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Cryptonym: AMPAN-2

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Definition:
Military coordinator and treasurer Roberto Vale, also known as Roberto Valdez and Roberto Suarez de Cardenas. A net chief inside Cuba during 1960; active with MRP and Comandos L, and provided financial assistance to groups. Defected to US on 3/21/61, days before the Bay of Pigs.
Status:
Probable
Discussion:
Like Veciana, Vale was a manager at Banco Financiera. Unlike Veciana, it is reported that Vale that he stole $250K from bank after arriving in Miami to finance clandestine ops. (Since it was Julio Lobo/AMEMBER-1's bank - it may have been arranged!) https://maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=62006&search=%22roberto_vale%22#relPageId=3&tab=page

Another document describes Vale as president of Banco Financiera: https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=55257&relPageId=204&search=%22roberto_suarez%22

Roberto Suarez de Cardenas was disliked by Bastarrica as too far to the left, but it appears that AMPAN-2 saw Bastarrica as an old friend. Vale appears to be the most viable candidate. (It's not impossible that Suarez was another alias of Vale).

Suarez an MRP founder, like Rufo https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=111835&relPageId=44&search=%22roberto_suarez%22

Suarez was head of the MRP underground, arriving in Miami from Havana on 21 March https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=38522&search=%22roberto_suarez%22#relPageId=2&tab=page

Roberto Vale Ares was a treasurer of a cell of MRP prior to his departure from Cuba in 1961: https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=77005&relPageId=226&search=MRP_AND%20TREASURER

Here he said he left in 1960 and then joined UR: https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=86383&search=%22roberto_vale%22#relPageId=83&tab=page
Sources:

104-10180-10140: CABLE-REQUIRE SW MATERIALS OF SIMPLE EASY TO USE TYPE SOONEST FOR AMPALP-1, AMPAN-2 AND =____

6/17/60, memo from Havana to Director: AMPALP-1 was one of the three net chiefs of the staybehind plan. AMPAN-2 was another. The third chief was AMIRE-1 (Emilio Rodriguez), who was working with Tony Sforza.

104-10193-10245: CABLE: WAVE CO MET AMPAN-2 AND AMPAN-3 30 DEC

12/30/60 cable from BELL to WAVE: "AMPAN-2 bona fides established to (Roberto) Suarez as 'long-time activist revolutionary circles with excellent connections to (Americans/Washington DC).'" Suarez had been authorized to approach AMPAN-2 for aid in obtaining financial assistance for AMBANG/MRP.

104-10193-10236: CABLE: CLAIMS RAMON LORIDO AKA MONCHIN ASSUMED TO BE MRP TREASURER ON BASIS FUND RAISING EFFORTS

1/15/61 cable from WAVE to BELL: AMPAN-2 claims Ramon Lorido aka Monchin assumed to be the MRP Treasurer - on the basis of the fundraising efforts WAVE area has made frequent calls (to) AMPAN-2 (in the) past week regarding the subject...in each case AMPAN-2 replied that he has passed info along to the contact. Has also advised Lorido that AMBANG-1 (Manuel Ray Rivero) should convey his needs directly...AMPAN-2 speculates funds needed support unknown MRP assets (in United States). Lorido claims he authorized by AMBANG-1 (to) deal with AMPAN-2 in view of (Roberto Suarez) de Cardenas' departure from the WAVE area. He reportedly returned to Cuba. (Chief of Station note: AMPAN-2 reported re Roberto Suarez)

104-10193-10274 CABLE: SUPDATA SOURCE AMVANG-2 FROM ROBERTO SUAREZ, HEAD OF MRP UNDERGROUND I HAVA WHO ARRIVED MIAMI 21 MARCH

3/24/61 cable from JMWAVE to BELL: Information "from Roberto Suarez, head of MRP underground in Havana who arrived Miami 21 March. Suarez got info from penetration agents in Cuba Navy official circles. In a 1964 memo, Roberto Vale reported that he arrived on March 18 after two years working with Veciana and Manuel Ray: https://maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=93881&relPageId=20&search=%22roberto_vale%22

1994.03.17.10:42:01:150005: Reel 15, Folder G - RAY, MANUEL

"On 7/19/61, (AMPAN-2) contacted a WAVE representative and stated that he met an old friend who had recently arrived from Cuba as a political exile. Father Julian Bastarrica, who was a founder of the MRP, always avoided David Salvador and other leftist figures within the group.

104-10226-10423: AGREEMENT TO SERVE AS COURIER IN CUBAN OPERATION

5/25/62 cable from JMWAVE to Director: AMPAN-2 agreed to train a woman in the use of S/W (shortwave) and in some tradecraft. She believed she was to be the exclusive courier for UR. For that reasons, AMBLEAK-1 (Fernando Fernandez Cavada y Paris) was to be her sole point of contact. She was given the crypt AMBLEAK-2.

104-10227-10439: CABLE: AMPAN-4 WROTE AMPAN-2 THAT HE STILL HAVING PROBLEMS WITH KUBARK AND GARCIA SHIPOWNERS

AMPAN-4 informs AMPAN-2 of financial problems involving the loss of the "Rio Escondido", CIA and the Garcia shipping lines. Marginalia re "C/WH/4/Treasurer?" and

124-10291-10233: No Title

8/25/61, CIA Information Report re comments on MRP Leadership Rift from Father Julian Bastarrica: Jose Antonio Duarte y Oreposa, former Rebel Army major and a cousin of Julio Duarte, former president of the Tribunal de Cuentas under Castro, was in charge of "organizing a people's army and giving it clandestine training." Jose Duarte took this task over from Reinol Gonzalez, but is now in hiding.

104-10226-10142: SUBJECT: UNDERGROUND GROUPS IN CUBA Document View

10/23/61 CIA information report: "The best organized underground groups in Cuba, as of mid-September 1961, were the following: 1. The Movimento Revolucionario del Pueblo (MRP), is directed by Reynol Gonzalez, a Catholic; this group is now completely separated from Manolo Ray's group. All the Catholic groups...are integrated into the MRP under Gonzalez. Former Major Jose Antonio Duarte Oropesa, who has some followers within the MRP, still favors RAY and is not working with GONZALEZ. The 30 de Noviembre group is large; this group is removing Carlos Rodriguez Quesada from his position as co-ordinator in Miami. The Unidad Revolucionaria is small but active."

124-90107-10199: No Title

Documentation that Robert Vale also used the name Roberto Valdez. "Robert Vale works at the Los Violines restaurant and collects funds for the L-66 group." - - - 4/2/63 from SAC, Washington Field Office to Director, FBI: "Roberto Vale Ares...was described by CIA on 3/23/63 as the new Chief and Military Commander of Comandos L-66...Vale was born 11/8/26 in Havana, Cuba, and claims to be a Certified Public Accountant." https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=85957&relPageId=3

104-10069-10209: DISPATCH: OPERATIONAL--JMWAVE TRACES ON MEMBERS OF ALPHA 66

11/16/62 memo from Chief, JMWAVE to Chief, TFW: Roberto Vale fled to US in March 1961 with several hundred thousand dollars.

104-10180-10362: CABLE: SUPDATA: AMPAN-2 FROM ANGEL AIXALA PERTIERRA, PART OWNER TOLEDO

09/18/64, Cable from JMWAVE: Slugline INTEL TYPIC: "SUPDATA: AMPAN-2 from Angel Aixala Pertierra, part owner Toledo restaurant Miami and owner international boat and yacht builders...SUBJ: Purchase of a Boston whaler for Manuel Ray Rivero, leader of the Junta Revolucionaria Cubana (JURE)...SOURCE: A naturalized American citizen who was formerly in the shipping business in Cuba, source is a well-trained and experienced debriefer." Also see 104-10165-10188 - AMPAN-2 was C-80710.

Contributors:
Bill Simpich

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