(roa-t0213-10042), wy af SU3JECT : Flights from Mexico City to Havana on 22 November 1963 REFERENCE: 1. hat is the total CIA information on the two flights from Mexico City to Havana? 2. What was done at the time to develop further information on this matter? 3. Can further information be acquired on this matter now? FINDINGS: 1. The Mexico Station records confirm only one flight from Mexico City to Havana on 22 November 1963. This was the regularly scheduled Cubana Airlines flight. There were two reports of small aircraft flights (one a twin engine flight to Mexico City connecting with Cubana for onward transportation to Havana of a mysterious passenger; and the other a flight allegedly from Dallas, Tijuana, and Mexico City to Havana with two "gang- land" type passengers.) Beyond the original reports (from sources of undetermined reliability) there was nothing in the Mexico Station records to substantiate that these flights occurred. 2. Facts substantiated by Mexico Station records: On 22 November 1963 a Cubana Airlines plane from Havana arrived at the Mexico City Inter- national airport at 1620 hours - Hexico City time and departed on a return flight to Havana at 2035 hours - Mexico City tine. It was on the ground in Mexico City for about four hours which would be considered normal for servicing for a turn-around flight carrying passengers in both directions. This infor- mation was obtained from sensitive telephone taps in the process of routine operating procedures on 22 November 1563. 3. Report not substantiated by Mexico Station records: On 30 November 1963 CIA Headquarters cabled Mexico City that a report had been received that the 22 November 1963 Cubana departure had been delayed five hours from 1700 to 2200 hours awaiting an important passenger who arrivad at the Mexico City airport in a private twin motor aircraft at 2130 hours Mexico time. Passenger transferred directly to Cubana plane without going through custom or immigration and travelled in pilot's cabin to Havana. 2/ This information was passed to the Mexican officials on 2 December 1963 for investigation. There is no record of a reply. We know from independent information in paragraph two above that some parts of this report are in error. The Cubana flight was not delayed for five hours. It had departed for Havana fron Mexico City at 2035 hours which would be at Teast an hour before the twin motor aircraft was alleged to nave arrived in Mexico City. The source's name is on the manifest as a passenger from Mexico City to Havana but the time supplied by him does not agree with other information considered reliable. rs ees ee wet ee ee? : - poe aeons woo SNE Beto eZ ed 6.” f a ry i 4 e a t ee oe cee se
+4-90000 _" ay c oe ré ‘ . Ss be, ROL seat os aa Pe of awe 3! 84. 5 ag oo ei: - 4 . . . ’ - ae vee, o . o * ; the Mexican Government assured the §.5 Ambassador that it was taking ; steps to centro] travellers and closed the border with the U.S. for several hours immediately after the assassination. 3/ A Flight of a private aircrart such as this is possible but it is tnlikely that such ‘ unusual activity as this would have gone unnoticed by the Mexico Station . tean of observers who reported on Cubana Airlines flights. 4/ . 4. Report not substantiated by Mexico Station records: On 2 November 1964 the Hamburg Base reported that a source in Cuba claimed to have seen an aircraft with “Mexican markings discharge passengers at the Ikvana airport at 1700 hours on 22 November 1963. The source reported that the t.o passen- gers “were gangsters” and that “the plane had just come from Dallas, via Tijuana (where it was forced to lund because of engine trouble) and Mexico City." 5/ This information was sent to the FBI on 23 December 1961 for investigation. 6/ The FBI responded on 31 December 1964 that Tijuana would have been an wnlikeiy place for a “forced landing" on a Flight from Mallas to Havana. Their office was making no further inquiries in the absence of additicnal details fron CIA. They suggested that CIA conduct an investigation in Tijuana. 7/ (Tijuana is almost the sane distance [rez Pullas flying West as iavana would be Flying Southeast or Mexico City ould be flying South.) The Mexico Station had no investigativ e assets in the Tijuana area. The information was a year old when received and much too vague for- retroactive checking of records. The untested source sho had H provided the. report dicd before he could be questioned for additional 2 : details. ; , S. The SSC V report page 103 further corplicates travel data by the listing of the Cubana Airlines flight delay from "6 p.m. until 11 p.m.” The writers of this report were probably trying to transpose the departure time to the equivalent of Eastern time. Their information is dated 1 fecember 1963 ichich is probably a mistakea reference to the cable which is dated 30 November 1963. 2/ The Mexico Staticn File copy of this cable ; carried the date cf 1 Decesder 1963 which is the date it was received. 2/ oe
14-00000 6 A Ot Re tw nee ORE Ome Ot ithe Steet tiem mn oe cette mt ete ni eae teen ot ge Ree on nine a4 way Foy Mr ote a a a OO ee ee a Bore - Be Age petra: 5. tm chara, Fotos & yy" OK it. ew ne ar ee oe eee mere og Cote EH MT Re Vs Transcripts frea Quban Exbassy and Cubana Airlines conversations on 22 November 1963 discussing arrival tin i ints delay in arriving, and departure. elephone tap of four separate Quban Embassy ‘mary translations are in English froa the Spanish langage transcript. These are not verbatin transcripts. The Spanish text is the original monitor's interpretation of the conversation. The English text is an interpretation of the monitor's interpretation. (File: 50-9-12 Folder 23, 22 Novesber 1963 Job 64-518/84, Space 307389.) 2/ Cable from CIA to Mexico City Station DIR 36054 dated 30 November 1963. _ (File:201-289248) Mexico City Station file copy of DIR $6054 which is dated 1 December 1963, the date of receipt. (201-289248). Extract of _ the information passed to the Mexican Government officials for a check on this aircraft, dated 2 Decenber 1963. (File: 201-289248). 3/ Cable from U.S. Embassy, Mexico City, Ambassador Thomas C. Mann, ™ dated 22 Noverber 1963, Control 269, SECSTATE 1177, advising the Department of State that the Mexican Government had closed the border with the U.S. for all travellers not personnally and well-kncwn to the Mexican Government. (File: Mexico Station File P-8593}. 4/ LIFIRE surveillance team. Their case officer at that time was Robert H. Feldmann ef LA Division. S/ EGGA-3171 dated 2 November 1964, a dispatch froa Hamburg Base ~ reported inforzation from Professor ho had received it a year earlier from a Cuban colleague. (ASTOAN Job #66-602/61, File: 19-6-79/3, volume 1). EMSi4=13244 dated 30 Decenber 1964 transmitted to Mexico City Station a copy of the CSCI-316/02515-64 which had been sent to the FBI on 23 December 1964. (201-322247). & 6/ CSCT-316/02545-64 dated 23 December 1964 (201-322247). Tf FBI memorandiuma cated 51 December 1964 DBA-9434, Subject: Lee Harvey ” OSWALD responding to CSCI-316/62545-64 (201-322247). @ perm § F a Te ste + Rg TI sete ORT oe ay es emo teh ete AOI Pe aw