In September 1961 Gordon Novel took part in the burglary of a Schlumberger munitions bunker. He informed the FBI: "Schlumberger Well Service had an arrangement with the CIA wherein it leased a bunker in which ammunition, bomb casings and other materiel would be stored for the CIA. Eventually the materiel would be shipped out of the United States in Schlumberger boxes marked 'Machinery.' The explosives would then be shipped by boat to Cuba where they were going to be used in a diversionary operation during the Bay of Pigs invasion." The CIA verified Gordon Novel's statement: "Novel has claimed to the press that the munitions from the bunker were to be used for a diversionary operation during the Bay of Pigs invasion. Agency officers familiar with the operation at the (deleted), have indicated that such a diversionary operation was based at (deleted), but that operation was canceled before a landing was made." Gordon Novel continued: "After the Bay of Pigs, Schlumberger became upset and wanted out of its CIA contract; three months after the invasion, arrangements were made for the materiel stored in the bunker to be removed by Novel and his group. At the time the material was removed, an individual involved took some of Schlumberger's low grade powder and fuses and other material, and the incident was reported as a burglary." (Gordon Novel had a previous history of assembling bombs). Gordon Novel said the crates of arms were stamped with the word INTERARMCO. [Police Record Jefferson Parish 1953; Memo Ivan/Garrison re: Novel rec. check; Flammonde Kennedy Conspiracy p76; Wardlaw Plot or Politics p113; New Orleans States-Item 4.25.67; HUNT Day p182 CIA 1332-502, 1045] Gordon Novel reported that Andrew Jerome Blackman, David Ferrie, Sergio Arcacha Smith, and Luis Rabel were involved in the burglary. In a telephone interview with this researcher, Luis Rabel denied he met David Ferrie or Guy Banister, but said he knew Sergio Arcacha Smith. Regarding the burglary, "Well, I used to run a dry cleaners, and I had a truck that I used to loan to about 40 or 50 exiles here. Arcacha asked me to loan him the truck to move some furniture. Whether the truck was used to move anything other than furniture is beyond me." Gordon Novel told the press: "It was one of the most patriotic burglaries ever committed...the CIA virtually gave us the key to the bunker...my fellow burglar, Arcacha Smith, and I are still employed by the CIA." [FBI 62-109060-4789, 4707; NYT 4.5.67; New Orleans States-Item 4.25.67]

A company that marketed surveillance equipment reported in 1965 that Gordon Novel had placed an order with it using a fictitious address. Later that year, he appeared at the Lost and Found counter at New Orleans Airport to inquire about some misrouted bugging equipment. Gordon Novel explained to the FBI he had demonstrated the equipment to the State Department. On November 22, 1966, Gordon Novel was made an FBI Potential Criminal Informant. [FBI 62-109060-4707; FBI NO 137-2936] He furnished the FBI information on the Garrison investigation that indicated Jim Garrison was hostile to that agency. J. Edgar Hoover commented: "More & more it becomes evident we should stay as far away as we can from this shyster [New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison]."

At the beginning of Garrison's investigation in 1967, Gordon Novel had offered New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison his services; when he discovered he was to be called as a witness, however, he called the FBI and said he had watched the home of David Ferrie at 5:30 a.m. on the day David Ferrie was found dead, and had seen Jim Garrison leave the house. When Gordon Novel was interrogated by New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison about the munitions bunker operation, he called the New Orleans Domestic Contacts Division of the CIA for advice. He then fled to McLean, Virginia, where he took a lie detector test from retired Army Intelligence Agent and former policeman from the District of Columbia, Lloyd Furr. [CIA 1332, 502, 1045, 1316, 475D, 1345, 1057]