lage MEMORANDUM FOR? Chief, WA Division . SUBJECT =: | Renewal of Project LIONION (photographic/ Ss ‘ technical coverage of Cuban Embassy in Mexico) 1. Approval is requested to renew Project LIONION for the period 1 Janua ugh 31. Decémber t an annual ‘expendi (a including | T fos FY and or FY 1967, ws Divisidn Programmed a e . for this activity for FY 128s. Funds are available? Project cost has been increased by over the pre vious. year, occasioned by a smal? raise for the Principal a 2. The Project-has contributed substantially and directly to coverage of the Cutan Embassy and Consulate in Mexico and is considered highly successful and essential -by Station Mexico City, It has Produced a large quantity of. excellent photographs of target personnel and visitors and has. furnished valuable data on their patterns of . activity and personal associations, It has also rendered valuable support to Station recruitment attempts against Cuban Embassy personnel and maintains an ever ready facility for Support. of any technical Penetrations of this target accomplished by other Station activities, The Project has had no security or administrative problems. The Station has suimitted resular progress reports, - oF 7 aaa fo
4 LIONION PROJECT RENEWAL A. Current Objectives: This Project is a technical, currently - primarily photographic, surveillance operation against the Cuban Embassy and Consulate ‘in Mexico City. Its original objectives, still current, include furnishing photographic coverage during daylight hours of the Embassy and Consulate entrances; furnishing a control point for. dispatching physical surveillance teams against persons associated with the target; and furnishing a listening post (LP) in readiness to monitor and record ~ technical audio penetrations of the target. Two new cbjectives added during the Project year include assisting Station Mexico City to build up individual dossiers on target offictals; and affording an observation post for Station activities involving direct contact with the target. These new objectives are in consonance with Priority A, Objective 1 of the current Related Mission Directive for Station Mexico City. ; 'B. Changes: There have been no changes in personnel and none are contemplated during the coming year, Headquarters is assuming the task of developing some of the film exposed under this Project, LIONION-1's pay was increased | _iper month effective 15 March 1965, ; Cc, Intelligence Productions The Project is not designed to " produce disseminable information, It produced thousands of “-excellent photographs during the year which were shared with Headquarters and Station JMWAVE. Information on the comings and goings of target personnel and visitors to the target have been incorporated into many Station files, principally. the dossier files. No precise statistics are available, but at least 100 exposures are made daily during target working hours. D. Effectiveness: The Project is considered highly suecessful ‘and essential by Che Staton. In addition to the excellent photo= graphic coverage provided, LIONION-1, the Principal Agent, has developed into a first- class asset for other operational duties. The Project Basehouse was essential to mounting and monitoring the Station's attempt at recruitment and subsequent harassment of a sensitive target employee. The Case Officer in charge of the attempt sat with LIONION-1 for several weeks observing the ‘movement pattern of the target employee, LIONION-1 manned one of the radio dispatch posts used to control the physical . Surveillance of the target employee while near the Baschouse.
, r I _ Without tleé."Baschouse and LIONION-1's expert knowledge of the — target personnel and activities, such an operation could not have been nmiollnted: The operation itself was an attempt to satisfy the t6p ‘priority requirement laid-on Station Mexico City -by Headquarters. ‘It is expected that future similar. operations ‘Will depend to a large extent on the facilities provided by “this Project. Another very effective performance by LIONION-1] was his obtaining, by sharp observation and quick, intelligent and secure action, an apartment in a building directly across the street from the target. The Station had been seéking 45 apartment in this building for many years, E.. Problems; The only problem currently besetting the Project is the excessive work load on the Principal Agent. To alleviate this, Headquarters is assuming the task of developing some of the film produced by the Project. Cover for LIONION-l has ceased to be a problem. He has received his permanent immigrant status and now has a good deal of immunity from harassment Lrom Mexican immiyration authorities. He was able to get his translator cover backstopped directly cut of the Office of. the President of Mexico and thus has a strong protective security factor built into i ° . F, Liaison: The Project has no liaison connection, LIONION-l's cover backstop with the Office of the President of Mexico is none operational. ; ; . G, Interagency Coordination: Not applicable, H. Plans: It is planned to make better use of LIONION-1's observations and operational logbooks during the ooming year rather than to settle for his excellent photographs alone, it has been found that he can often supply valuable additional information because of his "feel" for those Persons who are under constant observation from the Basehouse. He can- read Significance into activity which might go unnoticed ov be misinterpreted by observers with less experience. He will - also be called upon for assistance in future recruitment operations similar to. the case mentioned in paragraph D above, Several such operations are being contemplated for~ calendar year 1966, the period for which the Project renewal is being requested, : ‘ I, Costs: For calendar year 1965:
“J. Other: LIONION-2, although not specifically mentioried ‘above, continued to render excellent support as an assistant to _LIONION-1. : . : 1