Documents / FOIA release

Official History of the Bay of Pigs Operation- Volume 2- Part 1

Central Intelligence Agency · 179 pages · text from the file's own layer

This is Volume II, Part 1 of the CIA History Staff's Official History of the Bay of Pigs Operation, a Top Secret history dated October 1979 and approved for release in July 2011. It looks at how the Agency took part in shaping US foreign policy toward Guatemala and Nicaragua during the anti-Castro program. It covers dealings with President Ydigoras Fuentes and Roberto Alejos, training sites such as Retalhuleu, cover stories, and negotiations with the Somoza brothers for an air base and port. It contains no UFO material.

  • p. 14 …an anti-Castro program before Chief JMATE, Jacob D. Esterline, and I Robert K. Davis, met…
  • p. 54 …Batres. !±i/ Jacob D. Esterline, Chief of J~ARC project had some subsequent conversation with the…
  • p. 160 …Memo for Record from Jacob D. Esterline, 20 Jun 60, sub: Negotiations with President Miguel Ydigoras…
  • p. 163 …20 Oct 60. 36. Oral History Interview: Jacob O. Esterline by Jack B. Pfeiffer, 10-11…
  • p. 166 …to the Sec Def, OSO from Jacob D. Esterline, 16 Nov 60, sub: Emergency Evacua~ tion…
  • p. 168 …Memo for Asst~ Sec Def OSO from Jacob D. Esterline, 5 Jan 61, sub: Requirement for…
  • p. 170 …MR from Jacob D. Esterline, 5 Apr 61, sub: Meet- ing with Adolph sic A. Berle…
  • p. 171 …MR from Jacob D. Esterline,S Apr 61, sub: Meeting with Adolph sic A. Berle. 14…
  • p. 173 …Memo for Record from Jacob D. Esterline, 24 Oct 60, sub: Meeting withDCI and Assistant Secretary…
  • p. 174 …Memo for DDP/EMB from Jacob D. Esterline, 6 Dec 60, sub: Four JMARC Problems for…
Cabezas and all other air traffic, except for Agency
operated aircraft, would be completely prohibited. ~/
Somoza also was going to go so far as to make an
announcement on 15 April that the activity which cer-
tainly would be known to be taking place at Puerto
Cabezas was in response to the threat of possible
incursions from Costa Rica and the need to have the
Nicaraguan military forces in a state of readiness. 63/
At the same time that this cover story was being dis-
cussed with the representatives of the Nicaraguan
Government, General Somoza was visiting TIDE and spoke
with Colonels Hawkins and Gaines who were in Puerto
Cabezas to give the final briefings prior to the be-
ginning of operations; and Somoza raised the question
of possible attacks by Castro's Air Force should any
of his planes get off the ground. The Agency's repre-
sentatives regarded this as a legitimate concern; and
even though convinced that Castro's FAR (Fuerza Aerea
Revolucionario) would be destroyed on the ground, they
asked Headquarters to approach the US Navy about es-
tablishing a radar· picket operation off the Nicaraguan
coast to relay warnings of incoming Castro aircraft.

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About this file

FOIA release, from the cia-readingroom collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 179 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.