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Cryptonym: AMFED-1

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Definition:
Jorge Medina Bringuier. A dispatch in July, 1964, stated that AMFED-1 and Ricardo Alfonso Villalva (war name "Oquendo") allegedly destroyed the DRE in Cuba in 1962. Bringuier was also known as "Mongo" and "Carlos Prado".
Status:
Probable
Discussion:
Jorge Bringuier's 201 number in the January 1964 CIA dispatch matches the one on the file card entry on Oquendo (Ricardo Alfonso Villalva) on December 14, 1963 (104-10178-10246). In addition, the August 1963 file card entry stated that "the subject" - Ricardo Alfonso Villalva, war name Ricardo Oquendo - and "Mongo" destroyed the DRE underground.

Alfonso Villalva, aka Jorge Aedo, is probably 201-301693. Carlos Bringuier stated that Jorge Medina was married to his sister Maria del Carmen, had worked as a clerk in the criminal court in Havana before he "went crazy". Bringuier was his matronym. CD 365, p. 30.
Sources:

104-10170-10051: DISPATCH: AMSPELL PROGRESS REPORT FOR SEPTEMBER 1962

10/09/62, Dispatch from COS, JMWAVE to Chief, Task Force W: Page 4: ..."d. Subsequently, (REDACTION) and probably crossing with the foregoing communications, a series of letters from the National Coordinators in Cuba reported a severe blow to AMSPELL (DRE) clandestine organization. Jose Medina Bringuier ('Mongo'), National Coordinator for Military Reception and Supply, reported that AMHINT-40 (Cuban National Coordinator) had been missing..."

1993.08.05.10:41:34:710005 HSCA MATERIAL REVIEWED AT HEADQUARTERS -- CUBAN COUNTERREVOLUTIONARY H

December 1962: From the CIA's Cuban Counterrevolutionary Handbook: "Whatever actually remained of the DRE inside Cuba, however, was dealt what may have been a death blow in December 1962 by the penetration of a CIS agent, Jorge Medina Bringuier aka 'Mongo', who had assumed the post of National Coordinator the very day after Fernandez-Rocha's departure. By the end of December, practically all DRE members in Cuba had been arrested, with only a few managing even to obtain asylum."

104-10308-10203: LETTER

12/20/62 letter: "The following is a copy of a letter which was delivered to us to give (to) chief of intelligence at Gitmo - To the major of the Gitmo base: I, Melchor Aedo Rodriguez, attest that Jorge Medina Bringuier, war name (deleted) acted as national coordinator of the DRE...and that DRE was supported by the Cuban government in order to (illegible) or introduce spies into the US and Latin America. In conversations (between?) Mongo and a certain Jorge, a G-2 officer and Mongo's political (illegible), (Richard?) Beal's orders told him they had plans to infiltrate more personnel (deleted) the Gitmo base...When a supposed member of the DRE who in reality was a G-2 (deleted) he was being followed or tried to flee to the mountains or make a (clandestine?) trip to the US, it was always Mongo who was used. Mongo had direct (contact?) with the insurgents and also as national coordinator of the largest (movement?) in Cuba he was in contact with other movements. These clandestine (illegible) left with no difficulty and among the seven or ten who left in a boat (there?) were always two or three spies. The Cuban government also employed (its?) spies in the embassies, especially the Spanish and Western German (illegible) Mongo had contacts in the Spanish embassy and had been hidden there (illegible) Don Jaime Caldevilla/QUANTUM-51 or Mr. Bergara. The Cuban government planned to finish with the DRE as soon as Salvat (illegible) in Cuba and Mongo along with some others would make a pretense of (fleeing for?) the US. In view of Mongo's high position in Cuba, in the US he would (illegible) obtain a position of importance and for this he needed the backing of (important?) persons like ambassadors. There are spies in the embassies of (illegible) Mexico and Brazil and one in the Venezuelan embassy; also in other embassies which have broken relations with Cuba and the spies have more plans to (illegible) respective countries..."

104-10171-10003: G-2 PENETRATION ACTION AGAINST AMSPELL ORGANIZATION AND OTHER GROUPS

1/22/63 memo from Ted Shackey to Bill Harvey about Jorge Medina Bringuier's work with G-2, he and fnu Aedo were part of the DRE natl executive they planned to roll up the DRE and "other groups" and then escape by boat and contact AMHINT-53 (Luis Fernandez-Rocha) in the JMWAVE area Medina was DRE's national military coordinator for reception and supply a $25 money order for Medina was purchased in March 62 in New Orleans by Maria Teresa Medina mailed "to Carlos Prado" in Mexico City in an envelope addressed to Consuelo C. de Rivas. A note said this money order of $25 is for Carlos Prado from his mother" Prado is in Mexico studying engineering, brother is Faustino Prado Garcia, an engineer who is close to Che Guevara and is of current KUTUBE (Foreign Intelligence - FI - division of CIA) interest. Faustino is married to Clara Artime, a sister of Josefina Artime, who is a close friend of AMGLEN-9 (probably Emilio Cardenas Pinera), she is also of KUTUBE interest. AMSTRUT-2 (Juana de la Caridad Castro Ruz) could have given this letter to AMSTRUT-1 (Virginia Vasco Leitao da Cunha) to take out of Cuba. when Juanita Castro was in Mexico she called Prado at 249769 and said she was a friend of his mother. Jorge Maedo is probably "Aedo". Mongo who got 30 years is not id'd. (Mongo is a name used by Jorge Medina Bringuier.) The memo also mentions that Jorge Medina Bringuier is listed as using the name Carlos Prado. (Lots of marginalia to mull over.)

104-10171-10001: DISPATCH: TYPIC/OPERATIONAL ALLEGATIONS ON DRE PENETRATION BY GOC AUTHORITIES.

08/12/63, Dispatch from COS, JMWAVE to Chief, Special Affairs Staff: ..."3. JMWAVE traces on the above are as follows:...c. 'Mongo' is the nom de guerre of Jorge Medina Bringuier. JMWAVE CI Branch is debriefing a confessed former collaborator with Cuban authorities who has also named 'Mongo' as a G-2 agent..."

104-10178-10246: CUBA DESK FILE CARDS

08/19/63, File Cards: Page 3: ..."OQUENDO: Sex M DOB C 41. 019-124-026/03. UFGA-10619. 19 Aug 63. PI. Cit Cuba. OCC? Cuba, Havana, Zapata between 14th and 16th/3rd floor/. AKA of Alfonso Villalva, Ricardo. Chief of the Militia Post at La Lisa. Subj and another individual named Mongo destroyed the DRE underground by penetrating it for Cuban authorities. DOI Apr 63." 12/14/63, File Card: "OQUENDO, (FNU). 201-349959. FRAN-03875. 14 Dec 63. PI. Sex M DOB? Cit Cuba. Occ ? Suspected DSE agent."

104-10076-10246: JMWAVE CABLE RE TRAVEL PLANS FOR TWO SUBJECTS

12/10/63 WAVE 8757 from JMWAVE to Director: Philip G. Luzier is identified as IDEN A, and he travels with IDEN B from Idlewild on 12/10/63 to Frankfurt, and then travel to Hilton in Berlin. Discuss bugging IDEN B's room. 104-10076-10247: 12/10/63 WAVE 8758 from JMWAVE to Director: Balmes N. Hidalgo is identified as "IDEN A". Maria del Carmen Bringuier de Diaz is identified as "IDEN B". She is probably the mother or wife of Jorge Bringuier.

124-90137-10305: No Title

12/18/63: FBI memo from S. J. Papich to D. J. Brennan, Jr.: Subject: Jorge Alfonso Medina Bringuier: Internal Security - Cuba: "Harold Swenson, CIA, furnished the following to the Liaison Agent on 12/17/63: The subject, born 4/14/41, Cuba, allegedly was involved in Cuban intelligence activities in Cuba. Approximately a year ago the Castro Government sent him to Leipzig University in East Berlin. A few days ago, he established contact with a CIA representative in Germany and announced his defection. He claims to be completely disillusioned with the Castro Government and has agreed to cooperate with CIA. Subject arrived in the U.S. on 12/17/63, and will be debriefed by CIA in the Miami area. Unless CIA sees some opportunity to operate subject as a double agent, Medina will be permitted to leave the U.S. and settle in the Middle East. Subject has expressed a desire to establish his residence in that area. CIA will furnish us resilts of debriefing and if we so desire, arrangements can be made for Bureau to interview subject. ACTION: The above information is being directed to the attention of the Nationalities Intelligence Section."

104-10072-10015: DISPATCH, SUB: CURRICULUM VITAE - - JORGE JULIO RAMON MEDINA BRINGUIER

01/13/64, Dispatch from COS, JMWAVE to Chief, Special Affairs Staff: 201 Number at the bottom of the first page: "Headquarters File Number: 201-349959."

104-10170-10063: CABLE RE: AMSPELL KNOWLEDGE OF SUBJECTS

07/31/64, Cable from JMWAVE to WH/8: "1. AMSPELL chief has no knowledge Subjects ref, promised alert WAVE if subjs show up. 2. No identifiable WAVE traces subjs ref. Following traces IDEN with one Ricardo (Alfonso) Villalva who used war name 'Oquendo' in AMSPELL org circa 1961-62: A. UFGA 10619 43094535 48:-459 (Alfonso) Villalva using war name 'Oquendo' destroyed AMSPELL in Cuba together with AMFED-1. B. FNU Oquendo suspected DSE agent per AMFED-1. Oquendo and AMFED-1 members AMSPELL Cuba during time AMFED-1 was DSE penetration agent AMSPELL. AMFED-1 DSE superior was not interested receiving info re Oquendo. Latter was not arrested along with other AMSPELLS subsequent AMSPELL roll-up. AMFED-1 described Oquendo as white, age approx 23, five foot seven, dark eyes and hair, wore short beard. C. Per letter dated circa Sept 63 to (REDACTION) one (REDACTION) AMSPELL internal asset, reports 'Oquendo' of AMSPELL 'belongs to G-2' and is 'aided by his wife.' Address known only as Zapata. No further info. (REDACTION) stated to AMCLATTER-1 that this person same as one Ricardo Oquendo who (REDACTION) believed was DSE penetration of AMSPELL working with AMFED-1. (REDACTION) also reported that circa 1961 Ricardo Oquendo lived at Edificio Marcos Zapata in front of cemetery. Married to Elsa (Alfonso) Batista. AMCLATTER-1 noted Ricardo Oquendo IDEN with para 2 A above. 3. Marcos Oquendo and Juan Miguel Jimenez placed on local ODURGE (U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) watch list. 4. For MEXI: Ref reported Marcos Oquendo and Juan Miguel Jimenez recently left Cuba with instructions infiltrate AMSPELL. Exit dates and destinations unknown. Since MEXI likely transit points subjs perhaps Station MEXI could check re entry subjs. 5. ODURGE ODENVY (FBI and INS) traces pending. 6. Index."

124-90131-10017: No Title

1964-1965: "Information indicates that one Amparo Ribot was the girl friend of Jorge E. Bringuier Olaiz. Bringuier was of operational interest to this Agency from December 1964 to August 1965...This office has no record of Amparo Ribot being used operationally." 6/7/66 memo from Deputy Director of Plans to FBI liaison Sam Papich.

Contributors:
Gavin McDonald • Bill Simpich

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