BACKGROUND ON MEXICO STATION SUPPORT ASSETS (COVERAGE OF SOVIET AND CUBAN EMBASSIES).
Originator: CIA
From: GOODPASTURE, A
To: LEADER, JOHN, IG STAFF
Document date: 02/10/1977
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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2022 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992

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10 Feb 77

Source:

Notes made by A. Goodpasture

for John Leader, IG Staff

Subject:

Background on lexico Station Support Assets

(Coverage of Soviet and Cuban Embassies)

1. Unilateral coverage. From the time the Mexico Station was opened in

April 1947 (by Bill Doyle) until arrival of Win Scott as COS in 1956, Charles

Anderson III (still in LA/HQ) had developed a support apparatus to Fans

exploit leads from the Soviet Enoassy. This unbrella type project (LIFEAI)

consisted of multi line phone taps, three photo sites, a mobile surveillance

team and

a nail intercept operation.

a. Phone taps were placed by an employee of the telephone company

who was handled by David WILSTED (pseudo). The number of lines.

outs

tapped

was linted

by availability of a listening post nearoy

(since the taps were not rade in the main central) and English/

Spanish (Soviet, Polish, Czech, etc) transcribers. Generally

these agents (mostly Mexican or Mexican American) were related

(which the station at that time felt was good security in that

if they talked about shop, they would talk to each other.)

b. Three photo sites were handled by Arderson with the help

of Harry Mahoney (retired, living in Chicago) and IDY ISD

people checking

the best type of canera, film, and concealment

devices. These had sub-cripts under LIFEAT (LIMITED, LILYRIC,

and LICALIA). LIMITED vas a fixed site bang opposite across

the street fron the front gate of the Soviet Enbassy which had

both a vehicle and

foot entrance. The Soviet gate was on the

Northliest corner. of their compound and LIMITED was diagonally

across a double barrelled street on the Southeast

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that block. LIITED was the first base and it operaied strictly on an

o: arinental basis in the early stages.

I trink the lexi Station Lought

one storey

this property (a/Spanish Colorial stone house) through LIMOUSIE (check to

be sure). Later this house began to fall apart. This base was closed when

the Station got word that the photo of "uniden man" was being releasea to the

puolic by the Warren Cornission. The photo operators were noved to another apt

nearby. The property was sold (under an operational agreenent with LIMOUSINE

for a long term lease on the top floor of a new apartment biding to be built

on this site). LILYRIC was planned as an alternate photo base to LIMITED.

It was in an upper storey (3rd floor -check) on the same

side of the street

as LIITED but in the midale of the block South.

It had a slanted view of

the front gate of the Soviet Ebassy. The agents in LIMITED

and LILYRIC (both

l'exican fanilies) as far as we knew, were not acquainted with each other.

LILYRIC was a rented apartment. LICALIA, the third photo site, was located

in one of a row of four houses on the South side of the Soviet Embassy compound

which the lexico Station purchased in about 1958 (check date), also using

LIMOUSINE as the purchaser (check). This site overlooked the back garden of

the Soviet Embassy compound. The purnose of this

operation was to get good

identification photographs of the Soviet personnel (uno at that time were largely

unidentified in Mexico Station records). The three photo sites vere handled by

Ramon Alverez (Mexican citizen of U.S. nother who taught elecentary level

at

the American School). Ranon collected the film selloudentinatim from LNITED

and LILYRIC three times a week. His sister's husband, Carlos (Mexican doctor)

developed and

printed the film into 8x10 contact print strips. The master plan

twit

Vas for LICALIA film to ie, processed inside, ISD man from 1957 to 1959: (Harper

Holt - resigned) could not handle the volume and as the unprocessed film began

to accumulate, the inside Co (lahoney) becane disgusted and took the film out

for Ramon's brother-in-law to process (probably early 1959). Thus Rañon became

the handler for all three photo bases.

A sensitive staff D monitoring operation

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was run out of another one of these houses (crypt for the four houses was

LIUSI,, ete,. This was hadled by Glen WIDDaY (outside ISD officer) ana

Vaconey using HQ TDY teams for monitoring. This operation vas also separate

fron LICALLA. The two houses

in between were rented to unsusrecting tenants.

c. Mobile surveillance

was developed by Anderson and later placed

under Mahoney and Joseph Sancho. This team consisted of a half

dozen or so agents who used three to four late model cars aná a

panel truck (which could be used on stake_outs for photo covera e).

The plan was to activate this group by radio (fron LIMITED BASE)

Soviet

when someone of interest left the Embassy gate and stay with then

until they nade their neetings.. These agents knew about the LNITED

SASE celause they had LD'INFD photos for identification purposes..

This worked fairly well until about the middle of 1958 (check date)

when one of the surveillance agents got too close to his target and

was arrested by the Mexican transit police and turned over to the

Mexican Secret Service. By the time the Station could arrange through

a cleared attorney to bail him out (Juad Austin of the Goodrich, ›

Little and Riquelme firm), the agent: had identified Sancho (viro vas

evacuated across the border at Nogales by Bob Shaw) and the inside.

phone number of Mahoney (who was subsequently replaced by Louis

Puckett. As a result of this flap, the LIFTAT project was broken

up into several others. The agents were not changed but were giren

Frank

new crypts. /Estancona and Pegby ilaggard) replaced Anderson in handling

the unilateral phone taps. Puckett replaced liahoney and handled the

surveillance team (LIENTRAF) and the photo bases through Remon

d. LIBIGHT was the crypt used for a unilateral (originally) mail

Intercept handled by Charlie Anderson III, The agent (lexican) had

a semi official status and arranged to obtain selected letters fron

Istena

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¡ a sub-agent in the gostal system (I think at the airport). His case officers

Al¿onso Spera,

vere later Puckett, Rovert Foldmann, and Alan White.

2. LIaison coverage, was unreliable and insecure as characterized by the nature

of the lexican services at that time. , The lexican DES (Direction of Federal

Security) with which ve dealt was a hip pocket group run out of the ilinistry

Of Govirnnent. This Ministry spent a major part of its time on control of

, foreigners and political Investigations. Their azents vere vicious, venal,?

corrupt extortionists. Robert Melberg established contact with one of them

{Levine De Leon. (later LIFIRE group) in äbout 1950 or 51. He gave them some

training (a group of about five surveillance types) (in travel control working

the airport as well as file searches of names fron DES Hatrs where the files

vere poorly organized and often inaccurate.. Now and then, however, sore useful

information was developed but it could not be depended upon.

kelberg was

replaced by Phil Roettinger, (resigned and rerained in Mexico), Mahorey, Thomas

Hazlitt, and Rooert Feldmann Ane fter the Ether.)

During 1958, Win Scott met socially sone of the chronies of the

Mexican President elect, Adolfo Lopez Nateos, During this period, the U.S.

Ambassador Robert C. Hill (reflecting the policy of then Sec State J.F. Dulles)

was energetic in organizing groups to "fight communisn".

One of these seeds

grew into a proposal Miguel Aleran (ir. son of former lexi President), acting

(for Lopez lateos, made to Win Scott for a joint telephone tep operation. This

project (LIENVOY) went through about four distressing years of a shakedom.

The lexican in control (LIELEGANT) was inexperienced, old, and greedy. His

son (LIEIVOY-2) was a masterpiece of deceit and corruption. LIELEGAT also

manipulated control over the principal agent of LIBIGHI rail intercept. The

first case officer was Alfonso Spera inside with Turner Snith (retired) outside

and John

(TSD training officer for surveillance and head of the listening

post where thirty tele hone lines would connect as vell as a transcription room

LEERRETI

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staffed sch ican any ocricers,) Initially the station tried to met every

demand made ly the lericans. Both Smith and John hed language dirficulties and

personal problems associated with beins outside the stition fo that the Mexicans

vere virtually uncontrollale, spend! & money as they pleased, squirrelling avay

equipment at enornous costs, and neglecuing their part of the bargain in the

production of transcripts or placing taps which we vanted, Spera was replaced

by Jack Brady no found himself in the same pincer moverent of having Scott

approve a request by LIELECANT that Brady had turned down by the son, LImivOX-2.

Finally when the cost became exhorbitant and there was little to show for it,

the project was revarped. Saith and John returned to the U.S. and were replaced

by a TSD officer, Charles Flick, who was put inside the listening post to naintain

Brady was reassigned to other duties rendirg a transfer.

the equipnent./ Scott too's over the project as case officer reeting with LIELEGANT.

He designated Ann Goodpasture to neet daiting with Flick for routine supervision

of the listening post, picking up transcripts and tapes. Goodpasture had no

dealing<with the l'exicans except when Scott was ill or out of town. Generally,

all decisions were made by Scott. This was about late 1961..

3. My memory is a little vague about the origins of the Cuban Fabassy but I

think the staff first developed fron a pro-Castro group celebrating on New

Years

eve 1959. As I recall, it was a rakeshift arrangement of volunteers

through nost of 1960 and 61 with Tom Hazlitt producing voluminous reports on

their acti:ities and recruiting agents right and left anong Cuban nationals in

Mexico City.

4 Personnel assignments. Of interest to us now is who was in lexico during

the period prior to Oswald's visit and the subsequent investigation by the

Warren Commission. To deterine wo was there and what they were doing I

lave groped persons torether chronologically with areas of their assignment

as the

covering from 1950 to 1969 so thet foxtree nanes pop up, one can tell what

period they were in lexico and

their assignments, at the time.

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8/5ú-6/69 COS

DOOS

Winston H. Scott (deceased)

7/56 - 7/58 Alfonso Rodriguez (ratired)

10/58 - 12/62 Warren Dean (retired)

6/63 - 9/65

Alan White (retired)-

10/65 - 1969 Stanley Watson (retired in Mexico)

COVERT ACTION

Prior to 1957 Howard Hunt (retired)

/12/54 - 7/58

Williard Hill (resigned)

12/55-9/61

Stannard Short. (retired)

Chief

- 3/64

David Phillips C/(retired) -

8/62 - 9/64

-Gunner Beckman Asst -

2/04 - 6/65

Janes Flannery C/ (retired) -

9/64 - 11/66

Harold Dalghren Asst

10/65 - 1967 Stanley Watson C/(retired) -

66

-

68

Don Heath

68 - 71 ¿Josepa SmithC (retired in Vexico)}

CUBA OPERATIONS

56 - 4/62 Thomas Hazlitt Chief

2/60 - 4/62 (Jack Stewart (retired Costa Rica)

4/63 - 4/65

Bob Shaw Chief +

1063 - 45 Ray Swider i (retired)

10/63 - 5/65 Lorna Mackay

8/63 - 6/65 David Phillips Chief (naturad)-

9/65 - 10/68 Joseph Piccolo

10/65 - 12/07 Peser Maggard

Diail

SOVIET TARGET

6/57 - 10/59 Louise IJon (retened)

9/59 - 8/65 (Herbert Wanell) Chief-

9/59 - 8/65 /Parbara Manell

5/64 - 7/66 Willian Bright

4/05 - 11/67 Cynthia Hausmann

6/65 - 7/07 Alice Pittinger

7/65 - 4/69 Paul Dillon Chief

SOVIET TRANSCRIBEPS

6/56 - 8/58 Morris Gordon (resigned)

6/58 - 6/63 George Misko -

6/63 - 70

Boris Tarasoif (retired in Mexico) -

6/62 - 1/67 Prentice Marheine (os)

(retired ?)

Outside CO

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SUPPORI ASSETS

Untlateral phono taps

1949 - 1961

Charles Anderson III Chief

{49-71 3 Outside CO

1/55 - 4/60 Pegey largard Asst

1/56 - 1162

David WILSTED (ps)

Frank Estancona Chief

retired in Mexico

2/60 - 10/64 Thomas Keenan

9/64 - 12/67 lichael Farmer

Unilateral photo Cubans

6/59 - 4/64

Robert Zambernardi (resigned Mexico)

7/59 - 6/62 Richard Spathar TSD

(retired)

Unilateral photo Soviets

3/54) - 4/59 Harry T. Mahoney

(retired Chicago)

5/57 - 8/64 A. Goodpasture (alternate CO-

and internal routing)

3/58 - 6/63 Louis D. Puckett (retired)

5/63 - 10/67 Milan eight Robert H. Feld mann

William Bright

843)63.

56 - 68 Outside Agent

Ramon Alvarez) (resigned in Mexico)

idiot. le

Liaison phone taps

1959 - 1969

Winston Scott (deceased)

-959 - 1960

Alfonso Spera

(retired)

959 - 1960 (Turner Smith (outside, now retired)

959 - 1960

John

(Training rept resigned)

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1961

John Brady (retired)

.962 - 1968 A. Godpasture -

.961 - 1971 Charles Flick (outside TSD Staff Agent - retired) -

(izison - surveillance

rior 1954 Robert Kelberg (retired)

154 - 4,59 Harry Mahoney (retired)

159 - 1961

Thomas Hazlitt

2/62 - 9/67 Robert Feldnann lu Fired)

SD outside init

155 - 12/03

159-4/54

Glen Widden (retired) -

Joseph 1. Resigno (os) Unit blown and closed dotn

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About nid 1962 (check date) LIlvoy outside Mexi rept asted)

(for the telephone nuners

of the Soviet, Cuban, and Satellite Embassies.

With tris forewarning, LIFEAT (unilateral coverage) was disconnected.

(as I recall, the fevicans) connected 5 Guban lines, 5 Soviet lines, 3 Czech,

2 Polish, and I Yugoslav line. The baserouse listening post had a live

nonitor lito made short sunnaries of interesting

conversations for a daily

resume which was received each day arourd 8 a.m. (passed by Flick to Goodcasture

to get to Scott before 9.a.il.) Later (when the reel was conpletely recorded)

full transcripts were typed ard passed to the station in the same way, however,

there was usually a time lag of a day or so. Those transcripts wich rad

Russian or another language besides Spanish or English vent out of the listening

post the day after the transcript (of other conversations on the reel)was

typed.

These reels were taken to another location where they were translated

and typed. In the case of the Russian translations, Boris Tarasoff usually ran

about a week behind the date of the conversation because of the volume of

Russian conversations among the lembers of the Soviet Ebassy. During this

period (fall of 1963) the reels were procably being brought into the station

and carried to Boris by one of the people fron the Soviet Section or they may

have been carried to him by Flick but I think I brought the reel in and gave

it to Herbert Manell to take to Boris. (Herbert Manali and his wife Barbara

hardled all of the processi:g of Soviet transcripts. ly job involved screening

the photographs as soon as we learned that the man calling hinself Oswald was

probably an American. However, here again there was a backlag because the

photos were picked up three times a week but the ones ricked up

were usually

for dates a few days previously because the doctor)proce, sed the film on a

night time basis. Photographs were made usually until one roll was used but

later ve got it changed to one day coverage

on each roll - in other words the

operators, cleared the camera each day wether there was angrisange a füll.

roll of film exposed. Instructions were to cover office hours, photograch each

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new Soviet and family, all foreigners and foreign licene plates.

Funan

error did occur but generally the agents were

conscientious.

The Cuban

embassy coverage had more sophisticated

equipient (a pulse caera) but it

frequently developed rechanical difficulties. Bob Zarbarnardi and (Spathar)

(I think) handled this film - pick up and delivery. Lorna l'acilay screened

the film inside the

station.

I am certain that the Oswald call came

to our attention fron the

Soviet line. It was picked up and taken to Boris for a translation because

the caller was trying to speak Russian. Any delay was caused by waiting to

compare the photographs with the typed transcript. There were no copies

transcriots every made in languages other than Spanish or English because Win

Scott could read only those two languages ard he personally screened the

transcripts for operational leads he wanted pursued.

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3

(4) J0r End gate

I-LIMITED

2- LILYRIE

3: LICALLA

Phate Bases.

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TUESDAY 1th OCTOBER 1963

Coyeraga: 900 to 1900

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WEDNESDAY 2 OCTOBER 1983

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THURSDAY 3 Oedober 1963

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