OPERATION 40 - JUST PRIOR TO BAY OF PIGS Frank Sturgis Michael Canfield STURGIS told Paul Meskil that he was

part of the CIA's OPERATION 40, an infiltration and intelligence gathering group that was to go into Cuba before the Bay of Pigs assault. Meskil stated that some former CIA agents described OPERATION 40 as an "assassination squad." STURGIS stated: "It was top CIA project. Most of the men in it were Cubans who had been trained by the U.S. Army. I am not saying that OPERATION 40 had an assassination squad. There were reports there was one, but I'm not saying so." Meskil reported that the Chief of OPERATION 40 was Joaquin Pedromo Sanjenis, a former Castro aide who defected and became a CIA agent. Two of his cousins also worked for the Agency. Canfield asked STURGIS about OPERATION 40: STURGIS: Well, I was an associate, while I participated in OPERATION 40. OPERATION 40 was formed before the Bay of Pigs invasion; it was a Top Secret Government operation; it consisted of many Cuban intelligence officers who worked for the CIA and this organization. Their job primarily was to train people to infiltrate a foreign country, to make contact with people in the political sector of the government, plus there was also a group formed, in which was the assassination section, which I was part of; that, if necessary, this assassination group would, upon orders, naturally, assassinate either members of the military in the foreign country, political party members of the foreign country that you were going to infiltrate, and, if necessary, some of your own members, who were suspected of being foreign agents. Now at the same time, I was asked by my friend, who was a CIA agent, he asked me if I was interested in participating, or doing an assassination with the Company. I told him yes, providing that I would sit down with his case officer and go over the details, and I would do it. Canfield: Domestic or foreign? STURGIS: It would be domestic. Canfield: Here in the United States?" STURGIS: Oh yeah. The reason for that, he asked me how I would go about it. And I told him, well, if it was going to be domestic, well, I could do it several ways. I could do it either in the Everglades, I could do it by boat, or I could do it by air. But, that if it was going to be done, I did not want nobody to be part of this, I would do it by myself, but I definitely wanted to meet the officer who wanted this done, and I wanted to see him, and get it right from him, so that I would be sure that it would be someone with authority, and not just a low level agent, such as he...I told him that. He told me that he would make contact with someone higher up, and pass on that information and so forth. Canfield: Did this come out of Operation 40?

STURGIS: This is what the Operation 40 was trained for... Canfield: What about domestic activities, did they ever attempt a domestic assassination? STURGIS: Not to my knowledge, no. But the only thing I can say on that is, when I was asked to do domestically, myself -Canfield: Right. STURGIS: Of anyone else, no, not to my knowledge; which brings the why all this stuff I've been reading in the paperswhere they want me to be part of an investigation of the assassination of President Kennedy, I have no knowledge of anything like -Canfield: Did anyone ever approach you about -STURGIS: The assassination? Yeah, oh yeah. Canfield: No, I mean, to do the assassination. STURGIS: No, no, oh no. The Cubans were very angry with the Kennedys, they were furious with the Kennedys because of the failure of the Bay of Pigs invasion. But the only thing that I had as far as the assassination was concerned, naturally, is the investigation by the FBI. And they said, "Well FRANK, this is strictly a voluntary thing, if you want to talk with us, if you don't want to talk with us' And they told me that they felt I was one of the persons capable, if I wanted to assassinate somebody as high as the President of the United States, that I was capable of -Canfield: You were approached though to do assassination jobs STURGIS: Oh yeah. Also an associate. And it can be proven that he is, or rather was, at that time, a CIA agent. Canfield: Was he involved in Watergate? STURGIS: Well, I don't want to go ahead and say at this point. But if I'm ever called in front of a Congressional Committee, which I assume I will be, I will tell them... Canfield: Did they ever tell you who was to be assassinated? STURGIS: No. Canfield: Do you have any ideas? STURGIS: No, no. I don't even know if it was another agent, or a double agent, or a fool or what. The only one who would know are the people involved in CIA. Canfield: They never did assassinate anyone in the United States?

STURGIS: Not to my knowledge, no...On this assassination thing, I would figure well, it's gonna have to come up from some a little higher than this agent right here. It's gonna have to come from someone with a little authority. Canfield: Did you tell him that? STURGIS: Oh, yeah. Canfield: And what was his response? STURGIS: He told me he would make contact with someone higher up, and pass on that information, and so forth. Canfield: Did you ever get any feedback from him or anyone else? STURGIS: No. Canfield asked STURGIS: "Were all members of OPERATION 40 trained in assassination?" STURGIS replied that only 20 men were. STURGIS told the Rockefeller Commission: "All I knew is that he was an agent, and at a latter date, it was proven that he was an agent. So my contacts with this man throughout the years, how he worked, my close contact with him, in Miami, the way of operation, the way he handles himself, the people that he was in close contact with, that the top political and military people who were in exile that he was in touch with, the formation of the Bay of Pigs itself before the invasion came through this particular man. He was part of forming this -- at least of the Revolutionary Council. And I was approached by him and I told Jose Joachim Sajennes Pardomo. I said, 'What do you think?' The idiot, I hope this never gets publicized, I said this idiot took me out and we had some lunch, and he asked me if I wanted to do an assassination attempt for the outfit. And I looked him square in the face and told him, 'Why did you come to me?' And he says, 'Well FRANK, like who else? You are a man that the Chief knows your background, and I know your background, and I know you are capable. And if anybody can do it, you can do it. But the thing is would you be interested?' And I said, 'Yes I would be.' The discussion of money was not involved in it, because I would not do anything for money. I don't know [who the target was]. He said he would contact his chief, and he would --- he told me to contact him later on, and I think he gave me a certain day to contact him, and I said 'Okay.' You must remember that how I know this man as an agent, because he does the same things as I do in his life, he types away, or at least, he has a wife who types away, he makes all the reports, and stacks them in a file cabinet. I have heard him talk to his case officer on the telephone. And to me that was very stupid of him in doing that even to me who was his friend. That is a stupid way of doing things. Because he did not suspect that I was in touch with Jose Joachim Sajennes Pardomo, he cannot know. And the only time he suspected that I had anything to do with the CIA is when we were in prison, and the man on the television said,

'Yes,' he used to work for the CIA. I am talking about the agent and me who was part of the Watergate group. And he was dumbfounded and said, 'What, you work for the CIA?' And I said, 'Yes sir, you dumb bastard you, I was turning you in to my case officer.' I knew he was an agent, but I didn't know that I was in contact --- I never used the word -- or at least I don't think I did, and I hope I haven't used it today -- that I said I was an employee of the CIA or that I was connected with the CIA. I had a second meeting with him at the Ranch house, and he told me, he says, "Well, there is interest FRANK.' He said 'About this assassination,' and I said 'Fine.' And then he started to questioning, how would you do it? There are several ways of trying to do assassination. The things I have to know is who the person is, that is number one, it is important, and where the person is at, which is important. And then, I will have to go ahead and go to the place where this man lives...I said I wanted to tell you something, I will do this because you are a friend of mine, and because you asked me. But I will want more than that. And he said 'What is that?' I said I want it from somebody higher than you, from somebody with authority. If you tell me --- and you are my friend, and I believe you -- but I want it more from somebody else who has some authority. You have a case officer. I want your case officer to tell me to do an assassination plot and I will do it. But coming from you, you are my friend, my buddy, but I have got to have more than that for my protection. Olsen: Did he ever put you in touch with his case officer? STURGIS: I knew who his boss was. Olsen: Who was his boss? STURGIS: "EDUARDO"...It either had to be "EDUARDO," who I never met or it had to be possibly (deleted) after "EDUARDO" left. Olsen: Did (deleted) take his place? STURGIS: I believe so, I believe (deleted) did take his place as this party's case officer. Olsen: And then you did not actually have any contact with his case officer? STURGIS: When I told him what I think it kind of stung him a little bit. And he said, 'Well, okay, all right. Then you will go through with it?' And I said 'Certainly I will go through with it, I don't care who the hell it is!' I said, 'You let me know.'