--- aliases: - Cabazon Security Corporation - Cabazon Security Corp. - Cabazon Arms - Cabazon Arms Co. - CSC - CSC/WSI Joint Venture - Cabazon Indian Security - Cabazon Indian Security/WSI Joint Venture - Wackenhut/Cabazon Joint Venture category: Private Organization created: 2026-10-09 location: Indio, California relations: - fn: 2 role: joint venture agreement signed by A. Robert Frye for Wackenhut Services, Inc., a subsidiary of Wackenhut Corporation start: 1981-04 type: partner_of with: '[[Wackenhut Corporation]]' - fn: 2 role: agreement signed by Tribal Chairman Arthur Welmas for the corporation start: 1981-04 type: partner_of with: '[[Cabazon Indian Reservation|Cabazon Band of Mission Indians]]' - fn: 1 reverse: true role: president of Wackenhut Services, Inc., responded to the capabilities solicitation and signed for Wackenhut start: 1981-04 type: participant_in with: '[[Robert Frye]]' - fn: 2 reverse: true role: Tribal Chairman, signed the April 1981 agreement for the corporation start: 1981-04 type: participant_in with: '[[Arthur Welmas]]' - fn: 1 reverse: true role: tribal administrator, conducted the negotiations for the Cabazons, signed letters for the venture start: 1981 type: participant_in with: '[[Dr. John Philip Nichols]]' - end: 1984 fn: 14 reverse: true role: claimed in a March 21, 1991 affidavit to have been Director of Research and to have worked for Wackenhut in 1983 and 1984; the Bua report found no evidence of employment start: 1983 type: participant_in with: '[[Michael Riconosciuto]]' - fn: 13 reverse: true role: former president of Armtec Defense Products, advisor to the venture on combustible cartridge casings start: 1981 type: participant_in with: '[[Peter Zokosky]]' start: 1981-04 summary: Security company formed in early 1981 by the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians and Wackenhut Services, Inc., whose correspondence also uses the name Cabazon Arms. tags: - Organization - Private - Security - ArmsTrade - CabazonBand - Wackenhut - Indio - California - ContraWar - PROMIS title: Cabazon Security Corporation updated: 2026-10-09 --- Cabazon Security Corporation was a security company that the [Cabazon Band of Mission Indians](/places/cabazon-indian-reservation/) formed in early 1981 near Indio, California, and that entered a joint venture the same year with [Wackenhut Services, Inc.](/organizations/wackenhut-services/), a subsidiary of [Wackenhut Corporation](/organizations/wackenhut-corporation/). Correspondence from the venture also uses the name Cabazon Arms, and a 1985 newspaper gave the same name to the venture. ### Formation The report of Special Counsel [Nicholas J. Bua](/people/nicholas-j-bua/) to the Attorney General states that "During early 1981 the Cabazons formed a company known as Cabazon Security Corporation ("CSC")."[^1] According to [A. Robert Frye](/people/robert-frye/), the report continues, CSC solicited capabilities statements from a number of major security firms, and Frye, then president of Wackenhut Services, Inc., responded on behalf of Wackenhut. The report states that Wackenhut was interested "in working with the Cabazons because CSC, as a qualified minority contractor, would be eligible to obtain government contract work pursuant to various set-aside programs."[^1] An [FBI](/organizations/federal-bureau-of-investigation/) interview of Frye in November 1992 gives a different account of the first contact. Frye told agents that [Dr. John Philip Nichols](/people/dr-john-philip-nichols/), the tribal manager, had contacted Wackenhut to ask whether it wished to enter a joint venture with the Cabazons to obtain government security contracts set aside for minority businesses.[^3] The Bua report states that negotiations went forward with Frye on behalf of Wackenhut and with Nichols conducting them for the Cabazons.[^1] The report dates the agreement to April 1981: "In April of 1981 Wackenhut entered into a joint venture agreement with CSC. The agreement was signed by Frye on behalf of Wackenhut, and Tribal Chairman [Art Welmas](/people/arthur-welmas/) on behalf of CSC."[^2] The report quotes the agreement's stated purpose: "it was the primary purpose of the joint venture to 'qualify for, bid on, and obtain government guard service contracts.'"[^2] The report states that the joint venture bid on two government security contracts that it did not receive.[^2] Frye told agents that no contracts resulted from the joint venture.[^3] The report identifies Welmas as Tribal Chairman in 1981 and states that "A non-Indian man, John Philip Nichols, was the Tribal Administrator and managed the business affairs of the tribe."[^1] Its account of the workforce reads: "the joint venture had no employees at any time" and "The only individual employed by Wackenhut was Frye."[^4] A letter to the Treasury Board of Canada, in the [Danny Casolaro](/people/danny-casolaro/) papers, refers to a June 26, 1981 meeting in Ottawa between the VCPC Task Force and the CSC/WSI Joint Venture. Its signature block names A.R. Frye and Dr. John P. Nichols.[^5] Frye's FBI interview describes an attempt, during his visits to southern California from 1981 through 1983, by Wackenhut and the Cabazons to buy Valley Field Ammunitions, a private Canadian armaments manufacturer that was in bankruptcy. Frye said that the Canadian government did not approve the purchase.[^3] ### Names in use The venture's correspondence used several names. A letter dated January 20, 1983, from John P. Nichols to [Dr. Harry Fair](/people/dr-harry-fair/) of Tactical Technology in Arlington, Virginia, carries the letterhead "CABAZON ARMS" with "CABAZON SECURITY CORPORATION" beneath it and the address of the Indio office. The letter also carries the line "CABAZON ARMS A CSC/WSI JOINT VENTURE." The letter states: "The clearance documents that were submitted for Cabazon Arms to DOD were found to be acceptable by the Los Angeles DOD Office and have been forwarded to Washington D.C. for final approval."[^6] A letter of March 23, 1982, addressed to [Peter Zokosky](/people/peter-zokosky/), carries the heading "Cabazon Security Corp./ Wackenhut Joint Venture."[^7] A May 1 letter over the name of Arthur Welmas to La France Specialties of [San Diego](/places/san-diego/) is headed "CABAZON INDIAN SECURITY /WSI JOINT VENTURE." A sentence in the body of that letter refers to Cabazon Arms and states that all sales would be sought and consummated through sources acceptable to the State Department.[^8] [Cheri Seymour](/people/cheri-seymour/) describes the January 20, 1983 letter, in her chapter on [Michael Riconosciuto](/people/michael-riconosciuto/), as written "on Wackenhut/Cabazon letterhead" by Nichols as "Cabazon Administrator."[^9] Seymour's chapter also quotes the letter's reference to "the Cabazon Arms CA 9 SMG which 'Peter Zokosky had the British interested in.'"[^9] On March 21, 1985 the Desert Sun described "the now-defunct Cabazon Arms Co." on the reservation outside Indio, "according to numerous sources." The paper reported that Zokosky, described as a former partner in the company, said that Nichols formed the Cabazon Arms Co. to manufacture weapons in a joint venture with Wackenhut Services, an international security company based in Florida.[^10] The same article quoted Wackenhut President Bob Frye: "We severed our relations with the tribe over a year ago."[^10] The newsclippings file that [Danny Casolaro](/people/danny-casolaro/) kept on the venture is headed "CABAZON ARMS AND WACKENHUT," according to the file index reproduced in Jim Keith's 1996 book [The Octopus](/concepts/the-octopus/).[^11] The Bua report and the House report do not use the name Cabazon Arms. The Bua report uses "Cabazon Security Corporation," and the House report refers to "the so-called Wackenhut/Cabazon Indian joint venture."[^4][^12] ### Products and proposals The Bua report states that Nichols "indicated a desire to have the joint venture engage in the sale of night vision goggles and rifle scopes to foreign governments," and that Wackenhut's files contain documents showing his efforts to market the equipment to representatives of the governments of [Guatemala](/places/guatemala/) and [Honduras](/places/honduras/). The report quotes Nichols: "It was Nichols' view that the Cabazon's, as a sovereign nation, were not subject to the usual export and import controls." It adds: "As far as we could tell, no sales were ever made."[^2] The report states that internal Wackenhut memoranda expressed the opinion that any such sales would require State Department approval, and that Wackenhut filed preliminary applications with the [State Department](/organizations/state-department/).[^2] The Bua report describes a second line of business: "the manufacture and/or sale of combustible cartridge casings for large caliber cannons." Zokosky, the former president of Armtec Defense Products, is named as the person who introduced the Cabazons to the field, and the report states that the venture pursued the possibility of becoming a second-source supplier for the United States Army.[^13] The January 20, 1983 letter lists research and development projects, among them a second 9mm machine pistol, a selective-fire assault rifle, "a long distance sniper rifle," and "a small portable rocket system." It states: "We are continuing to pursue the 120MM contract. A definite decision has not been made to date by the US government." It describes the CA 9 SMG submachine gun as one that "can be produced for $75.00 per unit on the reservation and sold for $100.00 to $125.00," and states: "Kuwait has been particularly interested in financing the production of the CA 9 SMG."[^6] The FBI interview of Frye says that Nichols brought in a man named Vanderworker, described as the head of a security company in California with rights to buy night vision goggles from Litton Industries, and suggested that 300 goggles could be sold to the Nicaraguan government. Frye said that Nichols believed the Cabazons' sovereign status meant no export license was needed. Frye said that he was not present at a later demonstration to Guatemalan representatives, and that Nichols told him Riconosciuto had removed the price tags from the goggles beforehand.[^3] The records found do not establish whether the Vanderworker named in Frye's interview is the former CIA officer [John Vandewerker](/people/john-vandewerker/).[^3] Claims that the venture supplied weapons to foreign governments and to the Contras are attributed to Riconosciuto's affidavit. Bua summarizes that affidavit as claiming that he "had been Director of Research for a joint venture between Wackenhut Corporation and the Cabazon Indians of Indio, California," and describes the venture as engaged in "the development and manufacture of certain military type materials, which were then intended to be sold to foreign governments and forces."[^14] A newspaper clipping in the Casolaro papers attributes to Riconosciuto, from the affidavit, the statement that, because the band was sovereign, such weapons could be made "without congressional scrutiny" for "U.S. client regimes" in the Middle East and Latin America, and for "groups such as the contras."[^15] The Bua report states that it found "no evidence to support Riconosciuto's claim that he and [Earl Brian](/people/earl-brian/) were employed by Wackenhut or by the joint venture."[^4] ### The September 10, 1981 demonstration The Bua report places a demonstration in the joint venture's sales effort on the evening of September 10, 1981: "a demonstration of night vision equipment was held on the evening of September 10, 1981, at the Lake Cahuilla gun range in Indio, California."[^2] A Riverside County District Attorney's Office Special Operations Report, typed October 10, 1991 and prepared by investigator Gene Gilbert, carries the title "Nicaraguans and Earl Brian at Lake Cahuilla - 9/10/81." The Bua report states that the report lists sixteen people present, including Zokosky, Nichols, Welmas, Cross and Brian, and that "all the information in that report, save for the license plate numbers and the registrations, came from Riconosciuto."[^16] The Bua report also records what Baird told its investigators. Dave Baird, an Indio police sergeant in 1981, said that Police Chief Cross had told him that City Manager Phil Hawes "had arranged for a demonstration by the Cabazons to take place at the Lake Cahuilla gun range."[^16] The FBI interviews of October 1992 place the demonstration elsewhere. Cross told agents that the demonstration was held at the Indio Police Department firing range, that he assigned four or five officers to watch from outside the range, and that if automatic weapons were present the officers were expected to arrest Nichols. Cross also said that he did not attend and had no idea who was present.[^17] Baird's FD-302 gives the same location. It states that Hawes told him the police department would provide the range and security for the demonstration, and that Hawes said the Cabazons and Wackenhut had entered a joint venture to produce weapons for resale.[^18] [Wayne Reeder](/people/wayne-reeder/), a real estate developer, told agents that he attended a demonstration at the Indio Police Department range that Hawes had asked him to attend.[^19] Zokosky's FD-302 gives both locations. He told agents that Nichols first said the demonstration would take place on the reservation, and that Zokosky thought the Indio Police Department range would be better and asked Hawes whether it could be used.[^20] A September 21, 1992 memorandum by William L. McGrath records Zokosky's account that the demonstration was originally scheduled for the Cabazon reservation and was moved to a police firing range for security reasons.[^21] The Desert Sun of March 21, 1985 quoted Zokosky as saying that Nichols arranged a demonstration of night vision equipment "at Lake Cahuilla near La Quinta" for four military leaders, presumably from Central America, and that one observer was reportedly [Eden Pastora](/people/eden-pastora/).[^10] The Bua report states that the Riverside report lists Cross among those present, while Cross told agents he did not attend. The Bua report states that Baird's handwritten notes of the car registrations "refer only to Wayne Reeder in the Rolls Royce."[^16] The Bua report concludes: "The credible evidence is overwhelming that Brian was not there."[^16] It adds that Brian's 1981 calendar shows that he flew from Washington to New York on the afternoon of September 9 and that a limousine was ordered for him in New York on September 10, and that his airline receipt and expense records are consistent with the calendar.[^16] ### Earl Brian and Meridian Arms The House report states that Brian "flatly contradicts Riconosciuto's claims in his own sworn statement to committee investigators."[^22] It quotes an affidavit of Brian of April 2, 1991 in which he "stated that he had never heard of, or was associated with, the so-called Wackenhut/Cabazon Indian joint venture." The House report concludes: "the committee is not in a position to make findings of fact on Dr. Brian's role."[^22] The House report describes "a number of speculative reports and fragmentary records purporting to link [Robert Booth Nichols](/people/robert-booth-nichols/), through a company called [Meridian Arms Corporation](/organizations/meridian-international-logistics/), and Michael Riconosciuto to certain covert intelligence activities, including a joint venture between the Cabazon Indian Reservation and Wackenhut, Inc."[^22] It quotes Art Welmas in the Washington Business Journal of March 30, 1992: "Brian must have been involved."[^22] Seymour wrote that "M.I.L. also controlled Meridian Arms Corporation of which Riconosciuto was briefly Vice President."[^9] Frye told agents that he did not know Brian and had never met or seen him.[^3] Zokosky told agents that he knew what Brian looked like and that Brian was not at the demonstration.[^20] [^1]: United States Department of Justice, *Report of Special Counsel Nicholas J. Bua to the Attorney General of the United States Regarding the Allegations of INSLAW, Inc.* (March 1993), section "(i) The Wackenhut-Cabazon Joint Venture," printed p. 55. Official finding, placed as the position of the body that issued it. https://archive.org/details/doj-oip-inslaw-1993 [^2]: Bua report, section "(i) The Wackenhut-Cabazon Joint Venture," printed pp. 56 to 57. Official finding, placed as the position of the body that issued it. https://archive.org/details/doj-oip-inslaw-1993 [^3]: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Los Angeles, FD-302 of the interview of Robert Frye, Coral Gables, Florida, file 74-86438, interview November 19, 1992, DocID 70002059, pages 19 to 21. https://archive.org/download/INSLAW-CabazonWackenhunt/DOCID-70002059%20INSLAW%20Cabazon%20Wackenhunt_djvu.txt [^4]: Bua report, section "(i) The Wackenhut-Cabazon Joint Venture," printed p. 58. Official finding, placed as the position of the body that issued it. https://archive.org/details/doj-oip-inslaw-1993 [^5]: Letter to the Program Branch, Treasury Board Canada, Ottawa, copy to Mr. David Dodd, Industry, Trade and Commerce Canada, re VCPC Task Force, undated, signature block "A.R. Frye and Dr. John P. Nichols, CSC/WSI Joint Venture," Danny Casolaro papers, folder "Wackenhut-Correspondence." https://archive.org/details/casolaro-notebooks [^6]: Letter, John P. Nichols to Dr. Harry Fair, Tactical Technology, Arlington, Virginia, January 20, 1983, on "Cabazon Arms" and "Cabazon Security Corporation" letterhead, Danny Casolaro papers, folder "Wackenhut-Correspondence." https://archive.org/details/casolaro-notebooks [^7]: Letter, "Cabazon Security Corp./ Wackenhut Joint Venture," addressed to Peter Zokosky, March 23, 1982, Danny Casolaro papers, folder "Wackenhut-Correspondence." https://archive.org/details/casolaro-notebooks [^8]: Letter over the name of Arthur Welmas, May 1 (year not printed), to La France Specialties, San Diego, Danny Casolaro papers, folder "Wackenhut-Correspondence." The heading reads "CABAZON INDIAN SECURITY /WSI JOINT VENTURE." https://archive.org/details/casolaro-notebooks [^9]: Seymour, Cheri. *The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro's Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal*. TrineDay, 2010, chapter 10. For the "Cabazon Arms CA 9 SMG" and "M.I.L." passages and for her account of the letter. [^10]: John Hussar, "Crime probes tied to Nichols associates," *The Desert Sun* (Palm Springs, California), March 21, 1985, front page. [^11]: Jim Keith, *The Octopus: Secret Government and the Death of Danny Casolaro* (Feral House, 1996), reproduction of "Casolaro's Newsclippings File" subject index, heading "CABAZON ARMS AND WACKENHUT." https://archive.org/details/jim-keith-the-octopus-secret-government-and-the-death-of-danny-casolaro_2 [^12]: United States House of Representatives, Committee on the Judiciary, *The INSLAW Affair*, H. Rept. 102-857 (1992), p. 72. https://archive.org/details/InslawAffairInvestigativeReport [^13]: Bua report, section "(i) The Wackenhut-Cabazon Joint Venture," printed p. 57. Official finding, placed as the position of the body that issued it. https://archive.org/details/doj-oip-inslaw-1993 [^14]: Bua report, section "(ii) Riconosciuto's March 21, 1991 Affidavit," printed p. 44. Official finding, placed as the position of the body that issued it. Riconosciuto's own claims, as summarized by the report. https://archive.org/details/doj-oip-inslaw-1993 [^15]: Newspaper clipping on INSLAW and PROMIS, undated, Danny Casolaro papers, folder "Wackenhut-Correspondence2." https://archive.org/details/casolaro-notebooks [^16]: Bua report, section "(ii) The September 10, 1981 Weapons Demonstration," printed pp. 61 to 66, including the Baird interview at p. 64 and the Brian calendar at p. 66. Official finding, placed as the position of the body that issued it. https://archive.org/details/doj-oip-inslaw-1993 [^17]: FBI, Los Angeles, FD-302 of the interview of Sam Cross, file 74-86438, interview October 6, 1992 (transcribed December 10, 1992), DocID 70002059. https://archive.org/download/INSLAW-CabazonWackenhunt/DOCID-70002059%20INSLAW%20Cabazon%20Wackenhunt_djvu.txt [^18]: FBI, Los Angeles, FD-302 of the interview of Sergeant Dave Baird, file 74-86438, interview October 6, 1992 (transcribed December 9, 1992), DocID 70002059. https://archive.org/download/INSLAW-CabazonWackenhunt/DOCID-70002059%20INSLAW%20Cabazon%20Wackenhunt_djvu.txt [^19]: FBI, Los Angeles, FD-302 of the interview of Wayne Reeder, file 74-86438, interview October 5, 1992 (transcribed December 9, 1992), DocID 70002059. https://archive.org/download/INSLAW-CabazonWackenhunt/DOCID-70002059%20INSLAW%20Cabazon%20Wackenhunt_djvu.txt [^20]: FBI, Los Angeles, FD-302 of the interview of Peter Zokosky, file 74-86438, interview October 5, 1992 (transcribed December 9, 1992), DocID 70002059, p. 3. https://archive.org/download/INSLAW-CabazonWackenhunt/DOCID-70002059%20INSLAW%20Cabazon%20Wackenhunt_djvu.txt [^21]: William L. McGrath, memorandum, "Telephone Conversations with Pete Zokosky," September 21, 1992, in the Hadron, Inc. file (DocID 70002059, page 4). https://archive.org/download/INSLAW-CabazonWackenhunt/DOCID-70002059%20INSLAW%20Cabazon%20Wackenhunt_djvu.txt [^22]: United States House of Representatives, Committee on the Judiciary, *The INSLAW Affair*, H. Rept. 102-857 (1992), pp. 72 to 73, section "Possible connection between Earl Brian, Michael Riconosciuto, Robert Booth Nichols and the Cabazon Indian Reservation." Official finding, placed as the position of the body that issued it. https://archive.org/details/InslawAffairInvestigativeReport --- *The Info Web has an MCP server for agents at https://theinfoweb.org/mcp (streamable HTTP, no auth): search by meaning, exact text, source or date, and follow typed, footnoted connections. Setup and the same tools over GET: https://theinfoweb.org/llms.txt*