FBI radiogram from Havana, 25 February 1947: the Narcotics Bureau's decision 'cutting off Cuban supply of narcotics until subject expelled,' and Luciano's arrest
A decoded radiogram reports that the United States Narcotic Bureau's decision 'cutting off Cuban supply of narcotics until subject expelled from Cuba rated headlines practically all local newspapers,' that Luciano was arrested and confined at the Cuban immigration center, and that 'THIS OFFICE HAS NO CONCRETE INFORMATION THAT SUBJECT ENGAGING IN ILLEGAL NARCOTIC TRAFFIC HERE.'
- Date
- 1947-02-25
- Kind
- case-file
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-12
- Rights
- A record of the Federal Bureau of Investigation released under FOIA. A work of the United States government, public domain under 17 U.S.C. § 105. The page image of viewer page 234 is stored here.
Viewer page 234 of Part 01 is a decoded FBI radiogram from Havana sent at 2:22 p.m. on 25 February 1947. It reads, in capitals: “UNITED STATES NARCOTIC BUREAU DECISION CUTTING OFF CUBAN SUPPLY OF NARCOTICS UNTIL SUBJECT EXPELLED FROM CUBA RATED HEADLINES PRACTICALLY ALL LOCAL NEWSPAPERS.” It reports that Luciano was “ARRESTED FEBRUARY 23 LAST BY CUBAN SECRET POLICE AND CONFINED TO CUBAN IMMIGRATION CENTER AWAITING DEPORTATION,” and that he was “AGREEABLE TO RETURN ITALY IMMEDIATELY RATHER THAN AWAIT DEPORTATION PROCEEDING.”
It records that the Treasury Department representative at the embassy said his report, “WHICH WAS BASED ON INFORMATION FURNISHED HIM BY THIS OFFICE, UNDOUBTEDLY CAUSED NARCOTIC BUREAU DECISION,” and then: “THIS OFFICE HAS NO CONCRETE INFORMATION THAT SUBJECT ENGAGING IN ILLEGAL NARCOTIC TRAFFIC HERE AND REGULAR TREASURY DEPARTMENT REPRESENTATIVE THIS EMBASSY HAS ADVISED THAT HE LIKEWISE HAS NO SUCH EVIDENCE.” A special Treasury representative who arrived on 23 February “STATED CONFIDENTIALLY THAT DEFINITE PROOF AVAILABLE CONCERNING SUBJECT’S ILLEGAL NARCOTIC SMUGGLING.”
The radiogram gives the arrest as 23 February; the FBI’s report of 22 March gives 22 February. This is the FBI’s contemporary record of the Bureau of Narcotics’ action and of the two Treasury representatives’ differing statements; no Bureau of Narcotics document was opened for this archive. The same March report records the embassy’s later statement to the Cuban government that no embargo had actually been placed.
