121. Telegram 7183 From the Embassy in Brazil to the Department of State1 2
Ref
- Embtel 721
1. Facts of Ambassador Elbrick’s kidnapping as known as of 1630 as follows:
2. Ambassador’s Cadillac was stopped several blocks from the residence at approximately 145 by four armed men. The assailants got into the Ambassador’s car and forced the chauffeur to drive to an isolated spot. At this time the Ambassador was chloroformed and placed in a Volkswagen microbus. The chauffeur and Cadillac were left there but the assailants took keys of the car and destroyed the car’s communications system with the Embassy; the driver walked to the nearest residence and notified the Embassy.
3. One witness has been located who was able to supply the license numbers of the two Volkswagens used in the kidnapping; both license plates were from other states of Brazil; the vehicle that was used to block the Ambassador’s Cadillac was abandoned on the street. The assailants left a note in the car which was signed MR–8 (a terrorist group of Castro-ite persuasion). We will transmit the text of the note as soon as it is received at the Embassy. The Embassy has [Page 2] received no phone calls from the group that carried out the kidnapping. All above information has been transmitted to the federal police and all other intelligence units in both the federal and state governments. All Brazilian authorities have been notified. Extra security guards have been placed at the residence at Mrs. Elbrick’s request. The security officer is at the scene interrogating the driver and witness. We will report further as soon as the security officer returns to the Embassy.
- Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL 23–9 BRAZ. Secret; Flash. Repeated to Sao Paulo, Brasilia, and USCINCSO. In telegram 7181 from Rio de Janeiro, September 4, DCM Belton reported: “Ambassador Elbrick’s chauffeur has just phoned Embassy to say Ambassador has been kidnapped from his limousine. We will furnish further information as soon as possible.” (Ibid.) Despite his abduction, all of the telegrams from Embassy Rio de Janeiro continued to bear his name during the period of the kidnapping.↩
- The Embassy reported on the kidnapping of Ambassador Elbrick.↩