[Editor’s note: This is a State Department cable that was included in the FBI’s 2009 RYMUR release of documents under the Freedom of Information Act. It was not included in the State Department’s own release, but we have included identifying information for it using the agency’s designations.
[The text for this document was released in 2014 by the now-defunct Wikileaks website at https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/1978PORTO03396_d.html. This URL may be available through the Wayback Machine.]
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PORT O 03396 261515Z
ACTION ARA-15
INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 FBIE-00 SY-05 SYE-00 SVC-00 CA-01 L-03 CG-00 DOTE-00 JUSE-00 CIAE-00 INR-10 NSAE-00 INRE-00 SS-15 SSO-00 H-01 /051 W
——————089634 261519Z /14
O 261505Z NOV 78
FM AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN
TO AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN NIACT IMMEDIATE
SECSTATE WASHDC NIACT IMMEDIATE 3285
INFO AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L PORT OF SPAIN 03396
E. O. 11652: GDS.
TAGS: CASC, OREP (RYAN, LEO), TD
SUBJECT: PEOPLES’ TEMPLE MOVEMENT.
1. “Albatross III,” vessel flying Panamaian flag, departed Port of Spain for Barbados evening of November 25, ETA Bridgetown approximately 6:00 p.m. November 26. Cargo is soap and caustic soda, believed to be consigned to lever bros. Agent is Eric Hassell, Citibank, Bridgetown. Crew consists of Guyanese captain and eight (8) seamen who apparently have no connection with pt. PT members on board are Philip Blakey (British citizen) and US citizen Charles Touchette.
2. Two FBI agents out of San Juan currently are in Port of Spain for purpose of questioning the two TP [PT] members who arrived here aboard the “Albatross III” but did not depart for Barbados (Janero [Richard Janaro] and [Helen] Swinney). The agents would like to proceed to Bridgetown tomorrow (Monday) to question Touchette and Blakey. Please determine if Barbados government agreeable to visit and advise us, if possible today, by NIACT immediate.
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PORT O 03396 261515Z
3. If you are able, please determine precisely where the “Albatross III” puts up. Also if there is time, it would be extremely helpful if you could determine from Touchette, and at your discretion, Blakey (he is British citizen who has visited in the US), whether either or both are willing to talk to the two agents.
Fox [Richard J. Fox, Jr., American Ambassador to Trinidad]
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