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

between Ambassador Muccio and Secretary of State
Christian Herter concerning use of the Cubans to
help quell the revolt. On this point Ambassador
Muccio would cable later:
In justification Ydigoras attempted
use last week must report that understand
prior "Washington authorization" given to
use trainees. I knew nothing their use
until half hour prior Secretary's call .
... I sent message through]
urging Ydigoras confine the~m~t~O~"m~l'I'l~t~a~r~y~
bases and not operate out into civilian
areas. ?_~/*
By mid-afternoon, a joint State/CIA message, originated
by C. Tracy Barnes, ADDP/A, was sent tol---------
stressing that if there were any Cuban trainees at or
near Puerto Barrios they should be recalled to Retalhuleu.
This cable also suggested the possibility that all the
Cuban trainees might be removed from Guatemala (this
would be an on-going ~ubject of.speculation until the
close out of the revolt). 53/
Even as the joint message was going forward,
Headquarters was aware of the fact that the Cuban
* The admission by Muccio that he was unaware of the
fact that members of the Brigade -- to say nothing of
the B-26 sorties by Seigrist and Beale -- were being
airlifted to Puerto Barrios speaks poorly for the
Ambassador's awareness of the situation and indicates
that the Agency was playing it close to the vest vis-
a-vis Muccio.
TO~ ;&ET