Classification: (This form is to be used for material extracted from ClA—controlled documents.) City Station that Alvarado's reporting had been "75% accu- rate" and that he had in the past furnished good information on Communist activity. He did indicate that Alvarado tended to “go off on his own at times" making him impossible to control. ¥(Ibid.) On November 30 the Mexican interrogator reported to Win Scott that Alvarado had signed a statement stating that his story of seeing Oswald inside the Cuban Embassy was a complete fabrication. FBI Legal Clark Anderson advised Bureau headquarters: Gilberto Alvarado Ugarte in Mexico Citys«- has confessed to the Mexican official that his statement on Oswald was falseecoe Alvarado stated his motive was personal. And did not involve his country. He said he wanted to give the U.S. a reason for overcoming Castro. 4\Our Legal Attache said Ambassador Mann is very pleased at -the way the FBI handled the matter ,and has so advised the Department. Ambassador Mann also wanted his personal gratitude extended to the Director. SA Lawrence Keenan sent to Mexico from the Seat of Government to handle our aspects of the matter will be returning to Wash- ington, D.C., tomorrow afternoon with full particulars. (FBI File 105-82555-823, 11/30/63) \/ Q0G1L77 Classification: Classified by derivation: >
, £y £4 ‘ Classification: (This form is to be used for material extracted ; / : from ClA—controlled documents.) ~ 19 - Nevertheless, it appears that Ambassador Mann main- tained certain reservations regarding Alvarado's interroga- tion by the Mexicans. Mann cabled Washington on November 30th and indicated”alvarado' Ss admission a fabrication. %e stated that he accepted Alvarado's te confession but that there were still unexplained circum-— stances in Mexico City connected with the assassination. He indicated his desire to be kept informed of any new investigative developments because the inquest for evi- dence would continue. \! (MEXI 1213 Nov. 3994 An FBI memorandum stated that: § "/Ambassador Mann/ accepts fact that story was a fabrication but continues to feel Castro may_have been. behind Kennedy's , assassination."'"It was further noted \ oe that Mann based his feelings in part on the > '\Porticos Armas conversation which had con- BS cerned possible questioning of Silvia Duran a". .% about Cuban offers of money to Oswald to a ', Carry out the assassination. (FBI File 105- 82555-879) x CIA Headquarters on November 30th also expressed some > ‘ concern over Alvarado's interrogation by the Mexicans. Head- ¢ quarters inguired “what threats, promises, inducements ¢ and od > oid Boe Dl ae 'f ( sO Pie tactics were used by the Mexican interrogator." "Was i ; Alvarado mistreated?® “era 1 headquarters urged that the Nicara- eg Dee Le -guans not do away with Alvarado. It was also stated that Classification: . i | Classified by derivation:
Classification: _ (This form is to be used for material extracted from ClA—controlled documents.) - 20 - the question of Oswald acting solely, on his own still re- Leis mained unanswered. (CIA Doc. DIR 86064, 11/30/63); / It should be noted with some concern that while the cable traffic reviewed indicates that Alvarado gave a full confession of his fabrication, ‘the summary of his interro- gation by the Mexicans is not so precise. A CIA translation of the Mexican interrogation states in part: | a. That spontaneously, and after reconsideration, he desirés to state that the North American to whom he had referred in the body of his state- ment and whom he saw on 18 September of this year in the Cuban Consulate looked like, and he was 60% sure that he looked like, Lee Harvey Oswald, the assassin of the President of the United States. (emphasis added) b. That after the assassination of President Kennedy, Alvardo took advantage of these occurrences, giving versions such as the above one, for the purpose of provoking a strong reaction in favor . of the United States against the government of ae ME Fidel Castro Ruz. é a (CIA Doc. DDP4-2741, Memo from R. Helms to J. Lee. Rankin, 6/1/64, Attachment F, p5) As the above quotation clearly indicates, Alvarado did not in fact completely retract his original allegations. Why both the FBI and CIA reported that Alvardo had admitted total fabrication when the Mexican interrogation summary records only that Alvardo was "60% sure" that he had seen oe GL4T) Classification: - Classified by derivation: ~
Classification: | (This form is to be used for material extracted from ClA—controlled documents.) @- 21 - Oswald is not answered by review of the available record. In addition the record does not indicate whether Ambassador . Mann or the FBI and CIA representativesin Mexico City had access to the Mexican interrogation report as of November 30th | when Alvarado's retraction was reported to FBI and CIA Head- quarters. On December 2, Alvarado spoke with] nis Nicaraguan case officer. During their meeting, Alvarado asserted that Lhe had been coerced into admitting that his story was a : tabrication.-(CIA Doc. MEXI 7203, 12/2/63) This information was reported to CIA headquarters by the Mexico City Station. The Station also noted that Alvarado was to be deported to Nicaragua where |woula continue Alvarado's interroga- tion. (Ibid.)*/~ po Pe wk Ry Be On December 3, Ambassador Mann cabled the State Depart- Le ea, ment reporting that Alvarado had retracted his statements to the Mexican authorities. Mann noted that Alvarado's story * An FBI memorandum states in part: As of 11/30/63, Alvarado was being held by Mexican authori- ties on the charge that he illegally entered Mexico. Al- varado, in his statement to Mexican authorities, advised that he had entered Mexico without a Mexican visa and after bribing a Mexican Immigration Inspector. (FBI File 105-02555- f 656, 12/3/63) Classification: a f som . Classified by derivation:
yd : , Classification: _ (This form is to be used for material extracted from ClA—controlled documents.) ~ 22 = was still flawed by his placement of Oswald in the Embassy on September 18 and his contention that he had telephoned the American Embassy in Mexico City prior to the assassina- tion to report his observations at the Cuban Consulate on September 18th.* fo Thus, the record tends to support the conclusion that foarado had not telephoned the Embassy during late September \/ 1963 as he had alleged. Pie / The Mexico City Station cabled CIA headquarters on | December 3 noting Mann's cable to the Staté Department about | Alvardo's retraction of his confession. The Station also noted Mann had recommended that a polygraph operator be | sent to Nicaragua to examine Alvarado. v(CIA Doc. MEXI 7209, 3/63) CIA headquarters responded stating that Alvardo should be polygraphed prior to his deportation to Nicaragua and that the Mexican authorities should be contacted to arrange * Regarding Alvarado's alleged telephone calls to the Ameri- can Embassy prior to the assassination, an FBI memorandum records: \ ‘ Minute examination of the U.§. Embassy switchboard : "log" for late September 1963 failed to disclose , any evidence that any such calls were received from Alvarado. Interviews of switchboard operators also failed to reveal any information which would corroborate Alvarado's alleged telephone calls. (FBI file 105-82555-656, 12/3/63)./ Classification: Classified by derivation: