FIRST CONSULAR VISIT TO ALAN PHILIP GROSS

C O N F I D E N T I A L HAVANA 000772

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR WHA/CCA ALSO FOR CA/OCS
DEPT PASS TO NSC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/27/2019
TAGS: CASC PREL PGOV CU
SUBJECT: FIRST CONSULAR VISIT TO ALAN PHILIP GROSS

Classified By: COM Jonathan Farrar for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: Consul General Martha Melzow visited
arrested Amcit Philip Alan Gross on Monday, December 28 at
Villa Marista. Although Gross was arrested on December 3,
consular access was not granted by the GOC until December 24.
Gross told Congen that he is charged with contraband. He
appeared to be in good spirits although suffering from high
blood pressure. Gross signed a Privacy Act Waiver (PAW) for
his wife, his lawyer and Jack McCarthy of DAI. END SUMMARY


2. f(t_
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4. (C) Gross said that the tests revealed high blood
pressure as well as the existence of a duodenal ulcer for
which he is receiving medication. Gross is currently taking
five prescriptions, three for the ulcer, one for hypertension
and one for elevated levels of uric acid in his urine. He
said he had not experienced hypertension prior to his arrest,
and hoped that he would be off the medication soon, because
he felt that it was affecting his clear-headedness and
balance. Gross mentioned that he had fallen down and also
fainted, and that he needed to stand up from a sitting
position slowly. Gross commented to the CG that he had lost
30 pounds, noting that he was trying to limit the amount of
carbohydrates in his diet. He observed that he was given
lettuce and fresh fruit to eat and joked that good health
seemed to be a very important concept for the prison.
(COMMENT: Post will request another visit soonest to address
these health concerns. END COMMENT.)

ARREST CONDITIONS
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5. (C) Gross declared that he was being treated well and was
not physically abused by GOC officials. However, he did
reveal that the interrogation schedule had been very intense
at first; he estimated that it had endured on average 2 hours
daily. He repeated that GOC officials had treated him with
respect. His cell has a television and a fan; however, he
expressed concern about having to share it with two other
individuals. He told the CGthat although he was wearing his
own clothes, this was the first day he had been allowed to
use a belt and shoelaces. Gross said that he had been
permitted outside for a walk in the organic garden belonging
to the prison. He confirmed that he had spoken twice by
telephone with his wife on December 6 and December 23.


6. (C) When queried by the CG as to what he was charged
with, Gross said quote contraband end quote with no further
clarification. Gross stated that his personal effects at the
time of his arrest consisted of a rolling suitcase, a
backpack and that he had been carrying two cell phones, an
IPOD, his CityBank password decoder and some electronic
adaptors, in addition to toiletries and his U.S. passport
which had been confiscated by Cuban authorities.


7. (C) The CG relayed the message from his family: that they
were well, that they had retained an American lawyer for him
and that the attorney was trying to secure Cuban counsel for
him. At that point Gross pulled the business card of a Cuban
attorney who had come to visit him (Armanda Nuria Pinero
Sierra of the firm Bufete de Servicios Especializados or Law
Firm of Specialized Services). He asked that post clarify
with his U.S. lawyer that they would handle finding him an
attorney so he did not have to worry about it.


8. (C) The CG gave Gross the funds which his wife had sent
via OCS trust and also informed him that a box of supplies
including energy bars, multi-vitamins, and reading material
as well as some toiletries and other items, had been left
with GOC officials for his use. The visit lasted about an
hour. GOC officials expressed surprise that it had not
lasted longer.


9. (C) Comment: Gross wanted to know if the CG knew about
his activities. She said she did not. He then said that
anyone could do a Google search on the Internet and find out
what he had been doing in his career. He told the CG that
the GOC officials quote knew everything end quote before he
was taken into custody and had asked for details of all his
activities, i.e., the projects and companies he had worked
for in the 54 countries he had travelled to during his 30
year career. He asked the CG if there were other Americans
in the same situation, i.e., other Amcits entering Cuba on
the same type of program who had been detained. He also
asked the CG if his case might be compared in any way to
that of the Cuban Five. The CG did not respond to either of
these questions.Finally, Gross asked that post relay to his
family that his sense of humor is intact, that he is worried
about them and that he wants his name kept out of the press.
He also said that he wanted to thank everyone for all the
efforts being made on his behalf.

FARRAR