told the group that he had gone to the National Autono~- mous University of Mexico looking for pro-Castro stu-— dents who might help him persuade the Cuban Embassy to grant him a visa. (Ibid.) Oswald claimed that he was from California and was a member of a pro-Castro group in New Orleans. (Ibid.) Oswald remained with the stu- dents the rest of that day and evening, as well as the following day. (Ibid.) The reporter described Oswald as a strange and introverted individual who spoke very little Spanish. (Ibid.) On . , the State Department forwarded a copy of Ruyld's letter to the Central Intelligence Agency. (The Committee could not determine when the State Department forwarded the letter to the CIA.) On June 14, 1967 CIA Headquarters sent the Mexico City Station a copy of Ruyle's letter to Bowles. (Dispatch from the Director to Mexico City, 6/14/67, HMMW 15557; Wx 7241 Entry #616, p. 117, CIA #744) CIA Headquarters considered Ruyle's report "the first piece of substantive info about Oswald's sojourn in Mexico" since the assas- Sination. (Ibid.) Consequently, Headquarters cabled that though they understood the source's relectance to become involved "the fact remains that this info cannot continue to be withheld or concealed." (Ibid.) Head- quarters instructed the Mexico City Station to elicit the identity of the source from Ruyle. In addition,
-~ 55 = Headquarters asked the Mexico City Station to bear in mind, while interviewing Ruyle's source, that Lee Harvey - Oswald was a momosexual. (Ibid.) The final sentence of the dispatch, "It is our hope that the facts obtained through these interviews will help to confirm that several of Garrison's allegations about involvement of anti-Castro Cubans, the CIA, etc. are false," (Ibid.) explained the Central Intelligence Agency's motives for purusing the story. | Be On June 29, 1967, the Mexico City Station cabled Headquarters that a station officer had gone to Tampico where he had interviewed Ruyle's source, Oscar Contreras. (Cable from Mexico City to the Director, MEXI 1950, 6/29/ 67; Wx 7241 entry #622, p. 118, CIA #745) The cable re- ported that Contreras was a reported for E1Sol (a news- paper, The Sun) in Tampico; was circa 30 years old; married with three children; studied law at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) from 1960 to 1964; belonged to a pro-Castro group at UNAM; was per- secuted by the Mexican police for this affiliation and moved to Tampico to escape the persecution. (Cable from Mexico City to the Director, MEXI 1950, 6/29/67; WX-7241, entry #622, p. 118, #745.) Contreras told the Mexico City Station official that he and four other individuals (When Contreras was
-~- 56 - asked to identify the other four individuals who had met Lee Harvey Oswald, he refused to reveal their names because he feared that informing on them might endanger his family.) had met Oswald as they exited a roundtable discussion held at the School of Philosophy at UNAM. (Cable from Mexico City to Director, MEXI 1950, 6/29/67; MW 7241, entry # 622,°p. 118, CIA #74S) Contre- “ras stated that Oswald had made inquires on the UNAM campus about pro-Cuban groups and had been directed to his group. (Ibid.) Contreras reported that though the group initially mistrusted Oswald fearing he was a "CIA provocation," they allowed Oswald to remain with them that day and night and part of the following day. (Ibid.) Contreras noted that Oswald never mentioned assassination but kept emphasizing that he had to get to Cuba. (Ibid.) In addition, Oswald had exhibited no homosexual tenden- cies while he was with the group. (Ibid.) On July 4, 1967, Headguarters cabled the Mexico City Station that Contreras’ story should be explored to the fullest even though he might have fabricated it. (Cable from the Director to Mexico City, 7/4/67, DIR 16823, WX 7241, Entry 626, p. 119, CIA #746) Headquarters suggested that the FBI handled the story. (Ibid.) The following day, July 5, 1967, the Mexico City Station