Friday, March 8, 2019

Luis Fernandez Rocha - DRE AMHINT-53

Luis Fernandez Rocha 

Mary Ferrell homeresources / projects / cia cryptonyms / cryptonym: amhint-53

Cryptonym: AMHINT-53

Definition:
Luis Fernandez-Rocha, Secretary General of the Revolutionary Student Directorate (DRE).
Status:
Documented
Discussion:
201-316766 is his biographical file number. 124-10369-10025: ADMIN FOLDER-I9: HSCA ADMINISTRATIVE FOLDER, LEE HARVEY OSWALD VOLUME XXII Garrison investigator Jim Alcock said that Jose Lanusa was fingered by Claire Boothe Luce as knowing Oswald before 11/22/63. Lanusa is one of the principals listed on the Garrison chart shown at 104-10172-10135. Hernandez Rocha used the war name "Luciano" in 104-10181-10337.

Sources:

Fernandez-Rocha first came to the US in May 1960. (Note: This is an apparent error, he arrived May 1961 - see 104-10181-10337). Polygraphed March 1962, suspected of being G-2. Clearance granted 4/18/62 for use in DRE, given crypt AMHINT-53. "Featured on Channel 4 TV 26 Sept 62 as having been organizing DRE underground (in) Cuba since 20 May and having directed attack 24 Aug on Teatro Blanquita.


Memo describes Luis Fernandez as former AMTOPIC-2, AMHINT-53, 201-316766. POA granted April 1962 - quit the DRE in 1964 to pursue medical studies.


5/31/62 report on infiltration of AMHINT-53 and AMHINT-40 into Cuba. The AMHINT structure remained intact even after a firefight ensued upon their departure from the island. "This operation was mounted by AMHINT-53 who was becoming understandably desperate about DRE internal conditions...subject's primary mission is to identify and confirm appointments within clandestine apparat at national and provincial levels..His secondary mission is to organize the National Reception Committee for materiel supply and infiltration of paramilitary instructors, radio operators, and intelligence agents. For this purpose, AMHINT-40, who has operated as National Reception Committee organizer for almost two years, formed the team with AMHINT-53."


5/31/62 letter from AMHINT-53, war name "Felipe" to AMHINT-2 (Manuel Salvat): "...Upon arrival I found the DRE in the following situation...the organization has undergone a crisis in leadership due to lack of "absolute authority". (Note: Probably owing to recent turnovers caused by arrests and executions.) This also combined with the existence of some conflict between 'Frente de Accion' and the 'Frente Civil' originating at the loss of Carlos (arrested), and apparently both sectors dispute control. MONTY (AMRONC-5) acted as mediator in this conflict, and in one way or another, surfaced the facts...From all indications, Monty (AMBRONC-5) has been arrested...The MRR is totally infiltrated and everything must be left alone at least for several days...here are the details of my exfiltration. It will be Sunday 10 June. A fishing boat will place me in Cayo Sal for you to pick me up with the JUNNIN."


6/20/62 from C/TFW/PA-PROP Seymour Bolten to C/TFW William Harvey: Urgent need of AMHINT/53 to be exfiltrated from Cuba as soon as possible, "discussed in the context of the arrest of AMBRONC/5 and the apparent roll-up of a large part of the MRR, along with the arrest of three chiefs in the DRE clandestine apparatus...the DRE is one of the most effective organizations engaged in operations against Cuba, both overtly through propaganda and covertly through an organized apparatus inside Cuba." See 104-10170-10027, page 4 of 4, which depicts Newby/Joannides meeting AMHINT-53 and taking over as case officer for project. AMHINT-53 had let it be known that he knew the name of high CIA officials and reserved the right to break with CIA if the two groups could not agree on policy issues.


1/22/63 dispatch from Chief of Station, JMWAVE to Chief, TFW: "On 4 January 1963 AMHINT-27 met with QUANTUM-51 in New York City, and QUANTUM-51 advised him that Jorge BRINGUIER Medina, the Secretary General of AMSPELL/DRE in Cuba, is a G-2 agent. Medina and AEDO (first name unknown), who was said by QUANTUM-51 to be on the AMSPELL National Executive, were actually G-2 penetrations. They planned to "roll up" the entire AMSPELL organization in "one sweep" and then escape and contact AMHINT-53 in the JMWAVE area. Medina was in contact with AMHINT-53 while in (Cuba) and planned to use AMHINT-53 to establish his bona fides with (CIA)."


4/4/63 cable from Chief, JMWAVE to Chief, SAS: "On 3 April AMHINT-53 stated that AMSPELL had decided to continue with its program of projected raids. He added that he, personally, as well as (DRE) regretted to reach the point where a parting of the ways (with CIA) was necessary. By way of formalizing the decision, AMHINT-53 handed the case officer a letter dated 2 April which sets forth the (DRE) position...."


11/22/63 cable from JMWAVE to Director, WAVE 8049: "Local Miami radio stations carrying report one Lee H. Oswald arrested as prime suspect in President assassination. AMHINT-53 reports AMSPELL (DRE) delegate had radio debate with Lee H. Oswald of Fair Play for Cuba Committee sometime in August 1963 on New Orleans station WDSU. According AMSPELL files, Oswald former US Marine who had traveled Moscow 59 at which time renounced American citizenship and turned passport over to American consulate. Allegedly lived in home Sov foreign minister for two months. In course radio debate subj confessed he Marxist. Above info has not been passed ODFOAM/Navy, ODACID/State or ODENVY/FBI as AMSPELL plans news release circa 1300 hours November 22." This message was sent 2242 Zulu time - Central Standard Time is 5 hours earlier, or 5:42 pm. It seems evident that there was a typo, and the press release probably went out at 1800 hours, or 6 pm Central Standard Time.
Peter Dale Scott, Dallas 63: The First Deep State Revolt Against the White House

There is an "allegation of Pawley’s close friend and political ally Clare Boothe Luce, about a story from her 'young friend,' the skipper of one of the anti-Castro DRE raider boats she and Pawley were sponsoring. Luce claimed that her friend (to whom she gave the pseudonym 'Julio Fernandez'), told her the night of Kennedy’s assassination that he 'had these tape recordings of Oswald' in New Orleans, tapes which included Oswald’s 'bragging that he could shoot anyone, even the Secretary of the Navy.' Luce phoned CIA Director William Colby about the story on October 25, 1975, telling him chiefly about the tapes...by the end of the day of the second phone call, October 31, 1975, Colby had been dismissed as CIA Director by Ford’s White House Chief of Staff Donald Rumsfeld and his assistant Dick Cheney. This was part of the notorious 'Halloween Massacre' that also ended Henry Kissinger’s career as National Security Adviser."
Alan Weberman, "The Oswald Code"

Weberman posits that it is possible that "Julio Fernandez" was Jose Lanusa (or another DRE member or ally). "Dr. Guillermo Belt, the former Cuban Ambassador to the United States from 1945 to 1947 advised the Washington Field Office of the FBI on November 26, 1963, that he had received a call from Jose Antonio Lanusa November 25, 1963 last, in connection Subject. Lanusa advised Subject appeared in Miami one or two months ago and attempted to infiltrate anti-Castro organization DRE. Subject stated he could train DRE members in guerrilla warfare to be used against Castro. Subject later observed in New Orleans passing out Communist literature and therefore labeled Communist and Castro supporter. DRE had nothing further to do with Subject. [FBI DL 89-43-699 NARA FBI 124-10159-10416] Jose Antonio Lanusa later retracted his statement that linked Oswald to Castro." Also see Betty Beale, “Clare Boothe Luce Weaves a Fascinating Tale,” San Francisco Examiner, November 15, 1975. Cf. 10 AH 83; NARA #104-10310-10080, p. 7, http://www.maryferrell.org//mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?absPageId=388203.


1/16/64 memo by SA James J. O'Connor: "Luis Fernandez Rocha, secretary general of the DRE...stated that he had been made aware of the article which appeared in the December 4, 1963, edition of the Pompano Beach, Florida, "Sun Sentinel" newspaper, and his inquiries as to the identity of the alleged DRE spokesman mentioned in the article resulted negatively. He stated that the only DRE officers authorized to make announcements in the English language are Jose Antonio Lanusa and Joaquin Finillos, and neither of these members had made any such statements as contained in the Sun Sentinel article...the DRE has no knowledge of any incident in which the FBI was susceptible of 'suppressing the facts' relative to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy". Nor that Oswald had ever been in Miami, as well as a host of other inaccurate statements. At page 15: Frank Fiorini told this FBI agent that the article was written by a good friend of his named Jim Buchanan (not the same writer as the Miami Herald reporter), and he believes Buchanan's source frr this inaccurate information was Eduardo Diaz Lanz. a DRE member that recently arrived from Cuba in the summer of 1963.


7/7/64 FBI letterhead memo based on info from Ramon Machado, aka MM T-1: Luis Fernandez states that he is retiring from the DRE but that he still agrees with their program. He points out that it very difficult to stage raids on Cuba outside of the US "because of the large distances involved and the problem of obtaining the necessary equipment in other countries." Machado reported, however, that Fernando Rocha resigned because he disagreed with the hit and run attacks favored by Isidro Borja/AMHINT-5, who was on the DRE executive committee.

See Also:

Contributors:
Jefferson Morley • Bill Simpich


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