Cryptonym: AMCRAG-7
104-10163-10233: CABLE: AMOT-2 REPORTS LUIS ALBERTO (ESPINO) EXCALES
04/04/62: Cable from JMWAVE to Director (Orig: FI/Sloman): "1. AMOT-2 (Jose Joaquin Sanjenis Perdomo) reports Luis Alberto (Espino) Escales, owner A. F. Build construction firm, Aregoitia 466, Exparto Roosevelt, San Juan P.R. has construction contract at GITMO. Lt. Jack Modesett will arrive WAVE area from base O/A 8 April to review list personnel Espino wishes take to base and possibly transport personnel to base. These persons will remain approximately 10 days. 2. AMOT subsource AMCRAG-7 brother-in-law Espino and friend Modesett will accompany Espino to base. A-7 believes he could have AMOT-11 included on list. A-11 recently completed 3 weeks course in debriefing and reports writing. 3. WAVE understands large concentration Cuban refugees at base, but does not know extent to which they being exploited for intel purposes. If HQs believe A-11 could be of help this connection, will push to have him included Espino team, A-7 and A-11 apparently know many base refugees. 4. Station traces show Espino former MRR coordinator Santiago de Cuba."
05/25/62: Dispatch from COS, JMWAVE to Chief, Task Force W: "1. Attached herewith is a Memorandum of Contact between Lt. Jack Modesett, Jr., Guantanamo Naval Base Intelligence Officer, Newton H. Killedan and Stanley R. Zamka (David Morales). 2. The conversations concerned Zamka's survey at Guantanamo Naval Base, AMCRAG-1 (Francisco Bilbao Alvarez), Amancio Mosqueda aka 'El Yarey,' and Luis E. Balbuena." Originating Officer: Stanley R. Zamka, Office: S/O. Coordinating Officer: (Blank), Office Symbol: CI. Releasing Officer: Andrew K. Reuteman, Office Symbol: COS/JMWAVE. - - - Page 4: ..."7. Newton H. Killedan, who accompanied Zamka to the meeting already knew Modesett from previous contacts with him at Headquarters. Killedan questioned Modesett about a letter, a copy of which we have in our possession, in which Luis E. Balbuena, contact of Modesett's, requested his cousin to send him sniper rifles, Thompson or M-3 machine guns and .45 caliber pistols..."
104-10171-10340: CABLE: AMCRAG-1 RECEIVED LETTER FROM VICTOR BALBUENA, ANGEL LUIS
12/19/62: Cable from JMWAVE to Director: Slugline GYROSE (AMOT - scored out) AMCRAG: REF WAVE 2399 (IN 35001) "1. AMCRAG-1 (Francisco Bilbao Alvarez) received letter from Victor Balbuena, Angel Luis Castillo and Jorge Casero, signed by three in name of Frente Unido Nacional Cubano (FUNC). Letter dated 5 Dec GITMO Base and delivered to AMCRAG-1 on 17 Dec by Luis Alberto Espino who arrived Miami 17 Dec from GITMO...3. Will attempt debrief Alberto Espino 19 Dec unilaterally or via AMCRAG-1 re further details FUNC activities, reliability letter writers identified para 1, etc. 4. Urge ODOATH (U.S. Navy) be advised re para 2D and if this info true message should go back to FUNC via ODOATH that uprising wanted at this time. Statement to FUNC should be general in nature however so as not to bloc AMCRAG-1 as ODYOKE (U.S. Government) source until we can clarify AMCRAG-1 relationship with Alberto Espino and FUNC..."
https://www.maryferrell.org/pages/State_Secret_Chapter3.html - Bill Simpich
..."Navy lieutenant commander Hal Feeney was involved in unsuccessful plans to kill Castro in 1961 during his stint as the Guantanamo intelligence chief. Feeney and his ONI ally Lt. Jack Modesett worked with the gunman Luis Balbuena in Operation Patty. Operation Patty was an attempt to assassinate the Castro brothers and simultaneously ignite a skirmish at Guantanamo Naval Base on the national holiday of July 26. Luis Balbuena’s fellow shooter was supposed to be Alonzo Gonzalez. However, the operation was busted up by the Cuban government, with strong indications that Gonzalez was a double agent answering to Castro. [39]...Feeney continued to mull over ways to overthrow Castro. A memo to Harvey in early 1962 states that 'Modesett and Commander Hal Feeney of ONI at Guantanamo have in the past loaned considerable assistance to counter-revolutionary groups operating on the base and in the general area surrounding the base', and that Balbuena needed a new method of receiving tommy guns and sniper rifles now that he couldn’t simply obtain them from Guantanamo. Harvey wrote a note to his deputy Bruce Cheever to 'please take any necessary actions', and a routing slip assures that this matter has been 'taken care of'. [46] In 1962, COBRA was Feeney's new plan to take over Cuba, a program set up by the brand-new Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). One aspect of COBRA was air raids from Guatemala aimed at strategic Cuban targets. Feeney met with Julio Garceran - a former Cuban supreme court judge - and discussed a COBRA plan to overthrow Castro by using US military aircraft to take out Cuban production and supply facilities. Meanwhile, David Morales met with Jack Modesett in May 1962 at Guantanamo Naval Base. The two men hit it right off..."