CIA File on Ray, Manuel

Cuba about 25 April, that Arcos was as of that date still in prison but the charges against him were thin and it was hoped he would be out in a few days. (This means there was at least one more telephone call than we knew of previously, and this has probably served to increase the pressure on Arcos). I asked AMBANG-1 if his contact with Arcos in late 1964 might not have been responsible for the arrest. AMBANG-1 said he did not think so. We talked some about the symbolic value of the Arcos family and I expressed a strong interest in Arcos's welfare and in getting the latest news about him. I did this on the chance that AMBANG-1 might assume Arcos had been cur agent and we were concerned about him. I do not know if he will actually construe my remark in this way, however, but it seemed like an opening to use an important exile channel as a possible deception mechanism. AMBANG said he does not believe there is any truth to the charge of financial dishonesty levelled against Arcos.

d. Rene RODRIGUEZ Cruz (201-224329): AMBANG-1 regards him as a compulsive, capable of doing harm to anyone, including Fidel Castro. AMBANG-1 knows him quite well but does not know his associate, Carlos Laplace, who shows up in Mexico from time to time.

f. I told AMBANG I had heard Emilio Aragones had been arrested. AMBANG was surprised and said he would inform me if he heard anything about it. I raised this to supplement rumors I am trying to spread through exile mechanisms.

I raised the matter of Rene RODRIGUEZ merely to sound AMBANG out, but it may be he thinks we have some special interest in him.

e. About Osmani CIENFUEGOS (201-270164), AMBANG stated he was a member of the PSP in the middle 1950's. He is a competent architect but otherwise a person of limited capacity. He is not a member of the inner circle of the Old Guard PSP and never was. He got involved with the PSP out of opportunism, he is a schemer, self seeker and very unreliable.