BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON CUBANA AIRLINES BOMBING

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03289567
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: March 9, 2023
• Document Release Date: June 11, 2021
• Case Number: F-2018-01702
• Publication Date: November 19, 1976

Approved for Release: 2021/06/10 C03289567
SQ1T
1 9 NOV 1976
MEMORANDUM FOR: Office of Legislative Counsel
VIA
FROM Raymond A. Warren
Chief, Latin America Division
SUBJECT Background Information on Cubana
Airlines Bombing
Attached herewith is a copy of a blind memorandum
concerning four persons under indictment in Caracas,
Venezuela, for alleged involvement in the 6 October 1976
bombing and subsequent crash of a Cubana Airlines flight
near Barbados. This information is for your background
use only.
Attachment
As Stated
1 WAR\1JNG
SENSITIVE Vi\n'EUJI:TF:.::JCES
AND
(b)(3)
(b)(3)
Approved for Release: 2021/06/10 C03289567
Approved for Release: 2021/06/10 C03289567
SECRET
SUBJECT: Cubana Airlines Bombing, 6 October 1976
1. On 6 October 1976 a Cubana Airlines plane
crashed shortly after take-off near Barbados with
the resultant loss of all 73 persons aboard. It was
established that a bomb exploded causing the crash.
Subsequent investigations ultimately led to the arrest
and indictment in Venezuela of four persons allegedly
involved in the incident. The Castro Cuban Government
has claimed that CIA directly participated in the bombing
incident, and Cuba subsequently unilaterally suspended
the 1973 anti-hijacking accord with the U.S. Fidel
Castro accused the persons under indictment of being
CIA agents. Neither CIA nor any other entity of the U.S.
Government had fore-knowledge of the terrorist incident,
nor were any of the four indictees current CIA agents.
Past CIA relationships with two of the four indictees
are detailed below.
2. Luis Posada Carriles, a Cuban by birth who now
holds a Venezuelan passport, is one of the two key figures
mentioned as being involved in the terrorist incident.
Posada arrived in the U.S. in February 1961 as a political
refugee. Soon after his arrival, Posada joined the 2506
Brigade and received paramilitary training in Guatemala
under CIA auspices in preparation for the Bay of Pigs
invasion. Posada probably received at least rudimentary
familiarization training in demolitions in the Guatemala
camp. From March 1963 to March 1964 Posada was in the
U.S. Army at Fort Benning, Georgia, finishing up as a
Second Lieutenant and Commanding Officer of a Weapons
Platoon in a Ranger Battalion. In the latter function
Posada would very likely have received demolitions training.
In March 1965 Posada was recruited by CIA to serve as a
Maritime Training Branch instructor in Florida. His file
indicates that he was reported to be a "demolitions expert"
(at the time of his hiring in March 1965). Posada was also
utilized as a source on Cuban exile activities. In 1965
Posada was involved with Luis Sierra Lopez who was working
with Roberto Alejos Arzu, a Guatemalan citizen who was
attempting to overthrow the Guatemalan Government. Posada
SEC RE T
Approved for Release: 2021/06/10 C03289567
Approved for Release: 2021/06/10 C03289567
SECRET
was of interest to the Sierra/Alejos group because
of his knowledge of demolitions and weapons. Posada
reported fully to CIA, and later to the FBI, on his
involvement in and the activities of this group (and
subsequent other Cuban exile activist organizations
with which he became affiliated). As of August 1966
Posada was used solely as an informant on the activities
of the Cuban Representation in Exile (RECE), a Miami-
based Cuban exile group. He was formally terminated in
July 1967. In August 1967 Posada was mentioned in a
Havana Radio broadcast as a liaison man between CIA and
RECE. In August 1967 Posada moved to Caracas, Venezuela
and secured a position with DIGEPOL, the Venezuelan
security service (now known as DISIP).
1974
when a change in Venezuelan Government administration
resulted in the loss of his position with DIGEPOL/DISIP.
He was formally terminated on 30 June
1974. Infrequent contact was maintained with Posada,
however, until February 1976 because of certain out-
standing U.S. Federal Income Tax problems Posada had
because of his (then) status as a Permanent Resident
Alien (PRA) of the U.S. In mid-February 1976, Posada
recontacted to volunteer a report on the (W(1)
whereabouts of Orlando Bosca Avila, Frank Castro, and on (b)(3)
a threat to the life of Salvador Allende's nephew. The
final contact between the Agency and Posada
22 June 1976 when Posada contacted (W(1)
to request visa assistance for his wife and himself; the (b)(3)
assistance was denied.
occurred on
3. Orlando Bosch Avila is a well-known Cuban exile
activist who is subject to arrest upon re-entry to the
U.S. as a parole violator. The Agency was in contact
with Bosch in Miami from approximately January to November
1962. Bosch was under consideration as an "external
coordinator" in the Evelio Duque exile group. Bosch was
to assist the Agency and Duque in formulating operational
plans for infiltration (into Cuba) teams. Bosch did obtain
safehouses and procured food supplies for the Duque teams,
and assisted Duque in drafting operational plans for the
infiltration teams. Available information in Bosch's
file does not indicate any Agency contact with Bosch sub-
sequent to November 1962 for this purpose. Later, on
31 October and 1 November 1963, a representative of the
2
SECRET
Approved for Release: 2021/06/10 C03289567
Approved for Release: 2021/06/10 C03289567
SECRET
Agency met with Bosch in New York City twice. These
two meetings were in connection with efforts by Bosch
to secure financial support for air strikes (mounted
from Central America) against Cuba. Bosch at this time
was the General Coordinator of the Insurrectional Move-
ment of Revolutionary Recovery (MIRR). Bosch was in-
formed through an intermediary on either 2 or 3 November
1963 that no financial support would be forthcoming.
There is no available information in Bosch's file that
indicates any Agency contact with Bosch subsequent to
1 November 1963.
4. The Agency has no information to indicate that
there was any contact or relationship with Herman Ricardo
Lozano or Freddy Lugo, the other two persons currently
under indictment in Caracas in connection with the 6
October Cubana Airlines bombing.
3
SECRET
Approved for Release: 2021/06/10 C03289567
Approved for Release: 2021/06/10 C03289567
�I" I tKNAL
FORM
3-62
15.
SUBJECT: (Optional)
FROM:
12.
13.
10.
14.
building)
TO: (Officer designation, room number, and
1 1 .
2.
4.
5.
6.
3.
7.
8.
9.
Background Information on Cubana Airlines Bombing
Raymond A. Warren
-URCLASSIN ED
Chief, Latin America Division
61 0 USE PREVIOUS
Office of Legislative
�
Counsel
Lin.
EDITIONS 0 SECRET
USE ONLY
ROUTING AND RECORD SHEET
RECEIVED FORWARDED
0 CONFIDENTIAL
Ct tab
DATE
OFFICER'S COMMENTS (Number each comment to show from whom
fl
EXTENSION NO.
INITIALS CONFIDENTIAL SECRET
4.�1��c-- Lvif. --Pie�AA
-a vim's,' lyt.A 0.4.6
IUNSTEERM
4LjteL"� 7t. Sv"STA--C1
tt..-DDo
eitab4 (b)(3)
DATE
to whom. Draw a line across column after each comment.)
1 ; toet.fr-t
19 November 1976
El UNCLASSIFIED
Approved for Release: 2021/06/10 C03289567
(;) (b)(3)
1. (b)(3)