Cryptonym: AMLILAC
104-10215-10394: REQUEST FOR RE-INSTATEMENT POA FOR JUAN F. BLANCO FERNANDEZ
Juan F. Blanco Hernandez "is AMHINT-56. He will be used as a boat operator for the AMLILAC Commando Group."
1993.08.05.14:39:14:810028: SECURITY FILE ON FRANK STURGIS
Bay of Pigs commander Grayston Lynch said that he was part of the effort to infiltrate caches into Cuba from 1963 to 1966.
Radio Havana in Miami announced on August 19, 1963 that two fast boats entered a canal and shelled a power plant at Santa Lucia, Pinar del Rio province, Cuba. "A large sulphur metal plant was put out of operation and caused a shut-down of the nearby huge Mata Hombre copper mine because of the damage to the power plant in Santa Lucia. RAFAEL MARTINEZ PUPO, spokesman for the anti-Castro organization Comandos Mambises, issued a press release in Guatemala City and claimed credit for the strike. Leading Cuban political and action group leaders in Miami advised they have never heard of this organization and could furnish no information regarding it or MARTINEZ PUPO."
Bill Simpich, State Secret, Chapter 3: https://maryferrell.org/pages/State_Secret_Chapter3.html
"Starting in August 1963, David Morales and the Comandos Mambises were undercutting the Kennedys’ peace overtures to Castro. “Mambises” were the people who fought Spain for the liberation of Cuba...CM was departing from Miami to conduct its hit-and-run attacks and sabotage without full coordination with the Kennedy Administration. All hands agreed on the need to blur the 'CIA signature' in these professional operations. Castro knew that these attacks were being conducted by CM. He addressed the Cuban people at great length on the nature of CM’s terrorism. The CM attacks of August 18 and October 21 delayed the commencement of substantive talks with Castro until the last days of JFK's presidency. Historian John Prados accurately describes Comandos Mambises as Shackley’s 'phony Cuban exile group'. CM’s prominent members were Shackley, Morales and paramilitary officer Bob Simons. Grayston Lynch, a leader at the Bay of Pigs, stated that he was CM’s case officer. Shackley and Morales would plan these raids while hanging out at Shackley’s pool in the evenings, not while hanging out with Bobby."
1993.08.04.16:20:46:530028: JMWAVE CABLES, WAVE 8000 - 8075.
11/22/63, WAVE 8055, slugline RYBAT TYPIC YOBITE CUDGEL, JMWAVE to Director: "Advance all times ref 18 days and substitute LEDA 174 foot PC, green hull, buff superstructure for RIPTIDE. New target night of twenty eight November. Remainder of operation unchanged. Note: Re AMLILAC's Operation CUDGEL: https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=32604&search=cudgel#relPageId=5&tab=page
104-10215-10145: DISPATCH: TERMINATION OF AMHINT-56
Stanley Zamka/David Morales was known to small boat operator AMHINT-56 as "Dr. Miranda". Also see 4/23/64 dispatch from Chief, JMWAVE to Chief, WH/SA: "A four man team from the AMLILAC Group will emplace a 250 lb cache of weapons and ammunition in the vicinity of Playa el Morrillo, Pinar del Rio Province...this cache is for AMLASH-1." AMHINT-19 was one of the AMLILACs, one of the leaders was "Stanley Zamka as Dr. Miranda" (page 8 of 16 pages). See 104-10234-10312.
A Guide to the Rafael Martinez Pupo Papers Relating to Comandos Mambises: https://findingaids.uflib.ufl.edu/repositories/2/resources/738
1964: "The unit's mission was to sabotage strategic targets in Cuba in order to inflict economic and psychological damage to Castro's regime. In 1964, as U.S. involvement in Vietnam escalated, the CIA and President Lyndon Johnson decided to close down the Comandos Mambises. One of the reasons for this was fear that the group would act against U.S. broader policy."
02/19/64, Cable from JMWAVE to Director: Slugline RYBAT TYPIC YOBITE AMTRUNK AMLASH: "Two separate caches of identical items will be emplaced support AMLASH during March. AMLILACs on Operation Zorro will sink one Pinar del Rio and AMTRUNKs will take other cache to AMTRUNK infil area and arrange onward transportation HABA area. FOLL items estimated weight 75 lbs each cache: 1). 2 FAL 7.62 automatic rifles. 2). 2 UZI 9 mm SMG. 3). 2 Browning 9 mm pistols. 4). 400 rounds 7.62 ammo. 5). 720 rounds 9 mm ammo. 6). 10 FAL magazines. 7). 8 UZI mags. 8). 8 Browning mags. 9). 10 frag grenades. 10). 10 phosphorus grenades. 11). 20 lbs C-4 explosive. 12). 4 electric blasting caps. 13). 4 AC delay firing devices. 14). 4 M-34 detonators. 15). 2 clocks, 24 hour delay. 16). 2 rolls friction tape."
Undated CIA document (1964 - see mention of AMMUG-1, references to March 1964 etc): ..."D. PM...3. AMLILAC group (Op CANE) returned base 27 Oct...B. Maritime: 1. Op CANE. BARR returned lower Matecumbe. Roina proceeding..."
https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/104-10174-10072.pdf
About a meeting with Grayston Lynch on 1/7/76. Lynch said he wanted to write about "the AMLILAC group" Comando Mambises and their actions from 1961-1967, when "REDACTED conducted about 100 infiltration and exfiltration operations in Cuba."
180-10144-10221: 180-10144-10221
1976: "(Grayston) Lynch wants to beat (George) Crile and (Taylor) Branch to the punch and come out with a Bay of Pigs book before the (Bernard Barker/Eugenio Martinez) book is published. Wants to cover AMLILAC operations - infiltrations into Cuba, 1961-1967 (Comandos Mombisei)." Requesting reaction to authoring book. For more details, see 104-10174-10072.
http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/book/Ramon-Font-Saumell.pdf
Page 177 (Spanish to English translation): ..."The falsehoods continue when it is alleged that countless weapons are presented, had been provided by the CIA: Comandos 'L' the CIA was never given a detonator, and when we received some it was because our friends who worked there were robbed, and always in ridiculous quantities. All weapons presented were purchased with money raised among the Cubans who worked in factories, because the rich, as I have told (you) now, never, they never helped us seriously. They only gave us miserable help. The workers, Cubans helped us, and not like today that is collected in the marathons for the House and for the rafts of the rafters, for the Brothers to the rescue, for the 'Democracy' fleets with laser beams and mirrors, flowers and prayers that are good for the salvation of the soul, but not for the victory in the battle against communism, or to 'expedition' as when they said they were going to enter Cuba peacefully and what they did was leave Key West and disembark at Key Biscayne, three hundred miles north. Nor was the attack plan the work of the CIA or the FBI. Herminio's contacts and Armando were with a group of Cuban Army officers, of whom we never knew the name: The United States government was never involved in this. The Ministry of Interior speaks of Comandos 'L', Comandos Mambises and Alpha 66, they were used as facades by the CIA and on that I say that Comandos Mambises were always CIA, but we don't, and I don't know, but I think 'Alpha' ... either..."