STATUS OF THE INVESTIGATION OF THE KIDNAPPING OF WILLIAM F. NIEHOUS

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06708814
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2022
• Document Release Date: November 27, 2017
• Case Number: F-2017-00199
• Publication Date: June 5, 1978

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FORM
� 676 3006B
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DIRECTORATE OF
OPERATIONS
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0601087A
Intelligence Infor mation Cable PAGE 001 OF 005
FURTHER DISSEMINATION AND USE OF THIS INFORMATION SUBJECT TO
CONTROLS STATED AT BEGINNING AND END OF REPORT.
STATE/UIR FHI SDO
(HARD COPIES TU: NSC/S D/DCl/NFAC
wHSITRM D/ORPA DiCRG DriECUR p/UmS).
Oesafied by Imorded Reporting Officer. Exempt from General Declassification Schedule of E.O. 11652 Exemption
Category 58 (I). (2 to Determine Date of Automatic Declassification.
THIS IS AN INFORMATION REPORT, L4Q/ FINALLY EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE
REPORT CLASS 3 E CA E T--WNINTEL--NOFORN�-NOCONTRACTI�ORCON
EXCLUSIVE DISSEMINATION TO ADDRESSEES LISTED IN FINAL PARAGRAPH
"EXCLUSIVE FOR" DOCUTI'velEtili
CITE
DIST 05 JUN 78
COUNTRY: VENEZUELA
SUBJECT: STATUS OF THE INVESTIGATION OF THE KIDNAPPING OF wILLIAm
F. NIEHOUS
SOURCE: SEE BELOW.
SUMMARY: THE VENEZUELAN GOVERNMENT HAS ESTABLISHED A SPECIAL
OFFICE IN THE MINISTRY OF INTERIOR TO HANDLE THE INVESTIGATION OF
THE 1976 KIDNAPPING OF UNITED STATES BUSINESSMAN wILLIAm F. NIEHOUS.
THIS GROUP IS BEING HEADED By RAFAEL RIvAS VASQUEZ WHO IS TECHNICAL
DEPUTY CHIEF OF THE DIRECTORATE FOR THE SERVICES OF INTELLIGENCE AN
PREVENTION (DISIP)* RIVAS, HOWEVER, IS IN THE MIDST OF A POWER STR
WITH HIS IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR, RETIRED GENERAL RAUL GIMENEZ GAINZA,
THE DIRECTOR OF DISIP� G/MENEZ, WHO FULLY EXPECTS R/VAS TO FAIL, THUS
ENDING HIS CAREER, IS INDEPENDENTLY PURSUING THE CASE IN THE EASTERN
STATES OF VENEZUELA, BOTH THROUGH DISIP PEOPLE UNDER HIS COMMAND AND
AN EXTRA...OFFICIAL SECURITY UNIT OPERATING IN THE AREA. END SUMMARY*
1.
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KARLI,JG NOTICE PAGE u02 OF 0u5
SENSITIVE INTELLIGENCE SOukCLS ALI) wE1HOD5 INVOLVED
FURTHER DISSENINATION AND USE OF THIS D.FoRPATION SUBJECT TO
CONTROLS STATED AT BEr,INNIi.G ANil END OF REPORT
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2. ACTING ON RECENTLY RECEIVED IqURNIATION INDICATING THAT
KIDNAPPED tAITED STATES BUSINIESs4A.. v.ILLIAm F. NlEHOuS tNAS ALIVE
AS OF MARCH 1977, THE VENELUELA'l GnvO.N',LNI IS SlEPPIG UP ITS
INVESTIGATION OF THE CASE. TO CARRY THIS FOPv.ARD, A SPECIAL OFFICE
IN THE MINISTRY OF INTERIOR HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED TU ACT AS THE FOCAL
POINT FOR THE INVESTIGATION. THIS OFFICE IS HEADED BY RAFAELRIVAS
VASQUEZ, DEPUTY CHIEF OF THE DIRECTORATE FOR THE SERVICES OF
INTELLIGENCE AND PREVENTION (DISIP), AND KILL CALL UPON DISIP,
THE DIRECTORATE OF mILITARY INTELLIGENCE (DIM) , Arp THE TECHNICAL
JUDICIAL POLICE (PTJ) FOR SUPPORT,
3, THE N/EHOUS INVESTIGATIVE GROUP WILL HAVE A STAFF OF SIX
DISIP OFFICERS AND 12 UNDERCOVER AGUIS ARE In BE ASSIGNED TO THE
CASE AS INVESTIGATORS AND SURVEILLANTS. ADDITIONAL 4EN WILL BE
ASSIGNED TO THE GROUP ON AN AD HOC RASIG, THE GROUP IS EXPECTED
TO HAVE AN OPERATING BUDGET OF BS. 85,000 (U.S. $119,860) PER MONTH.
4. THE TEAM PLANS ON REINTERPOGATING THOSE INDIVIDUALS
CURRENTLY BEING HELD IN CONNECTION wITH THE KIDNAPPING, RECONTACTING
INFORMANTS wHO HAVE BEEN HELPFUL IN THE CASE IN THE PAST, AND RE-
IMPLEMENTING SURVEILLANCE OF SUSPECTS IN THE CASE WHO ARE STILL AT
LARGE. IN THIS REGARD, VENEZUELAN SECURITY OFFICIALS ADMIT THAT THEIR
'INVESTIGATION OF THE CASE IN THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF HAS BEEN UN-
INSPIRED, SINCE MOST AUTHORITIES WERE CONVINCED THAT NIEHOUS WAS DEAD.,
THE NEeiLY RECEIVED INFORMATION INDICATING THAT HE wAS ALIVE AS OF
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PAGE 003 OF 00
Sr.SITIvE I';IELLIGENCE SUC,C.E.S AOD ;_TH0D5 INvLvED
FURTHER DISSVINATIPN A:g(: HSI OF TriIS 1 ;-:)k'�'LTION SUBJECT T:)
COOKIES STATED AT iiNn6;Ljt.(3 14- kEPOPT
MARCH 1977 HAS THROWN A NEW LIGHT ON THE CASE.
6, DESPITE THE CREATION OF THE NEW NIEHOUS INVESTIGATION TEAM
CHARGED WITH THE RESOLUTION OF THE CASE, RETIRED GENERAL RAUL
GIMENEZGA/NZA, THE DIRECTOR OF PISIP, IS INDEPENDENTLY
PURSUING THE CASE. GIMENEZ IS CONvINCED THAT NIEHOUS WILL BE
FOUND, AHETHER DEAD PR ALIVE, IN THE SOPTHEASTERN AREA OF GUARICO
STATE .IJHERE GUARICO, ANZOATEGUI AND BOLIVAR STATES MEET. GIMENEZ,
THEREFORE, HAS DISPATCHED A TwELvE-PAN DISIP TEAM TO THE AREA.
GIMENEZ HAS NOT INFORMED RIVAS OF HIS ACTIVITIES IN THE NIEHOUS CASE.
7. IN DISCUSSING RIvAS' ASSIGNIIENT TO THE NIEHOOS CASE,
GIMENEZ SAID THAT HE FULLY EXPECTS RIVAS TO FAIL IN HIS EFFORTS TO
RESOLVE THE CASE. FURTHERMORE, HIS FAILURE WOULD SPELL THE END OF
RIVAS' CAREER w1TH THE SECURITY SERVICES, GIMENEZ OPINED.
COMMENT, GIMENEZ DISLIKES RIVAS, WITH WHOM HE EXCHANGED BLOWS SEVERAL
MONTHS AGO, AND HAS BEEN TRYING TO OUST HIM AS DISIP'S DEPUTY DIRECTOR.
RIVAS' FRIENDSHIP WITH INTER/OR MINISTER OCTAVIOLEPAGEHAS
ENABLED HIM TO MAINTAIN HIS DISIP TITLE AND SALARY, ALTHOUGH RIVAS
IS GIVEN NO DISIP WORK TO FULFILL. GIMENEZ OBVIOUSLY HOPES RIVAS WILL
FAIL AND KILL PROBABLY DO ALL IN HIS POwER TO SEE THAT HE DOES.)
8.
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fAirr.6 %DTICE PAGE ow. vF 0j5
SENSITIVE ItTELLIGENCE SfRiFicEs vETHCDS IPVOLYED
FJRIHER DISSEm/NAT1nk Aup USE C.F. THIS IvFC"ATIOk SUBJECT TO
� C(,'AROLS STATED AT IIEGIING Al4) (IF .;Emo.IT
HAvE RECEIvEr)
Aft() .1111.G
INFORMATION
wELD IN VAPIOUS
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9. HEANKHILE, vEkEZuELAN AuTmoRITIEs
THAT AS OF OCTE.i4ER IRV \ILH7oUS 4LS LLIVi
LOCALITIES IN IE EASTEPi SEC1I(4% OF VENEZUELA.
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THE kir\LPPERs,
PERIODICALLY
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HOVE NIEHOUS FmOm ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER. THEY ALSO COAINUOUSLY CmA;JGE
THE INDIVIDUALS CHARGED KITH DELIVERING FOOD AND OTHER SUPPLIES
TO
THEM.
THIS
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INFORMATION HAS BEEN MADE AVAILABLE 10 GlmENEZ AND RETIRED MAJOR
JOSETIRAso MADRID. THE FIELD COMMANDER OF AN EXTRA..
OFFICIAL SECURITY UNIT 4HICH OPEcATES P. THE EAsTERIm STATES WIDER .
GINENEV
COmmANo.
10.
CCWHEhT: ..HILE THE VE%12LIELA6 G(VERNMENT IS
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UNDOUBTEDLY TRULY A4xIouS To RESOLVE THE NIEHOuS CASE, PERSONALITIES
KITHIN THE CONFLICTS AMONG THE vARIous sEcuRiTy GROUPS HAVE HAMPERED
THE INVESTIGATION, AS SEEN FRO' THE AsnvE, �-:.s SITUATION KILL
UNDOUBTEDLY
CONTINUE.)
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12.
13. OASHINOTON MUM
TO STATE
TO FRI
EXCLUSIVE FOR THE DIRECTOR, ItAR
EXCLUSIVE FOR THE ASSISTANT /RECTA,
SEMI
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SENSITlvt IkTELLIGEACE QCF:; 1NvnLvED
FuRIpILR OISSIiINATIOr oSE. 1..rrn1i0\ SueJECT 10
COrTROLS SlATED Al b;" PIPORT
INTELLIGENCE DIVISION
REPORT CLASsSECRET�e%ARNING pi.oTICE-SEksITIvE INTELLIGEACF
SOURCES AND 4FTBOD8 INvOLvED-1007 RELEASABLE TO FnREIGN NATIONALS..
NOT RELEASABLE TO CONTRACTORS OR CoNTRACTOR/CDNSuLTANTS�DISSEmINATIoN
AND ExTRACTION OF INFORMATION CoNTRoLEED BY ORIGINATOR.
xGOS02.
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