ON SEPT. 21, 1976, A BOMB EXPLODED UNDER AN AUTOMOBILE THAT WAS PASSING THROUGH WASHINGTON' S EMBASSY DISTRICT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000403680018-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 22, 2010
• Sequence Number: 18
• Publication Date: March 28, 1982
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/22 : CIA-RDP90-00552R000403680018-3
~al~ls H i crcY N f'C. 1
t-(A e-e't-I 19 f i
T
BY
AB OR BRUCH and t -mm m. rKurnff
On Sept. 21,1976, a bomb exploded under an automobile that was ,''
passing through Washington's embassy district. The blast killed the
car's driver, former.Chilean ambassador Orlando Letelier, and,a young
Eighteen months after the crimeU.S investigators had announce
no results. After hundreds of false leads, disappointmmentssnd bu sts o,
hone. the prosecutors and FBI agents handling the case beliPwed that"
the ruling military junta of Chile had ordered the assassination to si-: ry
lence Letelier's criticism of the regime, but they had no proof. They sus-
pected that the murders had been carried out by a militant anti-Castro.
organization headed by Guillermo and tgnacio Nouo, but they had ves y#
little su evidence ?
,',Ina a esperate gamble, ,they to=ed Fto for ce the Uutean government t
produce a mysterious "blond Chilean"-. who'e description had popped.
up in several leads. Suddenly, the case began to break, and they were
'stunned to learn that, the "blond Chilean" was actually an American
Named Michael T ;
oumley who worked for the Chilean secret police:,
After a series of extraordint" maneuvers by the-U.S. and
Chiles
governments, Townley was expelledto the United Stat"On" pit 1
978, inside the Marine stockade at Quantico, Va., he agreed to
itiity to involvement in the, murder conspiracy and to se ver as:a
ernment witness. , w
Townley is now in prison. His testimony led to
theindict,
ient
.
three Chilean mil~taryi officers;' including the former.. head of the. Chip
- , xe
extradite or try these officers; Four Cubans were also indicted on mur%
der and conspiracy charges. Guillermo Now and another Cuban were
acquitted of the charges last May after their. initial convictions were .;
-. ., ,..r,e,. r-nn !'uhans are still fugitives. ggnacio'Novo'_ - 'q
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/22 : CIA-RDP90-00552R000403680018-3