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Cryptonym: GUIDE-303

Definition:

Manny Chavez.

Status:

Probable

Discussion:

Ordinarily, a "guide" refers to a guideline, as seen in this description of Clay Shaw that was written in 1949. See 104-10181-10405: This memo states that "Mr. Shaw has been interviewed concerning subject case requirements for Peru, and reports thereon are in process of preparation. Mr. Shaw has also been partially interviewed along the general lines of the revised OO/C Guide No. 10, and will be further interviewed along these lines." However, in this instance it appears that Guide 303-BR may be a direct reference to Manny Chavez as a nickname or cryptonym, as appears to have also happened with Robert Webster as Guide 223. Is Guide 303 also a reference to Chavez? The source was a US national named John Gentile who had Cuba-related information, so it is possible that Gentile's contact was Chavez,

Sources:

1993.07.28.19:34:15:590330: COMMUNIST AFFILIATIONS OF TERESA PROCAZA, POLITICAL FIGURE IN THE CUBA

7/5/62 information report re CD/OO Guide 303. : "Upon receipt of information from a confidential informant that Teresa Proenza was a member of the Communist Party of Mexico (CPM) and the Communist Party of Cuba, an investigation by US Immigration officials was instituted to determine Proenza's possible excludability from the US. Results are as follows." Nine informants weigh in with their stories about Proenza. Informant E said that two of her armed bodyguards are Eusebio Azcue and Luis Gomez, part of a select group of "shock and confidential agents of Castro". She had a history with the Overseas News Agency and had lived in Mexico for many years since she was forced to move from Cuba in 1932 during the Machado regime.

1993.07.15.19:52:10:060620: MEMORANDUM ON JOHN GENTILE REGARDING ANTI-CASTRO GROUP

4/30/63 memo. Re Guide 302 and Guide 303. No mention of who the contacts are. The source is described as a US national, gun runner, and soldier of fortune - clearly John Gentile. Because the opening sentence is blurry, there may be a second source - but it seems to have only one source. This memo refers to Jack Orrias and John Gentile - both involved in writing bad checks - both were among the 21 Americans returned by Castro in April 1963. Gentile said Orrias was a Communist agent for Castro.

124-10213-10483: [No Title]

5/27/63 memo, re CD/OO Guide 303-BR. No contact mentioned, but it states the report was developed by an "AFNIN representative" "assigned to the office of preparation". See 104-10178-10006, p. 3 - Note the same description was provided in a 6/3/63 memo, and the previous page identifies the Air Force representative as "M. Chavez", Manny Chavez, an air force officer who also worked with the CIA - see Chavez's pseudonym "Russell Sambora". The source is described as a Cuban national presently living in the United States. "He is presently employed as a reporter on a large newspaper and is in close contact with Cuban exile leaders."