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2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992
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20 September 1960
MEMORANDUM FOR: DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE
SUBJECT
Summary of STESCALADE - Audio Operation
Against the New China News Agency in Havana
1. In May 1959, the New China News Agency (NCMA) opened.
an office in Hayana in the El Medico Building which is occupied
partly by business concerns and partly used for residential apart-
ments. Shortly thereafter the Havana Station obtained the con-
currence of Ambassador Bonsal and Miss Carolyn O. Stacey, an
Embassy employee, to mount an audio operation against NCNA through
the wall of the adjacent apartment in which Miss Stacey lived. In
November 1959, the FE Division sent one case officer and one TSD
technician to Havana, and the installation of a microphone and tape
recorder was completed in Miss Stacey's apartment on 29 November
1959.
2. By June 1960, it had become evident that two other rooms
occupied by NCNA possibly housed communication equipment and
were used for conferences. At that time Bryan Mills, FE Division
case officer, went to Havana and explored the possibility of improving
the operation, He managed to lease an apartment directly over the
NCNA office, and arranged for a stay-behind agent to occupy this space.
3. In August 1960, a team of three TSD technicians who were
in Havana on a separate SR Division operation agreed to install the --
additional equipment required for the NCNA operation. A second FE:
Division case officer, Robert Neet, came down to Havana; and he,
together with the technicians, installed a probe microphone and tape
recorder in the apartment obtained by Mills over the NCNA office.
About this time the equipment was removed from Miss Stacey's
apartment, with the exception of the plastic probe which was left
in the wall and plastered over.
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4. As an additional security precaution to provide a safe
haven, and after consultation with the 
Acting Chief of Station, a 
key
to an apartment in the same building 
leased by Mrs. Marjorie
Lennox, an Embassy secretary, 
was obtained. Mrs. Lennox 
was
told that access to her apartment 
was needed for photographic
surveillance purposes.
The Station was then faced with the probability that time
and security would work against holding indefinitely 
the lease to
the apartment over NCNA since the 
owners of the building were
cancelling sub-lessors' contracts 
and recalling leases. It was, 
⠀
therefore, decided to install 
transmitters and switches in order 
to
permit continued monitoring of the target 
from a distant listening
post. Another three-man team 
of TSD technicians consisting of
David L. Christ (alias Carswell), 
Walter E. Szuminski (alias
Taransky) and Thornton J. Anderson 
(alias Danbrunt) documented
as tourists had been sent to Havana 
to install audio equipment in 
the
Chinese Nationalist Embassy before 
it was due to be turned over to
the Chinese Communits. This 
operation aborted. This team was
then sent to work on the installation 
of the transmitters in the 
apart-
ment over the NCNA office.
:
6. At 2400 hours on 14 September, Christ, who with the
other technicians was working in the target 
apartment, failed to 
keep
a scheduled appointment with Neet
. At 0100 hours on the 15th of
September, the apartment of 
Mrs. Lennox was entered into and.
searched by Cuban authorities
, and she was taken into custody. 
At
1540 hours on 15 September, Neet, 
the stay-behind agent and his 
wife.
were picked up by the Cuban 
authorities and detained.
7. As of today the agent remains in the custody of the Cuban
authorities. His wife has been released 
and is still in Havana. Neet
was released 1715 hours 16 September 
and has subsequently returned
.
to Washington where he is being 
debriefed. Mrs. Lennox was
subsequently released and has 
also returned to Washington 
where she
is being debriefed. The three 
TSD technicians remain in confinement
.
They have been seen in confinement 
but not contacted by an Embassy
officer when ha first attempted to 
secure the release of Mrs. Lennox
.
Christ was last seen by Neet when 
they were jointly interrogated
the morning of 16 September. At that 
time Christ did not appear
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to have been maltreated.
8. According to articles in the Cuban papers the three
technicians were arrested while in the apartment over the NCNA
office and completing the installation of the equipment. The
press article adds that the key to Mrs, Lennox's apartment was
found on one of the technicians who identified the apartment to
which it belonged. All Cuban press releases have referred to the
men by alias and have not identified them as Government or Agency
employees. It is unclear at present what story had been agreed
upon by the technicians and station personnel to be used in the event
they were caught. (While being interrogated with Neet, Christ
indicated that Neet was his boss, and Neet consistently denied any
knowledge as to why he was being held.) The sub-lease for the
apartment in which the men were caught is in the name of the stay-
behind agent with the original lease being in the name of Mills, the
FE Division Case Officer.
9. Initial information indicated that the three technicians would
be charged with espionage "against the people of China". Subsequent
press releases have been unclear on this point. An attempt by Consul
Hugh Kessler to contact the three men at 1730 hours on 17 September
was unsuccessful. He was not permitted to see them but was told
they were in custody,
10. The three technicians travelled to Cuba as tourists under
very light commercial cover, two of them working for a company in
New York and the third, one in Baltimore. In each case the cover
company consists of a telephone answering service and a name on the
door. Telephone messages and mail are picked up periodically by an
Agency contract employee. The men were provided with this cover
as well as unbackstopped home addresses for use when entering or
leaving Cuba as tourists since the filling out of the landing card
requires this information. Subsequent to their detention the home
addresses have been partially backstopped so that inquiries will
indicate that someone with this alias name had lived in the apartment
house in question. Insofar as the cover companies are concerned,
efforts are being made to provide a backstop to withstand inquiries
from the press should the Cubans reveal this information. In view
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of the thinness of the cover, it is uncertain whether this will succeed.
11. A cleared and witting law firm in New York has been briefed
by Mr. L. Houston on the situation with the thought that inquiries
received by the cover company could be referred to the firm of
lawyers from whom no comment would be obtained by the press or
other inquirers. The law firm has been briefed on the entire situa-
tion so that they may be in a position to act if any action by them
appears desirable or feasible. It would not appear that much support
of any kind can be obtained from the law firm or the law firms in-
Cuba which are associated with them.
12. Insofar as the families are concerned, one of the technicians.
is a bachelor presently on home leave between two tours in Japan.
His father, a cook in a diner in the Boston area, has been contacted:
by the Office of Security, and he will get in touch with Security if
be receives any inquiries on this matter, Security, by the same
token, will keep in touch with him as the Cubans reveal their inten-
tions and course of action.
13. The wives of the other two technicians have been told what
has happened and are being contacted at least once daily by TSD
staffers and their wives who have been briefed on the situation. A
conference with the two wives was held in TSD on 19 September to go
over the whole situation and determine if there were any personal
problems on which the Agency could be of help. For the time being
the wives are telling their neighbors that their husbands are on a
trip. This story will be adjusted depending on what course of action.
the Cuban Government takes, whether the aliases remain unbroken
and whether recognizable photographs of the individuals are released.
to the press. The two wives so far have taken the bad news exceedingly
well..
Distribution:
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CI
RUDOLPH E. GOMEZ
Acting Chief, WH
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RELEASE CONTINCENCY OPLAN 62-2
CHART OR MAY REFERENCE:
11
L ( CS (
att.
Sectional scrocautical tharts
As required.
TASK ORGANIZATION:
Det. 1, 1045th Operational Evaluation and Training Group. Major
Billy B. Carpbell, Comtriler.
1. SITUATION:
Daniel L. Crowell (line), Bustees H. Dumbrunt (Aliss) and Edwind
R. Taransky (Alius) are Taployees tho were expretanded by
Cuban authorities in September 1960 and who are serving ten year seuten-
Sare their release
CeB. Efforts are being made to soure, their releas?.
may coor without advanus notice at a variety of plases, ie. Havens,
Miand, Mexico City, Switzerland, zl, ate., it is Superride that a.
contingency plan be formulated to ensure the suture reseptdan of these
employees.
>
The controlling fuctor in all phases of the release procedure is
that these employees were in Lube
period slave their empture their
have been insintained, Therefore
maintained until such time as the
trol and then have these dine
ble.
dalis and that during the entire
30% and 97er stories apparently
is essential that there lines by
pened to Ageuer eat
otur as quickly as poste
For planning purposes the poll be Ice, Mexico
City or "Other areas".
2. MISSION:
Cet. 1, 1045th presionel Eustice and Teasing Group provide
black pir transportation on port P wizy COW to the designated safe
tre.
3. EXOTICK:
A. Black
spot will to provided water this plan at the
rexquest of TNM, OCS Vexigo, Optional upart Dvictor/(S/305
depending on the release pofit and port of only,
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3. Request for black transport should include:
1. Request that RELEASE CONTINGENCY OFLAN 62-2 be implemented.
2. Port of entry.
3. Date, Local time, and air?leld desired for plak up.
4. Desired destination.
5. Other requirements, ie., stretchurn or bunks in the event
subjects are hospital eaSES.
6.
Name, organization and ‘telephone number of requesting party.
7. Name and telephone number of KUBARK cantats at loading
ard off-loadiing points.
C. The following personnel are knowledgeable and charged with the
responsibility of activating this plar
:
3.
2.
હું
Major Richard I. Skinner, ACC/ASD/DD/P
Organization: Air Support 
Division, 
ID/P
Home Phone: JE 3-1409
Office Phone:
Sterile embore NE 8-6285, EX 3-8515
Extensions 6862,7664,7367
Rel Line 1058
Mr. Robert Marrero
Organization: Air Support Division, DD/P
Home Phone: JA 4-3595
Office Phone: Same as 1.
3. Major Billy B. Campbell, Commender, Dat. 1.
Organization: Dat. 1, 1045th Operational Evaluation and
Training Crap, Eglin 
Air Force Base, 
Florida.
662737
Home Phone:
Office Phone:
Eglin Air Force Basa, Florida 631590
4. Major Kenneth R. Burton, Cas Officer, Det. 1.
Organization: Dat. 1, 1045th Operational. Evaluation and
Training Group, Eglin 
Air Force Base, 
Florida.
662464
Home Phone:
Office Faste: Eglin Air Force Dese, Florida 631213
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3.
D. Det. 1. furnish 1 C-54 and crew in stemrby capacity until
further notice. Stan by capacity is heroin defined as espability to
position the eircraft at any port of entry in cast, south or sruthyest
U. S. From Easton to Los Angeles withän 15 heurs.
E. Accurring the subjects will be released in Havana or Mexico
City, Bet, 1 will prepare mission folders for flights from most
probable ports of entry to Isolation and Andrews Air Free Base.
Distribution:
Qig. & 1 CI Staff
3
3
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Hmmmmmmmmm
3
3
C/FE
C/TSD
CCG
TFW
C/WH
3 - DPD/DDR
RICHARD I. SKINNER