AGENCY RECORD NUMBER RECORD SERIES AGENCY FILE NUMBER AGENCY ORIGINATOR FROM TO TITLE DATE PAGES SUBJECTS DOCUMENT TYPE CLASSIFICATION RESTRICTIONS CURRENT STATUS DATE OF LAST REVIEW COMMENTS JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM IDENTIFICATION FORM Peleased under the John Kennedy AGENCY INFORMATION +04 -10092-10135 Assassination Records SEK Ollection Act of 1992 80T01357A (44 USC 2107 Note). wee eee eee ee ee ee ee ee ee eee ase#: NW 53199 Date: DOCUMENT INFORMATION ne—-12-2017 CIA MEXICO CITY DIRECTOR PROCEDURE FOR OBTAINING MEXICAN TRANSIT VISAS FOR CUBANS 10/25/1963 3 CUBANS MEXICAN VISAS TRANSIT VISAS PAPER SECRET 1B RELEASED IN PART PUBLIC - RELEASED WITH DELETIONS 08/06/96 JFK32 : F9 1996.08.06.18:56:16:356100 [R] - ITEM IS RESTRICTED 104-10092-10135 HW 53199 Bocld:324222775 Page 1
ae ag neers ns | FROM SUBJECT 4 ACTION REQUIRED - REFERENCES PROCESSING ACTION MARKED FOR INDEXING Chief, WH Division. NO INDEXING REQUIRED ONLY QUALIFIED DESK CAN JUDGE INDEXING Chie? of Station, Mexico City MICROFILM LYTEMPO/Precedure for Obtaining Mexican Transit Visas for Cubans 1. In September 1960, Mexicen visa regulations in regard to entry into Mexico. of Cuban nationnis were changed te conform generally to the U.S. State Department treatment of Cuban nationals. Under the new regulations, ell Cuban requasts for ontry were referred to Gobermacidn in Mexieo City. This had the effeet. of prohibiting the legal entry of Cubane into Méicico except after long delays and/or extra-legal payments to secure preferred attention. Under the new regulations, a large backlog of requests built up, which has continued to increase to the present time. This has devolopsd inte a para~ ise for the “coyotes” vho, for a price, use thetr "contacts" to secure pre- ferred attention for their “elients”,. of HUBARK interest in obtaining the legal entry into México of certain Cuben motionals, a special channel was set up in November, 1960, through LITEMPO-1 and LETEMPO-2, which enabled us to secure entry peraits. ‘The chonnel has been utilized to secure extensions of permits of Cubans whose legal time of residence expired, to arrange for change in raeidence status, and to secure exit permits for legal departure of Cubans who had entered México illegally. a 3. The majority of Cubana of imterest to KUBARK vhosa requests ware processed through the project channel, came through Mexics in transit to the U.S. With the granting of “visa waivers” by U.S. authorities, such Cubans could be handled rapidly throvgh the project channel. The channel functioned without difficulty until May 1965, when the US Government invalidated all viea watvers, this came at a time when a mumber of authorizations had bean secured through the project ckannol, which hed not been acted upon by the Cuban recipfenta. Honoring tho raquest of the U.S. State Dspertaent to re- fuse recognition or validity to previously granted visa watvers, the Minister of Gavermmmi ordered tis: no eatry pormite would be grented to Cubans who wished to transit Mexico enrerte to the U.S. wiless such Cubans could Auemich proof that. they would be legally edmithed to the U.S. This eurtomatically prevented Cubans resident {n Cubs froa receiving Mexican entry porate » sinee it was impossible for then to secwre U.S. wwises there. (Contizued) Distributions B= C/uED , / G wie CROSS REFERENCE TO DISPATCH SYMBOL AND NUMBER DATE — HNMA~22365 25 October 1963 permease CROU? 1 j Exviades irem qe | . CLASSIFICATION HQS FILE NUMBER 50-6-93 /s tery mesmen
DISPATCH SYMBOL AND NO. CONTINUATION OF _ DISPATCH. &, fhe above-described situation geguired some alterntion ip the opera=- when ef the prefect chanmmal. thercas has IPO provieusly secured the “vista nm” foun oSther the Gub-Beoretary ex the Cfictel Meyor airestly, 1% now be- ecoroval fyan the Minfeter im every camo mecongary to accure the siguatare ef i 5. The Merister establiched eextain eriteria vaich aust be ext before ke | will cign the salicitai. hese aro es Sollewss i { Be sho roquest mist originate throagh the projest chenmal. bo he solleitad cust be algaed hy LETEEPO-§ (in pesudenga). @ Gee signed celfieitud aah be browgkt to hin pereonally by LEPERPO-1 op LFCOO-b. song fap the above conditiane aro the following: Be fre danger thet the projest chammel will be used by "eopates” to extest money from tho potitieners, which would give the im proseien thet the Minister is cither in the tuningeas, or elicving hicesl? ta be “used” by peogle who aive >. Gao very astural Geo% Lee te prevent foul~uge in the adeinistratia ef the various aaparteente of Gobarmactdn, wich are in a bad antraee t F niyé yooleseie besesd daw with mmltiple requests by ¢hoe eons peracs rae wendd bo haniied eno time Ghrougk tho mermnal preced os ani throuch the proje ay) ent poli¢iesl pieture, the Minister dees aot SAL ASE HOES 5 ho Contd be WIS RCHEYANAEA, Aest. Sec'y {aeciefon made, geo or po) Shove is aot forth: the procedure hy valeh the moraal requests for Mexican handled, With referenge @o raquestes of Gtbens, at the present tims | there are gggrenimately 4,009 requests fer visas being held at (5) abave. | LER} cettuntes that, of this aasber, lees than 16% will bo granted. HO CLASSIFICATION "USE PREVIOUS EDITION. REPLACES FORMS sant st matic 51-28, 51-28A AND 51-29 WHICH ARE OaSOLETE. FORM 1 danse © Ghivs 10-57 J (40) B30 30 tio | & CONTINUED HW 53199 DBocld:32422775 Page 3
DISPATCH SYMBOL AND NO. © "CONTINUATION :OF | DISPATCH: winges, Uhieh include a direct omer ve. the granting of cath _Demnttse ; promilguted at the requacs of ths ¥.8.. State LBepast X% wilh ba noted that the Minister doas not take a part in the actenl echenian of granting or not granting viens. In rare eases the Oficial Sayer sends.a enca to Lic. Echevarria, the Assistant fecretary. Ybo length of Gime for a normal vaguest to Be processed end answered varies, of Gmiree, bit souree eatiantes that the average tis would be l fre éenicion to be safle) elnistrational hewyiliac) eden of eficiec, arte.) (receives carbon copy for Piling) (nothing to do with patiticn) Zhe, Ofieio and cable cpproved, comie the confiraing esble, famiighiag Sorumy Eo TEM with carbon cosy. ,  & Be some ec there a viea has been denied through aor] channols, the Statten to bee able to arrange via the project chammal although several ecke are reapiieed to eet this anpros / FORM tr ee ios, “USE PREVIOUS EDITION. * CLASSIFICATION PAGE NO. I if REPLACES FORMS 2 oy 51-28, 51-28A AND 51-29 (J continue TURER r ee our dag f WHICH ARE OBSOLETE. ote sie anneal $ a WW 55199) Docld:32422275 Page 4