CIA Memorandum on Gerald Patrick Hemming and Guatemalan Assassination Plot (1976)

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JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM
IDENTIFICATION FORM

AGENCY INFORMATION

CIA
104-10130-10080
JFK

80T01357A

DOCUMENT INFORMATION

CIA
JERRY G. BROWN

CHIEF, SECURITY ANALYSIS GROUP
HEMMING, GERALD PATRICK.
06/11/1976

3

STURGIS FRANK
HEMMING GERALD
JFK ASSASSINATION

PAPER
SECRET
1B
RELEASED IN PART PUBLIC - RELEASED WITH DELETIONS
06/01/04

JFK46 : F6A 20040226-1050267

U2? Release under the

resident John F. Kennedy
ssassination Records Collection
ct of 1992

(R] - ITEM IS RESTRICTED 104-10130-10080

NW 89804 Docld:323605051 Page 1

11 June 1976

MEMORANDUM FOR: Chief, Security Analysis Group _

SUBJECT : HEMMING, Gerald Patrick
SF#429 229

ua

1. On 9 June 1969 "Dan" of the DDO Guatemala Desk (x9041)
contacted Staff and Operations Branch/Operational Evaluation ~
Section for information concerning Gerald Patrick HEMMING.
"Dan" was referred to the writer, who is holding the HEMMING
file. When "Dan" contacted the writer, "Dan" advised that he
is the action officer for a cable from the Guatemala Station
reporting an assassination plot on the life of President _
LAUGERUD of Guatemala. "Dan" was unfamiliar with the case of
Gerald Patrick HENMING and had not as yet reviewed the 201 file
on HEMMING. "Dan" was requested to alert CI Staff and JMWAVE
to the below-mentioned cable and to provide the writer with a
copy of the report..coming in from the Guatemala Station.

Er.

2. ‘Dan'' provided the writer with a copy of the cable
(IN 944357, Cite Guatemala City 19536, dated 8 June 1976),
which is attached. In substance, the cable reflects that
circa 8 June 1976 a Guatemalan source, with the knowledge of

Guatemalan President LAUGERUD, provided the Guatemala Station

-—--- -g written report, and.a detailed briefing, concerning a-plot

to assassinate President LAUGERUD. According to the informa-
tion the plot was to have been carried out on 15 September
1975; however, one of the major conspirators, Jorge Antonio
"Cokie" ZIMERI Safie left Guatemala in August 1975 as a result
of an attack upon his, ZIMERI's, life. ZIMERI has been Tiving
in Miami since August 1975S.

3. According to the report, the National Liberation
Movement was involved with ZIMERI in the assassination plot
and ZIMERI in turn was involved with two Americans, brothers,
Robert and Gerald Patrick HEMMING. The HEMNING brothers
assisted ZIMERI in acquiring arms, among other things, which
were flown to Guatemala in a small aircraft. The report also
claims that ZIMERI has close relations with police officials
in Miami and New Orleans.

E2 IMPDET
CL BY 063994

NW 89804 Docld:323605651 Page 2

NOTE: The Guatemala Station also included
information the Chief of Station had received
from ESDEW-1 on 8 June. ESDEW-1 said that he
had been providing information on ZIMERI to the
Guatemalan government for the past six months or  _
so. He claimed that two Americans were involved
with ZIMERI, one of them who runs a guard service
in Miami. ESDEW-1 did not mention names but ,
described one of the Americans as about six feet
four inches and weighing about 230 pounds.

Guatemalan report of the assassination plot ends

4 she
equests for information by President LAUGERUD:

with five
a. Is ZIMERI still in the United States?

b. In the event ZIMERI is not in the United
States legally, deport him to Guatemala.

c. Is ZIMERI recruiting merceraries in the
United States for possible use in
Guatemala?

d. Does ZIMERI receive any kind of preferen-
tial treatment by U. S. authorities which
permit him to carry firearms, as well as’
to purchase arms and ammunition for
shipment to Guatemala? |

oe) )©6CAny. information_on Robert and Gerald
- -— --  . .-- HEMMING?

5. On 19 June 1976 "Dan" of the Guatemala Desk advised
that DDO is referring the entire matter to the FBI and State
Department. ~

6. Office of Security indices are negative in pertinent
variations of the name of ZIMERI or Robert HEMMING.

7. From the name, physical description, activity, and
alleged employment, it is apparent that Gerald Patrick HEMMING
is identical with the subject of Office of Security file
429 229, who has been described as six-foot five, 250 pounds,
who is a notorious mercenary and soldier of fortune and who as
of May 1975 was ostensibly employed by a private investigation
company, TEPCOL Security (Office of Security--no record) in
Miami, Florida.

NW 89804 Docld:323605651 Page 3 ~

8. Gerald Patrick HEMMING is well known to this Agency,
the Office of Security Miami Field Office, and JNWAVE. On
numerous occasions since at least the early 1960's, HEMMING
had claimed Agency affiliation when in fact there has been
none. The most recent incident wherein HEMMING claimed such
affiliation was in May 1975 when he volunteered his services
to the Drug Enforcement Administration. Gerald Patrick HEMMING
is a long-time cohort of Frank Anthony STURGIS (SF#353 459),
aka: Fréenk FIORINI, of Watergate notoriety who also has a
long-time record of falsely claiming Agency affiliation. In
the late 1250's HEMMING and STURGIS, both former U.S. Marines,
joined Fidel CASTRO in Cuba but returned shortly thereafter
Claiming disillusicnment with the CASTRO cause. Soon thereafter,
STURGIS organized a group of mercenaries for Caribbean and
Central American activities which he named the International er
Anti-Communist Brigade. A reported sub-unit of this "Brigade"
(the backers of whom have never been fully established) was
named the Intercontinental Penetration Force, headed by Gerald
Patrick HEMMING.

9. For an appreciation of the possible ramifications of
a Guatemalen government expose of this assassination plot
involving HEMMING, you are referred to attachments to instant
memorandum, to wit: a memorandum by the writer dated 10 June
1975 in the name of Frank STURGIS and Everett Howard HUNT, Jr.;
and an extract from a book published in early 1976 written by
Michael CANFIELD and Alan J. WEBERMAN. The book Coup d'etat
in America--The CIA and the Assassination of John F. Kennedy
Is a diatribe against the Agency and attempts to link the Agency
with the assassination _of President KENNEDY. One of the major _
links attempted by the authors is through Everett Howard HUNT,
Jr. to Frank STURGIS to Gerald Patrick HEMMING to Loran Eugene
HALL. Loran Eugene HALL was a member of HEMMING's Interconti-
nental Penetration Force. Loran Eugene HALL received nationwide
publicity in 1967 when New Orleans District Attorney “Jim
GARRISON alleged that HALL (and the Intercontinental Penetration
Force) was involved in the assassination of President KENNEDY
and that members of this unit were connected with CIA. GARRISON
shortly thereafter dropped his interest in HALL, but it is
interesting. that he did so after Gerald Patrick HEMMING and
another cohort, Robert K. BROWN, joined GARRISCN's investigation.

Jerry G. Brown
Deputy Chief
Security Analysis Group

Atts _

NW 89804 Docld:323605651 Page 4

a

~4

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NW 89804 Docld:323605651 Page 5

Date:
Page:

JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM
IDENTIFICATION FORM

AGENCY INFORMATION

CIA
104-10130-10080
JFK

80TO01357A

DOCUMENT INFORMATION

CIA
JERRY G. BROWN

CHIEF, SECURITY ANALYSIS GROUP
HEMMING, GERALD PATRICK.
06/11/76
3
STURGIS,
HEMMING,

FRANK
GERALD

PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT
SECRET

1B

RELEASED WITH DELETIONS
08/11/97

JFK46:F6A 1997.08.11.20:27:11:606102:

Blease under the
resident John F. Kennedy
ssassination Records

11/07/99
1

CLASSIFIED
ATTACHMENT

11 June 1976

MEMORANDUM FOR: Chief, Security Analysis Group _

SUBJECT : HEMMING, Gerald Patrick
SF#429 229

~

1. On 9 June 1969 "Dan" of the DDO Guatemala Desk (x9041)
contacted Staff and Operations Branch/Operational Evaluation —
Section for information concerning Gerald Patrick HEMMING.

"Dan" was referred to the writer, who is holding the HEMMING “~
file. When "Dan" contacted the writer, "Dan" advised that he
js the action officer for a cable from the Guatemala Station
reporting an assassination plot on the life of President
LAUGERUD of Guatemala. "Dan" was unfamiliar with the case of
Gerald Patrick HEMMING and had not as yet reviewed the 201 file
on:-HEMMING. "Dan" was requested to alert Cl Staff and JMWAVE
to the below-mentioned cable and to provide the writer with a
copy of the report..coming in from the Guatemala Station.

2. Dan" provided the writer with a copy of the cable
(IN 944357, Cite Guatemala City 19536, dated 8 June 1976),
which is attached. In substance, the cable reflects that
circa 8 June 1976 a Guatemalan source, with the knowledge of
Guatemalan President LAUGERUD, provided the Guatemala Station
-——- -g written report, and.a detailed briefing, concerning .a-plot

to assassinate President LAUGERUD. According to the informa-
tion the plot was to have been carried out on 15 September
1975; however, one of the major conspirators, Jorge Antonio
"Cokie" ZIMERI Safie left Guatemala in August 1975 as a result
of an attack upon his, ZIMERI's, life. ZIMERI has been living
in Miami since August 1975.

3. According to the report, the National Liberation
Movement was involved with ZIMERI in the assassination plot
and ZIMERI in turn was involved with two Americans, brothers,
Robert and Gerald Patrick HEMMING. The HEMMING brothers
assisted ZIMERI in acquiring arms, among other things, which
were flown to Guatemala in a small aircraft. The report also
claims that ZIMERI has close relations with police officials
in Miami and New Orleans.

E2 IMPDET
CL BY 063994

NW 89804 Docld:32305651 Page 6

NOTE: The Guatemala Station also included
information the Chief of Station had received
from ESDEW-1 on 8 June. ESDEW-1 said that he
had deen providing information on ZIMERI to the
Guatemalan government for the past six months or _
so. He claimed that two Americans were involved
with ZIMERI, one of them who runs a guard service
in Miemi. ESDEW-1 did not mention names but
described one of the Americans as about six feet
four inches and weighing about 230 pounds.

4. The Guatemalan report of the assassination plot ends
with five requests for information by President LAUGERUD:

a. Is ZIMERI still in the United States?

b. In the event ZIMERI is not in the United
States legally, deport him to Guatemala.

c. Is ZIMERI recruiting merceraries in the
United States for possible use in
Guatemala?

d. Does ZIMERI receive any kind of preferen-
tial treatment by U. S. authorities which
permit him to carry firearms, as wel] as”
to purchase arms and ammunition for
shipment to Guatemala? |

_.... ..@. Any. information_on Robert and Gerald
.-- HEMMING?

5S. On 19 June 1976 "Dan" of the Guatemala Desk advised
that DDO is referring the entire matter to the FBI and State
Department. 7

6. Office of Security indices are negative in pertinent
variations of the name of ZIMERI or Robert HEMMING.

7. From the name, physical description, activity, and
alleged employment, it is apparent that Gerald Patrick HEMMING
is identical with the subject of Office of Security file
429 229, who has been described as six-foot five, 250 pounds,
who is a notorious mercenary and soldier of fortune and who as
of May 1975 was ostensibly employed by a private investigation
company, TEPCOL Security (Office of Security--no record) in
Miami, Florida.

NW 89804 Docld:32305651 Page?

8. Gerald Patrick HEMMING is well known to this Agency,
the Office of Security Miami Field Office, and JMWAVE. On
numerous occasions since at least the early 1960's, HEMMING
had claimed Agency affiliation when in fact there has been
none. The most recent incident wherein HEMMING claimed such
affiliation was in May 1975 when he volunteered his services
to the Drug Enforcement Administration. Gerald Patrick HEMMING
is a long-time cohort of Frank Anthony STURGIS (SF#353 459),
aka: Fréenk FIORINI, of Watergate notoriety who-also has a
long-time record of falsely claiming Agency affiliation. In
the late 1250's HEMMING and STURGIS, both former U.S. Marines,
joined Fidel CASTRO in Cuba but returned shortly thereafter -
Claiming disillusionment with the CASTRO cause. Soon thereafter,
STURGIS organized a group of mercenaries for Caribbean and
Central American activities which he named the International “
Anti-Communist Brigade. A reported sub-unit of this "Brigade"
(the backers of whom have never been fully established) was
named the Intercontinental Penetration Force, headed by Gerald
Patrick HEMMING.

9. For an appreciation of the possible ramifications of
a Guatemalan government expose of this assassination plot
involving HEMMING, you are referred to attachments to instant
memorandum, to wit: a memorandum by the writer dated 10 June
1975 in the name of Frank STURGIS and Everett Howard HUNT, Jr.,;
and an extract from a book published in early 1976 written by
Michael CANFIELD and Alan J. WEBERMAN. The book Coup d'etat
in America--The CIA and the Assassination of John F. Kennedy
is a diatribe against the Agency and attempts to link the Agency
with the assassination of President KENNEDY. One of the major _
links attempted by the authors is through Everett Howard HUNT,
Jr. to Frank STURGIS to Gerald Patrick HEMMING to Loran Eugene
HALL. Loran Eugene HALL was a member of HEMMING's Interconti-
nental Penetration Force. Loran Eugene HALL received nationwide
publicity in 1967 when New Orleans District Attorney "Jim"
GARRISON alleged that HALL (and the Intercontinental Penetration
Force) was involved in the assassination of President KENNEDY
and that members of this unit were connected with CIA. GARRISON
shortly thereafter dropped his interest in HALL, but it is
interesting. that he did so after Gerald Patrick HEMMING and
another cohort, Robert K. BROWN, joined GARRISCN's investigation.

Jerry G. Brown
Deputy Chief
Security Analysis Group

Atts -
3

Shore

NW 89804 Docld:32305651 Page 8