Office of the Historian

258. Memorandum From the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Haig) to President Nixon1 2

Washington, March 31, 1972
[Page 1]

SUBJECT:

  • Cuban Sea Captain

You inquired about the Cuban captain of the Panamanian vessel that was seized and is now being held in Havana. The latest word we have, from Panamanian sources, is that they expect the ship itself to be released in the immediate future. Once that happens, and after a short interval of perhaps a few weeks, the Panamanian Government expect the captain to be released. This information is provided by the Panamanians who have been dealing directly with Havana on the ship problem. It is difficult to accurately predict the reliability of this information.

  1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 781, Country Files, Latin America, Cuba, Vol. IV, 1972. Confidential. A stamped notation on the memorandum indicates the President saw it. At the bottom of the memorandum, the President wrote: “Pass to Rebozo.” A notation in Haig’s handwriting reads, “Done by Haig April 5.”↩
  2. Haig reported that the captain of the Johnny Express was still being held in Havana.↩