r ! October 12, 1964 CIA Memo for the Record Plaméiy, )wrote a memo for the record reporting that Elena Before her disappearance from Mexico, Elena was well disposed toward the United States and had beéh friendly with Embassy officers. Her hroad range of significant personal friends, the views of many important to the American Embassy, made her a useful Embassy target. (A "useful Embassy target" is a person deemed important enough because of acquilantances to merit frequent contact, either witting or unwitting, with American Embassy officials.) ie a spt yg - « a Reperit mee SA A A erence eee ce es On October 12, 1964 the Chief of Covert action (Jim Reais Garro de Paz had told her story to Eunice Odio. (The Com- | mittee has not been able to determine if Elena Garro told Ms.. Odio the story personally or if Ms. Cobb related to Ms. Odio what Elena had told her) who relayed it to ("Tich- born" /Tichborn was Henry P. Lopez' cryptonym. Mr. Lopez = || was. a witting asset who’ wrote “propaganda “pieces: for-the cra.) After careful review of his CIA file, the HSCA has not been able to establish a Link from(itr. Lopez) to either Ms. Odio or Ms. Garro / on 10/9/64. {10/12/64 memo, CIA #596; Wx7241, p. 87, CIA #714/ The story is not as detailed as the 10/5/64 version, 00000 ww There is no mention of Deba Garro Guerrero Galvan. The story, perhaps because it is third hand, differs from the previous story in two areas: The party was at the Cuban Embassy, not at. Ruben Duran's; Elena talked to a Cuban
3 § 3 . : ; “cations. show that. ‘the. memo. went. into. the, Oswald * 3. November 24, 1964 CIA Informant Report: Embassy official, not one of her Gousins about the three ~ Americans. Attached ‘to the memo was a note fro the Chief of Station, Winston Scott, which read, "Do you: want me to send the gist of this to Headquarters?" Scott then. noted that the: _memo ‘should be. filed. “the file Sind -and ‘the Elena Garro/"P" file. (Ibid) | 7 ON On November 24, 1964 a central. Intelligence agency _ informant (The House Select Committee, has been unable. to. ee ey : STE es. Be ARLE ie amg ©: Pabs les. “determine ‘the informant' s identity) “reported information _ (memo . from Winston Scott to the files, re: June ‘Cobb, (11/25/64, CIA Nos. 592- -593; wx 7241, P. 88, “Entry. #404, brriwveLy: CIA. 4715) he“hed deaened ‘from “LICHANT/: ‘LICHANT r | file ‘the Committee: determined chal ‘Elena c claims that ‘the day following John F. Kennedy's assassination, calvillo escorted her and her daughter to the Vermont Hotel for protection; see also December 25, 1965 Thomas memo. for. more information on Manuel Calvillo.) The informant as- serted that June Cobb was an "American Communist" who rented a room from Elena Garro. (Memo from Winston Scott “to the files, re June Cobb, 11/25/64, CIA Nos. 592-593, Wx 7241, p. 88, Entry #404,CIA No. 715) ‘he informant also .stated that Elena tried to talk to Robert Kennedy when’
he was in Mexico because. she had met. Oswald “and “two friends (Cubans)" at a party at Horacio ‘Duran! Ss house.” | (tbid.) In addition, the informant claimed that Elena. also told her story to- ‘an “American official, at ‘the me passyr who claimed to | represent the Warren Commission. - oS SI: pursue: ‘the: story. (abi, ye but, ‘there’ “is: 7 a ae Men, a “ no | indication that S#¢HaNEs ever: complied with ‘this, “ren “quest. /CISCA Review of Classified CIA Documents - Bye Eleae’s ‘Own Acets ae : lene (9 Novenber 2 24, 1964 Elena Meeting with Mexico city Legal. | Attache | officers, f. Oo “Elena and her ajaughter also told their story ‘to o the Mexico city Legal Attache. (The egal Attache ain. o a 1964 was ‘Clark Anderson: )o * They recounted: ‘the: same story Face Coby She : | previously given to The | date of ‘the’ ‘party | was given as | September 30, October L or october 2, web (FBI. 105- 825555 Report, ‘Dec. al, 1964, entitled Lee Harvey me ‘oswald, p- 1) “The agent who wrote the. ‘report . | . ) noted that Lee Harvey Oswald could not have been identical with the American allegedly observed by Mes. Paz at the party if this party were held on the even- ing of October lor October 2, 1963. (FBI 103-825555. Report, Dec. 11, 1964 entitled Lee Harvey Oswald, P- 1) FBI investigation of president Kennedy's assassination had established that Lee Harvey Oswald had departed Mexico
city by bus - at 8: 30 a. m. on Octber 2, 1963 when Ms. Paz stated that she Saw Lee Harvey | ‘Oswald walking on - Insurgentes. (tia. p. 3) : “Elena: was questioned regarding ‘the identity: of cther persons- attending the party at the Ruben Duran home. nae who might have been in a. position to observe. the. three, ae “Elena, ‘stated. that. in the. course. of ‘the: party. “her daughter 1 met .@ young non ed "Algjandyo" at the att setts Lote 4 He” vi ot wea Age Syl onto th eS ogee. cee party and. danced with him< “bia. _P 3p The daughter did | de not take ‘the calls. and. as: a result | "Alejandro" wrote a “Sgaverat: letters to ‘the daughters” Ms. Garro exhibited | © two: of. the letters, as well ‘as. a business cara which ae - “dentitiea + ‘the young man as ario > Alejandro Lavagnini ‘Stenius. (ibid. p 3). | | the ‘letter which Ms. Garo. said was. the ‘first. write” ten by the. “young: j man to. her. daughter bore. the’ ‘date: ‘Septem ber 1, “1963 cand the, Mexico city, Post office postmark Septem ~ ber. 2, 1963. “When Ms. Garro. was, ‘told ‘this she commented ° that t the ‘Communists ‘probably 1 had facilities for falsifying  postearas. (Ibid.) “To investigate Ms. Garro's story further, the ‘Federal Bureau interviewed Ario Alejandro Lavagnini Stenius “on November 27,°1964. (Ibid. p.4) Lavagnini recalled that there were approximately thirty people at the Ruban Duran ‘party, few of whom he knew. He recalled having met a Mexi-
can girl who had cxecently returned “from living. in Brande.” He was ‘unable to: fix the date of, the party, but felt it. was: probably early in | September because of a heavy rain’ which occurred as. they were leaving the party about 2: 00 - (bia. p. “ay Lavagnini noted . no’ “Americans. present at. ‘this party . wl “physicat deserigtion.” we - “He was. ‘familiar withthe. ‘Sppearence | of Lee Harvey, Oswald. "because of publicity, following ‘the assassination of ees dent. Kennedy but otherwise had + “10. . knowledge of him and ob naa never seen ‘him except for. news photographs following _ the: assassination. (Ibid- Be -Levagnini was the only person, ‘interviewed by the FBI who attended parties at - the Duran “house in the September-October time frame. “There: is ‘no. “indication on. the ‘document. that’ this. © Antomtion wee to: the central. “Intelligence Agency" ‘Ss. z Charles ‘Thomas’ First Meeting with Elena Garvo where Lee —— ‘Harvey Oswald is Discussed On 12/10/65 Charles ‘Thomas, a political officer at. the American Embassy, wrote a memorandum about. a conversa— tion with Elena Garro de Paz. “(CIA 4586-587, WX- 7241 Entry No. 425, p. 91, CIA No. 718.) The meeting with lena had been about other matters but she mentioned knowing Oswald. - Thomas noted that she was reluctant to talk but did. (Ibid. ) Elena's story reported here is the same, but with | more details,~@s that given in the Licookie memo dated w/s/¥¢
rae LOTTO. She said that t General Jose Jesus Clark Flores" @ friend of Rubin Duran’ a, Silvia Duran, EQuebio Azcue™ | © (Cuban Consul. in Mexico city), Emilio Carballido fa pres” ‘Communist writer-friend of ‘the Durans) , and a Latin ameri- can Negro man with red hair (unidentified) were at the . | party. oa marginal « comment, sy ‘this entry in WK-7241 “says, | : "Elena also. told ‘Thomas that - she had later learned that, - Silvia. Duran had | been “Oswald's. mistress while he was there. A note » by ‘this entry in wx-7242 says, "How did Elena Garro ‘know. about ‘Silvia being the mistress of _ Oswald? ‘This is 1965." y “The | Mexico city Station aia not. a hear about the Oswald-Duran "affair" until duly 1967 3) reported ite ZAfter reviewing “file a ne ‘CIA the House. Select. Committee on Aesassina~ ; Spe tions: has. ‘been’ ‘unable: “to ‘determine pune : ke iteutS | parce ciated Withathetr had knowledge about Sylvia Duran or Lee - fanrxc/) was asso- "Harvey Oswald. J Elena told Thomas that. she. and her daughter haa gone to the Cuban. ‘Embassy on November 23, 1963 and shouted o “Assassins" and other insults at the Embassy employees. (CIA #£586-587, Wx7241, Entry No. 425, p. 91, CIA No. 718) That same day a friend, Manuel Calvillo, an official in the Gobernacion, took her and her daughter to a small hotel in the center of Mexico City. (Ibid.) They were kept
there. for eight days under the pretext that they were in danger. (Ibid. ) Elena claimed to have told Calvillo that she wanted to tell her story to the American ‘Embassy. (bia. ) calvillo dissuaded hex by telling her that the 7 American Embassy + was full of Communist spies. (Ibid. ) -* Blena. said that some of. the other. people who had been at the” party | were e taken to 1 Veracruz where, “they | were "protected" a by Governor | ‘Lopez Arias: fivias The House ‘Select: ‘Committee was. unable to determine. ‘the eVoracity of Ms. ‘Paz! allega- vs See HSCA’. Tin teshege fren a ; tone . AM Ra 6 De fea! Allegations tion: a ~She- said. that. Ruben Duran, reportedly | "protected" by. General Clark Flores, was very prosperous and was a driving a big car. are #586- 587, Wx-7241, “Entry No. 425," p. 91, CIA No. 7187 Elena. also claimed that. Ruben Duran told her. months after the assassination that he was not . _ really: a Communist’ and ‘that ‘killing Kennedy | had been a mistake.” (iia; “the” House: Select Committee on Assassina~ : tions chas not been’ able to determine whether Ruben SSEADAN ogy OA spoke. to ‘Elena about ‘the assassination. *“Ruben Duran ‘claims - ol Eleas. thet KE thong Kennedy hed been @ we: ne t-ke SF nee he had no reason to: af! he hed ne prnurlurenent . . seo , Wise Charles Thomas circulated a copy of te en tr 9 Elena's & (trget wh. beg terbs tu fanto mas memorandum in the American Embassy including the Cen- tral Intelligence Agency's Mexico City Station to aid them in their investigation of the John F. Kennedy assassina-. tion. /The House Select Committee has determined that the. Central Intelligence Agency received the copy of the Thomas
~ she has. talkea to...Tf ‘memory serves. ome, didn’ ve(oie OKIE) refer | to. ‘Oswald and the local leftists and Cubans in pone a of (ner aauibse” (CIA No. “588, note from ‘sw to. cos. ). “Winston Scott (Chief/Station) and Nathan Ferris (Legal . . 7 7 Carre . ; . a 7 jeael ; re rata § El care We new . memorandum prior to December 25 , 1965. See below. 7 - The cos wrote a note on the memo% which says: "What an imagina- tion she has!?! Should we send to Headquarters?" . The of- © ficer veplied, "Suggest sending. There have been stories . around town about all ‘this, and Thomas is not ‘only person - The Mexico ‘City “Station called the information in. a Thomas * 12/10/65. memorandum of conversations to CIA Head- - quarters (Cable from Mexico City to. the Director, Mexi 5621, date out off my copy; CTA Nos. 584- ~585) “The cable. reported | “that Elena' s story would be checked wsen(szcnen/a) against the production from the ‘Cuban surveillance. operation “and ; other sources." (bid, dy. “Winston Scott wrote, next to. the “routing indications on the cable, "Please ask, Charles (Tho- mas if he' ll ‘follow. ups! Get questions from Anne G. L ‘Anne Goodpasture7 Please let's discuss, Thanks." (bes After the December 10 memorandum of conversations, ce Clack Sucoest Opiates ~ &S, . odes MHC?” b rata Attache). called Cc. Thomas for a meeting. They asked him | account . to get a more detailed weptay of Ms. Garro's story. At this. meeting Winston Scott made it clear that the FBI had fully responsibility for any further investigation in the Oswald case. (State Dept: letter from Charles Thomas
| i i t t 6a n. several occas fous when . 7 Harvey 6S 8iveal Bey Oswmtd reltionship th this station [Dispatch Chief « . : il Wegte temisoher “Ghillie = tiem, (Raq Ale B22US, Ale 67, 4 i
- 18 - mately two months after the assassination two "Communists" _ personally warned her never to reveal that she had been - to a party with Oswald. (Ibid.) Deba, consequently, would not accompany Elena to the American Embassy to tell her story on November 24, 1964. (Ibid.) | | Elena said that a few days after the assassination. _ Emily Carballido took the Durans to Jalapa, “Varacruz and aan "kept. the out of the way “antil ‘the initial shock of the ae assassination Ww off." (Ibid.) The House | Select Committee . . a 4 Nee : 7 ssassina-~ days in hex bid.) She said that Ms. Cobb had/been sent to Elena by a\mutual friend, Eunice Odio. AIbid.) Elena house she expressed Lle Ms. Cobb was at h claims that wh “an interest in the Kennedy assassination. (Ibid.) Deba, runk and told Ms. Cobb the 7 visiting Elena one entire story. (Ibid.) obb wanted them to go to the American authorities. ( -) Claiming to be a CIA agent, ' Cobb suggested that eba go to Texas to tell their When her suggesti story. (Thid.) leave the Garro house; evidently because she kicked Elena's cat. (Ibid.) (an House Select Committee on
- 19 - Assassinations has determined, that Ju wut _a CIA asset in 1964.) (Supra p. 3) ena claimed that Ruben Duran visited her | circa - the end of ‘January 1964. (CIA Nos. 580- 3837 “ax 7241, Entry #427, p. 92, CIA #719) He was worriéd that Oswald's visit to his home might be discoveréd and that he might lose. he his Mexican. citizenship. (Ibid. ) Ruben told Elena that it had. been Silvia who had gotten him involved with Oswald. y (Ibid.) Ruben added that he was not really a Communist a and had opposed the assassination. (Ibid. ) (Ruben Duran denied the story. HSCA Interview of Ruben Duran, ' p. 1» JFK Doc. # ) Elena said that she ‘had told her story 4 to Noe Palomares \ of ‘the Gobernacion about six months after the assassina- tion. ‘(Ebid.) He advised against going to the American Embassy ‘and told “her. that if she did anything at all she should merely write an anonymous letter. (Ibid. ) ‘The Committee spoke to Mr. Palomares who denied Ms. Garro's claim. (HSCA interview of Noe Palomares, JFK Doc. +) Elena stated that it was “common knowledge" that Silvia had been Oswald's mistress. (CIA Nos. 580-583; Wx7241, Entry #427, p. 92 CIA #719) When asked who could verify the allegation she could only remember one person who had told her this. (Ibid.) Elena claimed that person vas Victor Rico Galan, a “pro-Castro journalist." (Ibid.) —_ > tor Rico Galan is dead. The Committee could not verify
~ 20 - Ms. Garro's allegation. Sylvia Duran denied the allega- tion. Nonetheless, (LIRING 3," CI¥ asset) reported the same story in 1967.7 | During these conversations Elena also said that she “understood" that Oswald had been in Mexico more than once.’ (Ibid. — | | /The HSCA. :has been ‘unable. to determine the exact date. J. _Bubsequent to December 25, 1965 y#Thomas wrote in the 1 December. 25, “1965 memo that Elena had found her calendar and had reconstructed the date of the party. as late September and ‘not ‘early September. /CIA Nos. 580- 583, Wx-7241, Entry #427, p. 42, CIA #7197 When Thomas went to Ferris' office and informed him, Ferris replied that Elena had given the late September date when she had originally reported her story at the American Embassy. (FBI Report, 9/30/69, pp-3-4, JFK Doc. No. ) However, Mr. Ferris explained to Thomas that someone who had been XV ist at the party had stated that there were no Americans there. (Ibid.) Mr. Ferris did not tell Mr. Thomas that Ario ya fief iatervcn’ Alejandro Lavagnini Stenius Ferris had provided this in- formation in 1964. (Supra p. ) Mr. Ferris suggested that it was not necessary for Thomas to pursue ¢he-matter since he considered the Oswald case closed and had heard all the rumors before. /EBI Report, 9/30/69, pp. 3-4, JFK Doc. No. / The State Department forwarded (the same day) a copy of the Charles Thomas memorandum to the Central Intelligence
‘Ambassador re Elena Garro further stated, "Inquiries conducted at that time {Novem- - 21 - Agency's Mexico City Station to aid in their investiga- tion of the John F. Kennedy assassination. On the first page of the memorandum of conversation Winston Scott wrote. "Shouldn't we sent to Headquarters?" Someone responded, "Of course." /CIA Nos. 580-583; Wx 7241, Entry #427, p. 92, CIA #7107 ae es aa boa we woe Chee. ’ December 27, 1965 Legal Attache Memo to the United States Nathan Feces cages. ent On December 27, -1965 the wo pce fred -written a memo “to the Ambassador reporting that Elena and her Caugne Le b the Leye/ . ter were interviewed on 17 and 24 November 1964. / Memo office i [etic OF -to the Ambassador from the Legal Attache, 12/27/65, CIA #578; WX-7241, Entry #429, p. 94, CIA #721./ The memo tale Said that Elena and her daughter furnished information simi- the afrika, ' lar to thet in Thomas ' 12/10/65 memo. (Ibid.) The memo ber 1964), however, failed to substantiate the allegations made by Mrs. Garro de Paz and her daughter. In view of the fact that Mrs. Garro de Paz! allegations have been pre- viously checked out without substantiation, no further action is being taken concerning her recent repetition of those allegations." (Ibid.) The Legal Attache forwarded a copy of the memorandum to the Central Intelligence Agency's Mexico Citv Station. (The House Select Committee has determined that the copy was forwarded prior to 12/29/78. See below.) Winston
- 22 - - Scott superimposed supeximpesed a note to Anne Goodpasture on this memo which read, "Can we send in a report to . Headquarters ‘dismissing’ our cable?" Goodpasture re- _ Sponded, “Done.” (Memo to the Ambassador from the Legal Attache, 12/27/65, CIA #578, WX-7241 Entry #429, p. 94, CIA #721) The cable Winston Scott wanted dismissed was. Mexi 5621 (Supra. Pe ) a Oo on December 29, 1965 A ‘cable written by Anne Goodpasture/reporting the _Legat interview with Elena and the Legat office! s failure ‘to substantiate Elena’ s story was sent to Headquarters. . (Memo from Mexico City to the Director, 12/29/65, Mexi 5741, CIA #575; WX-7241 Entry #430, p. 94, CIA #721). The cable promised to keep Headquarters advised if any further information were to develop. (Ibid.) ae yf arleS SEES , (xxcooxts' s/10/5/64 memo is attached to-this cable. WX-7241 explained this in a marginal comment, "This docu- ment Gy x1cooKre was not in (Oswald's file), but was copied from (a project file) and attached to Mexi 5741, 29 Dec 65." (Ibid.) , Stn be ‘ ; . A note superimposed to this cable by (autén White) stated, “I don't know what FBI did in November 1964, but the Garros have been talking about this for a long time and she is said to be extremely bright." Anne Goodpasture wrote that the FBI had found Elena's allegations unsubstan-~ tiated but that “we will try to confirm or refute Ms. Garro de Paz's information and follow up." Win Scott wrote,
- 23 - _"She is also ‘nuts.'" (Ibid. CIA #574) CIA Investigation of Elena's Allegation that She Created A Disturbance at the Cuban Embassy on November 23, 1963 poi of Lr t Acts toed On February 3, 1966 Anne Goodpasture forwarded al at . . “a t : Thomas' December 25, 1965 memo: to the Cuban section with oan attached note asking them to check whether Elena was. "seen creating such. a disturbance as the claimed in ron ; ; C Tt is a pracen © oe ae Be om, of the Cuban Embassy." (Note from Anne Goodpasture to eee he "Cubans," 2/3/66, CIA No. 579; WX-7241, Entry 428, p. 94, come o? : : . . . etlrne Gall Fu ot CIA #721.) -  allegatres.| ' One Cuban section officer responded, "No bells ring with me." Another one wrote "Me neither." The third of- ficer wrote, "No pictures either." (Ibid.) /There is no indication that (ne penetration. agents in the Cuban Enbassy ) were queried about Flena's allegation. Ibid., that there are no pictures is reasonable since Elena claimed that the event happened: 1) ona Saturday at 3:00 p.m. when ‘the Cuban Embassy was not normally photographically suré veilled; and 2) the "disturbance" occurred inside the Cuban compound. “HSCA Examination of the CIA Cuban Embassy photo- graphic surveillance showed no surveillance on 11/23/63. (Classified Summary of Staff Review of CIA Documents, un- dated, p. 3, CIA #763.)/
t a ra _G . « iv ef 4 : “x ° fo. tot fae ee 6 Oe ee ar ao fo € Powe SP Us ae ” ‘Legal Attache 2/23/66 Memo to the United States Ambassador Regarding Elena Garro's Allegations On 2/23/66 the Legal Attache wrote a memo to the Ambassador reporting that "extensive investigation" failed to disclose that Oswald had traveled to Mexico prior to September 26, 1963 ahd that no information had developed that would ‘show that. he had not been’ in ‘New Or- leans in the early part of that month . Giieno from Legat to Ambassador, 2/23/66, CTA £571; WX-7241 Entry #455, p.95, CIA #7227. The memo reitereated that no further action was being taken by the FBI because Elena's allegations had not been substantiated. (Ibid.) The Legal Attache fowarded ge this es a copy to the Central ‘Intelligence Agency ' s Mexico City Station. (The House Select Committee on Assassinations has’ been unable to determine when the copy was forwarded to the CIA.) A marginal comment made. by Anne Goodpasture next to this entry in WX-7241 says, “How can it be ascertained that Oswald did not travel to Mexico prior to early September 1963? There must be some basis for Elena's reporting. (Ibid; referenced to Thomas’ 12/25/65 memo.) - Charles Thomas 7/13/66 Memorandum of Conversation _re~Elena — Garro ween a On 7/13/66 Charles Thomas“wrote a memorandum of con- versation reporting that Elena had told him that she had ao received an-invitiation to visit Cuba from Ambassador Jao squin “Hernandez Armas. (Memorandum of Conversation by
- 25 - Charles Thomas, 7/13/66, CIA #565; WX-7241, Entry 460, < 96, CIA_ #723) Elena gave Thomas two letters to sup- pox oN her claim. “~Ibid.) She said the ltters had been deliv red er homeNby a driver from the Cuban Embassy. eee tee gavenRer address as Vermont 38. —, a, (Ibid.). Because of “her stay ab-the Hotel Vermont she saw the letters as a threat and was frightened. (Ibid. ) (The “HSCA has determined that the Cuban coverniiant invited . Elena-Garro to visit Cuba due to her ,.literary talents; “ ’ ‘Sée Biography .) Legal Attache Memo to Winston Scott re Elena's Allegation that She Had Stayed at the Hotel Vermont from the Day After the Assassination until November 30, 1963 On 10/13/66 the Legal Attache wrote a memo to the CIA/COS reporting that a reliable confidential informant had reported that the records of the Hotel Vermont dis- closed that "Elena Paz, housewife from San Luis Potosi" had registered at the Hotel Vermont on November 23, 1963. She left on November 30, 1963. (Memo from Legat to Winston Scott, 10/13/66, CIA No. 564; WX-7241, Entry #466, p. 98, CIA #725; Thomas' 7/13/66 memo.) (The House Select Committee on Assassinations has been unable to determine why the Central Intelligence Agency and the Federal Bureau of In- vestigations waited until 1966 to investigate this aspect i of Elena's story.) The Memo said that "the above individual may Ox may not be identifical with Elena Garro de Paz." (Ibid. )
chee | a xe 2 ae we Xe _ 26 _ . oa Ww yer Charles Thomas ' 12/25/65 memo, states, "She (Elena) and her daughter did not personally register at the hotel. She thinks Calvillo registered them as relatives or friends of his from San Luis Postosi." (Memo of Conversation by Charles Thomas , 12/25/65, p. 3, CIA #582) - “The entry for the 10/13/66 Legat memo in WX-7241 bore the, notation, “This is what Elena claimed and no one would believe her." (Wx-7241, Entry #466, p. 98, CIA #725) 2 ON Charles Thomas' September 30, 1969 Letter to State Depart- “ment and Legal Attaches Response :No further reportg on Elena's story was generated until 1969 when Charles Thomas was "selected out." ("Se- lected out" is a phrase used when an officer is retired after having been in one grade for the maximum period of _ time and is. not considered qualified for. promotion to a pe thet erty higher grade) . Then, he wrote a memorandum to the Secre- tary of State which included a cover letter stating, "Since I was the Embassy Officer in Mexico who acquired this intelligence information, I feel a responsibility ‘for seeing it through to its final evaluation.". (State- - Department: Letter from Charles Thomas to William Rogers, Secretary of State, July 25, 1969) Charles Thomas' memorandum stated that “he got no reaction from Nathan Ferris and Winston Scott" regarding
= 27 - “his memorandum of December 25, 1965. (State Department: Letter from Charles Thomas to William Rogers, Secretary of State, July 25, 1969) In addition, Thomas wrote that. the only person to speak to him about the December 25, 1965 memorandum, Clarence Botastra (Deputy Chief of Mis- sion, State Department, Chief of Affirs at the time of | President: Kennedy's assassination and subsequent Oswald investigation) told: him that. Oswald had not been in Mexico on the date given forthe party.” (state Department: Letter from Charles Thomas to William Rogers, Secretary of State, suly 25, 1964) . “Thomas noted that even when he reiterated that Elena had not changed her story but rather that she had now given a more accurate account, Boonstra stated that the date was wrong and dismissed the entire affair. (Ibid. ) vee ae The Mexico City Legats iS Office? Nathan Ferris, | in reply to Thomas' letter and memorandum, asserted that Thomas' office had been advised by memoranda dated Decem- ber 27, 1965 and February 23, 1966 that since Elena Garro's allegations had previously been investigated without sub- stantiation, no further action was being taken concerning her recent’ repetition of those allegations. (FBI Report, 9/30/69, pp. 3-4, JFK Doc. No. ) In their report, the Legat's Office concluded that either the Counselor for Poli- tical Affairs did not route the memoranda to Charles Thomas or that Thomas did not recall receiving them. (Ibid.)
~ 2g - Thomas wrote that when he went to Nathan Ferris' office to inform him that Elena had found her calendar and had reconstructed the date of the party as late Sep- tember, Ferris replied that Elena had given the late Sep- tember date when she had originally reported her story at _ the American Embassy. (State Department: Letter from Charles . Thomas ‘to William Rogers, Secretary of State, Julye 25, 1969). “Thomas noted that Ferris explained that someone wh chad been at the ‘patty haa stated that there. had not been any Americans. (Ibid.) He wrote that he had assumed that Elena could have clearly been mistaken about the identi- ty of the American she saw there, but never doubted that she had seen some Americans. (Ibid.) Thomas aiiégea that Perris Suggested that it was not necessary for Thomas to. pursue the matter Since he considered the Oswald case — closed and had heard all the rumors .before. _(Ibid.) wees, mit wn oar The Legat Officesrepliled tha Mr. Ferris had not > told Thomas that someone who was at the party had stated that there had not been any Amer seans ee ar t. (FBI Report, rycl 9/33/69, p. 4, JFK Doc. No. ) the #$ort asserted that Thomas had been told that it would not be necessary for him to pursue the m ¢ter any further since Elena's story had been investigated previously without being substantiated. (Ibid.) In addition, the memo stated that.Thomas had been told that Elena's story was considered a closed issue, not
-~ 29 — that the Oswald case was closed. (Ibid.) House Select Committee on Assassinations’ Elena Garro's Allegations The House “Select Committee on Assassinations investi- 7 gated Elena Garro' s “story both through file reviews and ‘personal interviews: The Committee requested. and reviewed “the CIa's, FBI's and State. Department's files, when available, on Elena Garro de Paz, Elenita Garro de Paz, “Manuel Calvillo, Noe W. Palomares, June Cobb Sharp, - Victor Rico Galan, Eunice Odio, Sylvia Duran, Lydia Duran, Ruben Duran, Betty Serratos, Horatio Duran, Eusebio Azcue, and Emilio Carballido. ' Only the Elena Garro de Paz file contained information on her allegations. Though ~ all the names listed above played a role in Elena Garro de Paz’ story, not one of their files included a reference to Elena Garro de Paz. Furthermore, the House Select Committee on Assassina- tions requested and reviewed the Central Intelligence Agency's (.xcooxre X, LICHANT I, LIRING 3, LIHUFF I and TICHBORN) files. “Once again, not one of the files included ‘a mention of Elena Garro's allegations. The House Select Committee on Assassinations learned tna t{GTCooKtE I was) ae che. June Cobb Sharp (uho) first reported Elena's allegation. (Supra, p. 4) The Committee also learned that( LICHANT t)
~ 30 - (was) Manuet Calvillo(who had Elena Garro and her daughter ,.- in a hotel the day following the assassination. (Supra, p. 13) He also told Elena that Sylvia Duran had been ar- rested before this fact had become public knowledge. (Ibid.) ‘since € file review was inconclusive, the Committee AO a, decided to arrange interviews in Mexico with Sylvia Duran, _. Elena Garro, Elenita Garro, Horacio Duran, Ruben Duran, Lynn Duran, Emilio Carbillido and Betty Serratos. The Mexican Government informed the House ‘Select Committee on Assassinations that Elena and Elenita Garro disappeared | in 1968 during the student uprisings and have never re~ turned to Mexico. The officials stated that Elena and her daughter might be in spain. (See Mexico City Proce- dural Write-up Trip 1.) The Mexican government reported that Emilio Garballido could not be found. (Ibid.) The | others were interviewed between June 1 and June 6, 1978. (Ibid.) | Betty Serratos, Lydia Duran, Ruben Duran, and Horatio Duran all stated that Elena was not the dancing type and therefore did not attend any of. the twist parties at the Duran homes. (See: HSCA Interview of Betty Serratos, 6/6/78, p. 6, JFK Document No. ; HSCA Staff Interview of Lydia Duran, 6/5/78, p. 6, JFK Document No. ; HSCA Staff Interview of Ruben Duran Navarro, 6/6/78, p. 16, JFK Document No. ; HSCA Staff Interview of Horatio Duran Navarro, 6/5/78, p. 25, JFK Document No. ). When