Arms Smuggling -- Cuba
[Reference: Personal papers of Tom Dunkin. Notes, 3 pages]
[NOTE: Spelling was not changed from the original]
Sept. 15, 1974--This material originally was compiled at the request of
Jay McMullen during September and November of 1966 while the "Nassau
Project" was alive, and later clips from home files at his request for
all possible information on arms smuggling).
Tom dunkin
9/25/66
Arms Smuggling-Cuba
Source-Miami Herald Reference Library
Envelope covering period 1964-5
Clip dated Sept. 24, 1964:
Ricardo Lorie Y Valla, one of Castro's chief weapons purchasers in the
U.S. Testified before the Senate Internal Security subcommittee that
agents bought guns in all stores in Florida that would sell guns.
The guns were hidden in homes of various Cubans in Miami, then
transported to Fort Lauderdale for air transportation to the Sierra
Maestra.
---
Clip dated Feb. 14 1964:
AP dispatch datelined Jacksonville, Fla.
"Customs officials said Thursday no federal charges will be filed
against a young Cuban refugee arrested with a quantity of bazooka
shells, hunting knives and medicine in his car.
"Customs Agent W.B. Lankford said investigation has determined that
apparently no federal law was violated by Juan Miguel Rassi, 21, of New
York City, except possible transportation of goods intended for export,
without a license.
"This could lead to the confiscation of Rassi's automobile and the
goods it contained, Lankford said, but no criminal charges will be
pressed."
---
Envelope on Subject- CUBA- Arms Smuggling, series March 27,28,30,31, 1958.
Series written by Georga Southworth and Donne Petitclore quoted Customs
agents Charles E. Wyatt and William B. Lankford as saying movement of
arms through Miami to Cuba is a steady operation. Customs had
confiscated arms valued at from $75,000 to $100,00 during the last
year, and it was estimated by Batista government that they had
confiscated at leasted $2 million worht of arms struggled into Cuba
from the U.S.
--
Clip dated Oct. 13, 1958:
Customs and Florida Highway Patrol arrested three Cubans on Florida turnpike (Sunshine State Parkway) with 200 M-1 rifles.
Officers had trailed them 500 miles before making the arrest
--
(Southworth-Petitclare series said that fines ranging from $100 to
$1000 usually were imposed upon persons convicted of smuggling arms in
1958.)
--
Clip dated Nov. 30 1958:
The 80-foot lyacht Restless II was caught near Key Biscayne with 200
rifles, 7,000 rounds of immunition. Supervising Agent Charles V.
Wyatt and Border Patrolman Charles Williams made seizure.
Eight men were arrested, including Guillermo Martin, 36, of 4040 Sw 60
Ct., Clip said case going to grand jury Dec. 3, but no follow up clip
in envelope.
OF POSSIBLE INTEREST for further research: Case against Bachman
brothers, Stanley J.; Jerome H. and Bernard S. Bachman, doing business
as Stanborn Securities Corp., in Rochester N.Y. charged with conspiracy
to provide arms to Fidel Castro. Nov. 30, 1958 clips said hung
jury resulted in mistrial, and government considering retrial. No
follow up material in envelope.
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arms smuggling-cuba-page 2
Clip dated June 11, 1959: (Virginia Bland case)
Virginia Bland, female pilot, and five others cleared of conspiracy
charges; seven others to be arraigned for trying to fly arms from Miami
to Dominican Republic. (News story sketchy, baut involved
attempted bribery of Customs Agent Wallace Shanley. Full details
of incident reported in book by Miriam Ottenber," The Federal
Investigators").
--
Clip dated July 1, 1959:
Three arrested and one escaped when carload of arms and a light plane were seized at North Perry Airport in Broward County.
Rolando Masferrer was found a few miles from the airport about an hour
after the 3 a.m. seizure. He was arrested for having no driver's
license, and later released. He was driving a car owned by
Richard Jaffee, 29, of 2030 NW 175th st., owner of Torch Investments
Corp., and also owner of the plane involved. Quantity of
anti-Castro leaflets found in car with Masferrer.
The trio arrested was identified as Jose Carbonell Peres Marrero, alias
Jose Carbonell, 51, of 3614 NW 12th Terrace; Carlos Manuel Zayas
Castro, 30, of 415 SW 5th St., a former newspaper editor in Cuba, and
Robert John Daut, 38, of 1570 NW 20th St., a Miami photographer.
--
Clip dated July 30, 1959:
Two Americans and one Cuban arrested at a Key Largo airstrip with load
of arms bound for Cuba. Arrest made by Border Patrol, sheriff's
deputies and a state fish and wildlife officer. Cargo included 15
Springfield rifles, and 20,000 rounds of ammunition.
Ray Bond, senior inspector for Homestead unit of Border Patrol said
names of those arrested could not be released because all three have
relatives living in Cuba.
Arrest made at Ocean Reef airstrip, where a resident notified
authorities that something odd was going on the night before, when
someone put flares out on airstrip, plane landed then took off.
Seizure made at 2:40 a.m., involved a 1959 Piper Comanche. The
arrested men were to be given a hearing before U.S. Commissioner Roger
Davis "later today" (July 30, 1959). Plane had been rented at Tamiami
Airport on Tuesday, from Howe Aviation. Rented by Carlos Rojas,
about 24, of 409 SE 9th Ave., Hialeah.
--
Clip dated Aug. 3, 1959:
Manuel Carlos Rojas, 21, of 409 SE 9th Ave, Hialeah, and Orlando
Ramirez, 29, of Havana, landed a plane on road at Grassy Key Saturday
night and tried to unload and hide cargo of arms. The duo said
they had tried to fly arms into Pinar del Rio Province, but a Cuban f51
chased them away.
Cargo was arms valued at $5,000- included 30 carbines and 20,000 rounds
of ammunition. Rojas and Ramirez complained spectators, who
prevented them from unloading and hiding arms, were "aiding
communism." Spectators held the two for police, L. Rene Raiole of
Monroe county Sheriff's Department was arresting officer.
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arms smuggling-cuba- page 3
Rojas and Ramirez mistook rotating light on restaurant on Grassy Kay
for an airport beacon, and made perfect landing on paved road.
They were held in Monroe County jail on arms smuggling charge, and were
to be taken before U.S. Commissioner William V. Alloway in Key West.
Rojas was free on #2,500 bond on a similar charge made a week earlier at Key Largo.
--
clip dated Dec. 4, 1960:
Roy Katon, 45, operator of the Tamiami Gun Shop, 3050 SW 8th St.
Three persons found guilty of gun running in federal court. Judge
Emmett Choate delayed sentencing pending routine presentence
investigation.
The three were:
Roy Katon, 45, operator of the Tamiami Gun Shop, 3050 SW 8th St.
Luis Orlando Alvarez, no address given.
Carlos Zayas Castro, " " "
--
Clip dated Aug. 9, 1959:
Reported that General Services Administration was to inspect seized
weapons stored by Customs from seizures over the last two years, to
determine disposition.
Some weapons, submachineguns, had been issued to prison guards and some rifles given to U.S. Atomic Energy Commission guards.
Smithsonian Institution asked for Cuban machetes from seized items for museum pieces.
--
(Note for further research. story published July 5, 1959 in Miami
News, Page 2 B, by Sanford Schnier, headlinged "Where Do Smugglers Get
Those Guns?"
(end research notes)
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