Cryptonym: AMSERF-1
Joe Piccolo was Bartes' case officer as of 1/30/61. Other identifiers include 201-289885 and C-87424. 104-10164-10004: One of his contacts was Douglas Singer of New Orleans. 104-10110-10057: Singer's office was at 1218 Whitney Street, New Orleans. See Cuba109 Correspondence DOS 2005-05-07 Release, p. 163: Singer was the former manager of the Ward Line, and well-liked by the laborers when he retired in 1956.
104-10164-10061: CANCELLATION OF OPERATIONAL CLEARANCES
Links the C-number to the 201 number (201-289885) and the name or crypt of the individual - here, it's AMSERF-1. Identifies the C-number as an "operational clearance". Thirty individuals are on this list, including Isidro Borja Simo. 104-10242-10067 is another version of this document.
104-10428-10002: LIST OF NAMES AND 201 NUMBERS
aka Bardes or Bartez/ Lists the same 201-289885 file number assigned to AMSERF-1 in an earlier reference. Also see 104-10110-10039: Three page biography on State Department form. Includes supplemental page on background as pilot. Also discusses his work with Consolidated Bank. Also see 104-10164-10004, p. 5: After the railroads were nationalized in October 1960, Bartes left Cuba on 1/4/61. He was questioned about all aspects of the railroad facilities and the repair facilities.
104-10189-10021: GARRISON INVESTIGATION OF KENNEDY ASSASSINATION: FRANCISCO ANTONIO BARTES
Re 1953-1964: Memo from DC/CI/R&A Donovan E. Pratt: Francisco Bartes is identified as 201-289885: Born on 9/14/20 in Havana, Bartes was president or vice-president of Consolidated Railways of Cuba throughout the 1950s and into 1960, a wealthy man. On 1/4/61, he entered the US from Miami. 1/30/64 he received a POA to be used in JMATE, which was cancelled 8/30/61. "Bartes was the head of the CRC in New Orleans but that on or about 4 June 1964 he had received from the Miami headquarters a notification that the CRC was being dissolved. Bartes advised the New Orleans office of the FBI that the New Orleans delegate of the MDC was Jose Manuel Cusco, who was not very active, and that the Miami chief was Jose Ignacio Rasco. (Comment: There is no record of CUSCO in the RI/Main Index.) A PRQ II on Bartes shows that he was an FBI informant (dates not given) and that his contact was with Special Agent Warren C. deBrueys." Also see 104-10164-10057: FRANCISCO BARTES, PRES OF CUBAN RAILROAD - memo sent by WH/4/PM Lee Rogers to Havana, 7/14/60, stating that Bartes "reported to be living Havana".
104-10164-10337: PROVISIONAL OPERATIONAL APPROVAL
Memo from CI/Operational Approval and Support Division to C/WH/4/Cuba, attn. Joseph Piccolo, 1/30/61. The Subject is AMSERF-1.
104-10164-10051: FYI AND POSSIBLE USE POA GRANTED AM( )
Owner of two sugar centrals and a large experimental rice farm. Director of Consolidated Railroad Company, Cuba. Originator of document is Joseph Piccolo of WH/4/Ops/Support, dated 1/31/61. See 104-10242-10053, 5/8/61: Almost illegible. Bartes states that he could paralyze the railroad in Cuba if needed.
104-10110-10043: GARRISON INVESTIGATION OF KENNEDY ASSASSINATION: FRANCISCO BARTES
A CI/R&A memo states: "On 25 June 1962 Lawrence LaBorde (AMDENIM-4), Gerald Patrick Hemming, Jr. and Howard Davis paid a visit to a Cuban in New Orleans, Frank Bartes, and reached an agreement to train anti-Castro Cubans as guerilla fighters and demolition experts. In June 1964, Bartes was the CRC chief in New Orleans and notified that the CRC was being dismantled. "Bartes advised the New Orleans office of the FBI that the New Orleans delegate of the MDC was Jose Manuel Cusco, who was not very active, and that the Miami chief was Jose Ignacio Rasco (AMPALM-5)." Bartes was also an FBI informant, and his contact in New Orleans was Warren de Brueys. Also see 124-10220-10322, p. 3. Also see Reel 24, Folder K - GARRISON INVESTIGATION. NARA Record Number: 1994.04.12.12:17:43:280005 - p. 287 - "Case No. 49364 - Francisco Antonio Bartes aka Frank Bartes - Ref: NORL Memo, 2 July 1962 - Subject: Proposal Made to New Orleans Cuban Refugee Group for Military Training of a Refugee Group in the State of California. We have reviewed Subject's Source File (A-09-45-85) to ascertain certain status and reporting...he is also mentioned in connection with Lawrence Laborde, Gerald Patrick Hemming, Jr., and Harold Kenneth Davis (see ref), all involved in Cuban 'guerrilla activities' Miami, New Orleans, and elsewhere."
1993.07.14.16:04:26:710270: PROPOSAL MADE TO NEW ORLEANS CUBAN REFUGEE GROUP MILITARY TRAINING OF
6/25/62, Bartes was contacted by Larry Laborde/AMDENIM-4, Jerry Hemming and Howard Davis - they wanted to start a training camp outside New Orleans. See 1994.04.22.16:06:28:970005, Reel 53, Folder E, pp. 58-59 for another version of this document with different marginalia. Also see 64: The memo signed by these three men, using their "war names", and their leader Luis del Nodal Vega. 104-10138-10148: See the arrest of Hemming, Larry Laborde, Roy Hargraves, Edmund Colby and nine others for their training camp at No Name Key in Dec. 1962. 104-10171-10372: Asst. AG Yardley considering prosecution, names Colby as the leader.
7/2/62 memo from William Burke to Chief, Contact Division, Latin America Branch (Collins): "...On June 28, 1962, one of our sources among the Cuban refugees, Mr. Frank Bartes...called Lloyd Ray, with whom he is on friendly terms...(on) June 25, 1962 he had been contacted by three American citizens named Laric Laborde, Gerald P. Hemming, Jr. and Howard K. Davis...they were anxious to begin the training of a group of Cuban refugees in the New Orleans area. They would train them as guerrilla fighters and as demolition experts with the idea of infiltrating them into Cuba...when Bartes returned to New Orleans, according to him, he contacted the local office of the FBI and asked them if they could, in his words, 'clear' Laric Laborde. The Bureau told him...they would contact Bartes and Mr. Ravel, who is the nominal head of the Cuban refugee movement in New Orleans...(Bartes said) that the reason he was giving us this information is that these three men hate CIA and have said that CIA is doing nothing and is preventing other people from doing anything and that they are anxious to do something to help the Cubans without the help of CIA...The three men gave to Bartes the documents which are enclosed, one of which is a clipping or an alleged clipping from the Denver Post of Sunday, June 3, 1962 which castigates CIA and Dr. Miro Cardona. The other document, which is undated, and which is signed by Dr. Luis del Nodal Vega, who styles himself Military Coordinator MR 30 11 (Nov 30 Movement), Gerald P. Hemming, Jr., C/W instructor for InterPen, and Howard K. Davis, C/W instructor for InterPen, and is approved by Carlos Rodriguez Quesada, National Coordinator MR 30 11, Arturo Gonzalez Gonzalez MR 30 11 and Dr. Odoarda Fonseca MR 30 11. Bartes was told by Hemming and Davis that this document had been provided to CIA in Miami last year but that nothing had come of it..." See Reel 67, Folder H - AMBUD ((DELETION)) MEMOS. NARA Record Number: 1994.06.18.10:32:28:250005 - p. 114.
9/28/62 FBI memo discusses a meeting at the Berlitz offices with Frank Bartes, DRE representative Carlos Bringuier, and Arnesto Rodriguez, Jr. among others. Rodriguez was head of the Berlitz School of Languages in New Orleans. They were meeting with Major Charles Delerno of the Louisiana National Guard, and the purpose of the meeting was to "instruct Cubans in the methods of opposing the Castro government in Cuba". This group met with Delerno on several occasions during the month of September for this purpose.
180-10145-10158: 180-10145-10158
6/23/63 FBI report (from notes of HSCA staffer Jonathen Blackmer): "Bartes alleges Rudolph Richard Davis - Lee Harvey Oswald & Minutemen - (Davis) met Lee Harvey Oswald twice, once handing out handbills and once went to his house...(Victor) Paneque in charge of camp, Carlo DeArmas - nearby farm. Shaw in May 9, 1961 program chairman who introduces Charles Cabell from New Orleans Foreign Policy Association."
HSCA Report, Volume X Current Section: V. Cuban Revolutionary Council (CRC): New Orleans Chapter
Bartes attended the court hearing of Oswald and Bringuier in August 1963. "(Bartes) spoke to an FBI agent that day, warning that Oswald was potentially a dangerous man. Bartes declined to identify the agent to the committee, saying only that he had frequent contact with him during this period of time." Given his statement below, this contact was undoubtedly Warren de Brueys.
1994.05.06.08:44:58:780005 - Reel 25, Folder D - GARRISON INVESTIGATION - VOL II.
7/27/64 handwritten note, with its file number partially redacted: "DCD (note: Domestic Collections Division) briefing regarding railroads in Cuba. This report available from CIA Documents Library as OO K-323/C1853-64." A related file number has been changed from "illegible-300-017/1" to "100-300-17", the file number for the Garrison investigation. Bartes' 201 bio file number of 201-0289885 is also referenced. Also see Reel 3, Folder D - BARTES, FRANK NARA Record Number: 1994.03.04.08:19:52:310005 - p. 21 - "