MEMO: 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

(SECRET.

10 Feb 77

Source:

Subject:

Notes made by A. Goodpasture

for. John Leader, IG Staff

Background on Mexico Station Support Assets

(Coverage of Soviet and Cuban Embassies)

1. (Unilaterall coverage. From the time the Mexico Station was opened in

(Apr1l 1947 (by Bill Doyle) until arrival of Win Scott as COS in 1955, Charles

Anderson III (still in LA/HQ) had developed a support apparatus to 1a

exploit leads fron the Soviet Embassy. This umbrella type project (LIFEAT)

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

team and a mail intercept operation.

thone taps were placed by an-employee of the telephone company

Ratire ma 11769-2.

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

tapped was limted

by availability of a listening post nearby

(since the taps were not made 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.)

Three photo sites were handled by Anderson with the help

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

people checking the best type of camera, film, and concealment

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

and LICALLA). LIMITED was a fixed site bang opposite across

the street from the front gate of the Soviet Embassy which had

both a vehicle and foot entrance. The Soviet gate was on the

NorthWest corner of their compound and LIMITED was diagonally

across a double barrelled street on the Southe

aste carrar at

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sarass co 540046645

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that block.: LIMITSD was the first base and it operated strictly on an

er erimental basis in the early stages. I think the ilexi Station bought

one storey

this property (a/Spanish Colonial stone house) through LIMOUSINE (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 released to the

public by the Warren Commission. The photo operators were moved

to

another apt

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

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

on this site):.

LILYRIC was planned as an alternate photo base to LINITED.

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

as LIMITED but in the middle of the block South. It had a slanted view of

the front gate of the Soviet Enbassy. The agents in LIMITED and LILYRIC (both

Mexican families) 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 Mexico 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 purpose of this operation was

to

get good

identification photographs of the Soviet.

personnel (who at that time were largely

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

(Ramon Alvarez (Mexican citizen of U.S. mother who taught elerentary level at,

the American School)! (Ranon)collected the film galt

Ama from LIMITED

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

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

to accumulate, the inside CO (Mahoney) becane disgusted and took the film out

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

the handler for all three photo bases

A sensitive staff D monitoring operation

(SECHET

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SEGRET,

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

LIUSI/1, etc). This was handled by Glen WIDDEN (outside ISD officer) anà

Mahoney using HQ TDY teams for monitoring. This operation was also

separate

from LICALLA.

The two houses in between were

rented to unsuspecting tenants.

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 for late model cars and a

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

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

Soviet

when someone of interest left the/Embassy gate and stay with them

until they made their meetings. These agents knew about the LIITED

BASE beêause they had LIMITED 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 (Judd Austin of the Goodrich,)

Little and Riquelme firm, the agent had identified Sancho (who was

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 LIFEAT project was broken

up into several others.

The agents

were not changed but were given

Frank

new crypts. (Istancona) and Peggy Maggard) replaced Anderson in handling

the unilaterall phone taps. Puckett replaced Mahoney and handled the

surveillance team (LIENTRAF) and the photo bases through Ramon,

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

intercept handled by. Charlie Anderson III, The agent (Mexican) had

a semi official status and arranged to obtain selected letters from

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a sub-agent in the postal system (I think at the airport).

Alfonso Spera,

were later/Puckett, Robert Feldmann, and Alan White.

His case officers,

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

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

Security with which ve dealt was a hip pocket group yun out of the flinistry

(Of Gov rnment. This Ministry spent a major part of its time on control of

foreigners and colitical 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 Hqtrs where the files

were poorly organized and often inaccurate. Now and then, however, some useful

information was developed but it could not be depended upon. (Melberg, was

replaced by Phil Roettinger (resigned and remained in Mexico), Mahoney, Thomas

(Hazlitt, and Robert Feldmann One After The Ether)

During 1958, Win Scott met socially some of the Chronies of the

Mexican President elect, Adolfo Lopez Mateos. 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 communism". One of these seeds

grew into a proposal Miguel Alenan (ir. son of former Mexi President), acting

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

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

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

Son (LIENVOY-2) was a masterpiece of deceit and corruption. LIELEGANT also

manipulated control over the principal agent of LIBIGHT mail intercept. The

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

and

John

(ISD training officer for surveillance and head of the listening

post where thirty telephone lines would connect as well as a transcription room

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staffed by Mexican army officers.) Initially the station tried to met every

demand made by the Mexicans. Both (Smith and John had language difficulties and

personal problems associated with being outside the station so that the Mexicans

were virtually uncontrollable, spendi & money as they pleased, squirrelling away,

equipment at enormous costs, and neglecting their part of the bargain in the

production of transcripts or placing taps which we wanted. Spera

was replaced

by Jack. Brady who found himself in the same pincer movement of having Scott

approve a request by LIFLEGANT that Brady had turned down by the son, LIENVOYE?.

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

the project was revamped. Smith and John returned to the U.S. and were replaced

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

Brady was reassigned to other duties pending a transfer.

the equipment./ Scott took over the project as case officer meeting with LIELEGANT.

He designated Ann Goodpasture to meet dailing withflick for routine supervision

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

dealing with the Vexicans 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 Embassy but I

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

Years eve 1959.: As I recall, it was a makeshift arrangement of volunteers

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

their activities and recruitirg agents right and left anong Cuban nationals in

Mexico City.

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

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

Warren Commission. To determine who was there and what they were doing I

have grouped persons together chronologically with

areas of their assignment

as the

covering from 19

to 1969 so that soboetter names pop up, one can tell what

that

period they were in Mexico and

wer

their assignments, at the time.

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8/50-6/69

COS

DCOS

Winston M. Scott (deceased)

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

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

6/63 - 9/65

Alan White (retired)-

10/65 - 1969 Stanley

Watson (retired in Mexico)

COVERI ACTION

(Prior to 1954)

12/54

Howard Hunt (retired)

- 7/58

Williard Hill (resigned)

12/55 - 9/61 Stannard Short (retired)

Chief

9/61 - 3/64 David Phillips C/(retired)-

8/62 - 9/64

Gunnar Beckman Asst,-

2/64 - 6/65

James Flannery C/(retired) -

9/64 - 11/66

Harold Dalghren Asst)

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

•- 68.

Don Heath

68 - 71:

Joseph SmithC (retired in Mexico)

CUBA OPERATIONS

56 - 4/62 Thomas Hazlitt Chief

2/60

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

4/63-4/65

Bob Shaw Chief -

9/63 - 7/65 Ray-Swider

10/63 - 5/65 Lorna Mackay

(retired)

8/63 - 6/65 David Phillips Chief (natured)+

9/65 - 19/68 Joseph Piccolo

10/65. - 12/67 Peggy Waggard)

SOVIET TARGET

6/57 - 10/59 Louise Iyon (retred)

9/59- 8/65 Herbert Wanell Chief>

9/59 - 8/65 Parbara Manell

5/64 - 7/66

4/65 - 11/67 Cynthia Pausmann

6/65 - 7/67 Alice Pittinger]

7/65 - 4/69 Paul Dillon Chief)

SOVIET TPANSCRIBIRS

6/56-8/58

Morris Gordon (resigned)

6/58 - 6/63

George Misko

6/63 ÷ 70

Boris Tarasoff (retired in Mexico) -

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

(retired ?)

• Outside CO

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-*7-

(882ar

SUPPORT ASSETS

phono taps

1949) - 1961

Charles Anderson III Chief

04/55 - 4/60

Peesy Maggord Asst

4/56 - 1/62

Frank Estancona Chief

2/60 - 10/64 Thomas Keenan.

9/04 - 12/67 Wichael Farmer

49-71 ? Outside CO

David VILSTED (ps),

retired in Mexico

Unilateral photo

Cubans

6/59-4164

(Robert Zambernardi (resigned Nexico)]

7/59-6/62

Richard Spathar TSD

(retired)

(Unilateral photo Soviets

03/547-4/59

Harry T. Mahoney

(retired Chicago)

56 - 68 Outside Agent

Ramon Alvarez (resigned in Mexico)

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

and internal routing)

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

6/63 - 10/67 thomas Keonan - Robert H. Feldmann

Willian Bright

813)63:

6/68

cubama: Oplrepeting:

Trocial.

alson phone taps

1959 - 1959

Winston Scott (deceased).

1959 - 1960

1959 - 1960

Alfonso Spera

(retired)

Turner Smith (outside, now retired)

1959 - 1960

John

(Training rept resigned)

1960-

1961

John Brady (retired)

1962 - 1968

A. Goodpasture

1961 - 1971

Charles Flick (outside ISD Staff Agent - retired) -

Liaison - surveillance

Brior 1954 Robert Melberg-(retired)

3/54 - 4/59

Harry Mahoney (retired)

4159-1961

Thomas Hazlitt

12/62 - 9/67 Robert Feldmann

TSD Outside unit

4/58 - 12/63 Glen Widden (retired)

0/59-4/54

Joseph 1:. Resigno (ps) Unit blown and closed down

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About mid 1962 (check date) LINVOY outside lexi rept asked

(for the telephone numbers of the Soviet, Cuban, and Satellite Embassies.

With this forewarning, LIFEAT (unilateral coverage) was disconnected. However,

Cas I recall, the Mexicans connected 5 Cuban lines, 5 Soviet lines, 3 Czech,

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

monitor who made short summaries of interesting conversations for a daily

resume which was received each day around 8 a.m. (passed by(Flick) to Goodpasture

to get to Scott before 9.a.m.): Later (when the reel was completely recorded)

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

there was usually a time lag of a day or so.: Those transcripts which had

Russian or another language besides Spanish of English went 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 embers of the Soviet Embassy. During this

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

and carried to. Boris by one of the people from 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 Manell and his wife Barbera

handled all of the processi:g of Soviet transcripts. My job involved screening

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

probably an American.

However, here again there was a backlag because

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

for. dates a few days prefiously because the doctor processed the film on a

night time basis.

Photographs were made usually until one roll

used but

later we got it changed to one day coverage on each roll - in other

words the

operators cleared the camera each day whether there was any hay a full

roll of film exposed.

Instructions were to cover office hours, photograph each

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new Soviet. and family, all foreigners and foreign licenee plates. Funan

error did occur but generally the agents were conscientious.

embassy coverage had more sophisticated

equipinent (a pulse camera) but it

frequently developed nechanical difficulties. B5b Zambarnardi and Spathar

(I think) handled this film - pick up and delivery. (Lorna lacKay screened

the film inside the station.

I am certain that the Oswald call came to our attention from 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 of

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

Scott could read only those two languages and he personally screened

the

transcripts for operational leads he wanted pursued.

TET.

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10

3

1

(4) Sor Erib gate

1- LIMITED

2.LILYRIC

3: LICALLA

Phate Bases.

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