the Cuban Embassy in Mexico, has previously been alleged by an untested source in Mexico to be the head of Cuban intelligence operations in Mexico. Another untested source in Mexico reported in September 1959 that Aldama, Hector Garcia Vidal, and Gil Lino Suarez Hernandez, all of whom the source identified as Military Attaches to the Cuban Embassy, were in constant touch with both the Soviet and Czech diplomatic installations in Mexico."

104-10163-10332: CUBAN ACTIVITIES IN MEXICO

01/06/60: Field Information Report: Subject: Cuban Activities in Mexico. Place & Date Acq.: Cuba, Habana (8 December 1959). Field Report No.: MKH-2347. "Source: Person with good contacts in the Cuban Government (B)...1. Eusebio Azcue Lopez, former director of the Cuban peasant housing program, left Habana for Mexico City on 7 December 1959. 2. According to Azcue, the chief of Cuban intelligence in Mexico City is Agustin Aldama who operates on a budget of $1,500 a month. 1. Source Comment: The purpose of Azcue's trip is not known. Azcue, who was formerly Cuban Consul in Mexico City, has always been somewhat anti-American and is now blindly antagonistic to the United States. He believes that the Cuban Government's program is anti-Capitalist and that one of its principal aims is to discredit both the United States and its economic system throughout Latin America. According to Azcue, the economic goal of the Castro regime is to socialize Cuba completely, and he described the revolutionary system as 'Cuban Communism.' Headquarters Comment: OS-3/407,923 reported that Azcue, Cuban Consul in Mexico City, had been in touch with leftist Nicaraguan exiles in Mexico. 2. Field Comment: TDCS-3/410,843 from an untested source in Mexico, reported Pablo Agustin Aldama Acosta, Hector Garcia Vidal, and Gil Lino Suarez Hernandez, all identified by the source as Military Attaches at the Cuban Embassy, were in continual touch with both the Soviet and Czech diplomatic installations in Mexico. Headquarters Comment: Cf. CSCI-3/758,049, which erroneously referred to Hector Aldama Acosta as Cuban Intelligence Chief in Mexico. The reference should have been to Pablo Agustin Aldama. Hector Aldama, as indicated in the Headquarters Comment to CSCI-3/758,049, is reported to be Inspector-general of the Cuban Revolutionary National Police."

124-90137-10071:

10/17/60: Memo from S. J. Papich to Mr. L'Allister: Subject: Pablo Agustin Aldama Acosta, Internal Security - Cuba: "Reference is made to the enclosed CIA communication concerning the subject, who has been serving as an Attache at the Cuban Embassy, Mexico City. He is described as the head of Cuban intelligence in Mexico and Central America. According to the CIA report, the subject apparently had been encountering some difficulties with his own government after another Cuban government official had accused Aldama of being anticommunist. One CIA source reported that the subject had been accused of profiteering in liquor he had received at a special price at the Embassy; that he had been squandering his money on extravagant living quarters; and that he had killed a women. On October 14, 1960, S. H. Horton, CIA, advised the Liaison Agent on a strictly confidential basis that CIA was now in the process of endeavoring to recruit Aldama. He stated that preliminary steps already had been taken in Mexico and it appeared that a CIA undercover agent very likely will be in a position to confer with the subject. ACTION: The above information is being directed to the attention of the Nationalities Intelligence Section."

104-10101-10217: CABLE: REQUEST WAVE CONTACT AMCHITTER-1 - INVOLVEMENT IN REPORTED PLAN TO SABOTAGE YUGOSLAV SHIP

12/16/63: Cable from Director to JMWAVE (Info: Mexico City) (Orig: A. A. Maloney, Unit: C/SAS/MOB): Slugline RYBAT TYPIC LIMASK: "1. Request WAVE contact AMCHITTER-1 (previously LIMASK-1) ASAP and determine his involvement, if any, in reported plan to sabotage Yugoslav ship 'Bar' Vera Cruz or any other planned SAB of Vera Cruz. 2. If determined AMCHITTER-1 involved request STA direct him to cease all participation and forward HQs details AMCHITTER-1 role. 3. Request above info be cabled PRITY." Releasing Officer: Desmond FitzGerald, C/SAS. Authenticating Officer: A. A. Maloney, C/SAS/MOB.

Contributors:
Gavin McDonald

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