REPORT CUBA RANSOM DEAL IN LAST STAGE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00001R000100390020-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 29, 1999
• Sequence Number: 20
• Publication Date: December 21, 1962
• Content Type: NSPR

ILC 21 1962
Sanitized - Approved For Release : CIA-RDP75
eport Cubs
CPYRGHT
FOIAb3b
Ransom Dea
in Last Stag
Stage _
CpYiill,' Dec. 20 [Special]
ranso
liberation of 1,113 Bay of Pig.
invasion prisoners moved s
swiftly t o d a y that officia
sources here indicated the me
might be in Miami by Sunday.
The deal for the pre-Christ-
mas freedom of the prisoners
in exchange for 53 million dol-
lars worth of drugs, medical
equipment, and food was as-
sured of completion by these
moves:
1. James B, Donovan, New
York attorney, ;,flew back to
Havana this morning alter his
overnight visit here, He had
former United States Surgeon
General Leroy Burney with
him. Burney, said to be a con
sultant of a, large drug manu-
facturwg, firm, is, reported
going alppg 7. to assure Castro
he;,wili get t#q drugs he wants.
"Ally 1Glomet "` llavana Says
t
2. ;av"n radio apnounced
tbat. the dead . is, ready to be
consun'lnpted, `,pt any mo-
nent"and, thhat ..the indemnity
demanded by' Castro "would
be paid mondents,ily.,,
`. The freighter African Pilot
began to load the rcnsom cargo
as soon as it docked at Port
Everglades. It will sail for Ha-
vana Saturday morning.
4. Pan American Airways has
made two fob - engine cargo
aircraft available to air lift
drugs to Havana. It also had
made available two four-engine
passenger planes to fly prison-
ers from Havana to the Home-
stead aiP force base. The base
expects ,ti? handle one plane
each hour and a half. The air
lift of the prisoners will take
two days.
ASK for Hospital Beds
5, Miami hospitals were asked
to m
k
1
a
e
75 beds ready tI
o re- ceive sick prisoners upon their
arrtval. This request was made
by the United States govern-,
eft officers who are handling
he ,arrangements. Other sources
aid 300 beds and 100 Spanish-
I peaking doctors have been re-
uested for this purpose.
6ti'' Atty, Ge. Robert Ken-
W4, who is reported to be co-
r acing operations from
7a ington, has issued orders
hatL the prisoners should be
reated as returning American
esients and that all formali-
es should be streamlined for
eir rapid processing.
7..A hot meal has been or-
ered to be served in the-mess all at Homestead air force
ase for the prisoners as soon
99 they arrive.
A press headquarters coordi-
nator has been loaned to Atty.
n en. Kennedy by th e-
P tWeut. He is,Ricbar . Phil-
li is, ;veteran public affairs ad-
v ser on Latin America to
S Crary of State Dean Rusk.
Caro has, , pparently ac-
c pted a 9 mi 'n dollar reduc-
i n in t$e 'Dal rapsom
ice of the
6 million dollars
mss;; were imposed on
jsn s by his military
to la'k year.
hiflips said that so far as
knows Castro agreed to
ept 53 ' million dollars in
r gs, medical, equipment, and
Sanitized - Approved For Release : CIA-RDP75-00001 R000100390020-3