OPERATIONAL MONTHLY REPORT -- 1 - 31 DECEMBER 1963.
Originator: CIA
From: CHIEF OF STATION, MEXICO CITY
To: CHIEF, WH DIVISION
Document date: 01/16/1964
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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

DISPATC

SECREI

Chief, KURIOT

Attn:

Photographic Branch

FROM

Chief, WH Division

Chief of Station, Mexico City

SUB!ECT

ACTION PIQUIRED: REFERENCES

Operational Monthly Report -- 1-31 December 1963

Action: None.

For your information.

XX

NO INDEXING REQUIRED

ONLY QUALIFIED DESK

CAN JUDGE IMDEXING

MICROFILM

Presented below is a reporting of the operational and support activities

of Gregory D. PARMUTH for the above mentioned period.

1. General Summary of Activities.

Activity for the month of December consisted of the following:

• Installation of the SEQUENCE camera at the LIERODE basehouse; Assistance

wa's given to C/MKCHARITY on an audio operation against an LCHARVEST

target; A locked door containing audio equipment was opened by PARMUTH

at an LP monitoring the LCHARVEST apartment;

Station production totaled

2,325 for the month; One agent was trained in SW; and Photographic basehouses

• covering Soviet and Satellite Embassies produced below average production

because of the Christmas season.

2. TDY

On 16 December 1963 Peter T. SWINEHART, POB, arrived at Mexico

City to install a SEQUENCE camera at the LIERODE basehouse. See para 5.g.

of this

report io, details.

On 17 December 1963 an SWB representative arrived at Mexico City

(continued)

Enl:

1.

Training Report (KASNICKA)

2. Sequence Camera reports (3)

3. SWB Report

Distribution:

12 -KURIOT, W/encls

1 - WH, w/o encls

CROSS REFERENCE TO

FE GOFE

DISPATCH SYMBOL AND NUMBER

HMMA-22725

CLASSIFICATION

SECRET

50-478

DATE

16 January 1964

HOS FILE NUMBER

50-6-18

0004098

2123

17707

7

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MMA...

for the purpose of training PARMUTH in the use of Str

system 99.

3. Training:

See training report forwarded as Enclosure I on Lewis F. KASNICKA.

4.. Operations:

• None.

• 5. Station Support

a. On the morning of 1 December 1963, PARMUTH assisted RESCIGNO

in installing audio microphones under the flooring of an LCHARVEST occupied

apartment.

(See HMMA-22608, 1l Dec 63, para 5.d.) Lines leading from the

audio installation to the LP were strung and secured below the flooring which had

ample semi-crawling space between the target area and the LP apartment.

RESCIGNO and PARMUTH entered this crawling space by removing a small

section of flooring located inside the LP apartment.

There is also a trap door

leading into the crawl space at the front entrance hall of the building although

the curious would be discouraged to enter this area because of stagnant water

six to ten inches deep on the floors at all times, cob webs, bugs, etc., etc...

Three audio microphones were installed on this operation.

During the period 2-14 December 1963, PARMUTH again handled

LIFIRES 4/5 while Marvin A. CABOT was on annual leave..

c. On 6 December 1963 PARMUTH forwarded to KURIOT/WAVE

Headquarters two orders of envelopes (six month supply per each request)

and one request for stamps. The envelopes were handcarried by Timothy A.

CAPRIOTT to WAVE Headquarters, avoiding a week's delay if the envelopes

were sent through the pouch from Mexico City. The stamps were handcarried

by another TDYer to the States for mailing to Washington..

d. On 6 December 1963 PARMUTH was requested to re-enter the

LP covering the LCHARVEST apartment as reported in para 5.a. of this report.

The purpose of this visit was to unlock a closed door which stored the LP equip-

ment which monitors LCHARVEST activities in that apartment. Although the

basehouse keeper had a key which worked well for several days previously, the

lock would not open for the agent on the afternoon of 6 December. PARMUTH

entered the apartment at 0130 hours on 7 December and unlocked the door. It

was found that the throw bolt located inside the lock was broken. For security

purposes, two other locks were removed from other doors located in the same

room to check if these locks were in the same bad condition. In each case,

when the key was inserted into the lock and turned excessively, the throw bolt

snapped. A new lock of the same. type manufacture was installed on the closet

door by the basehouse keeper on 7 December 1963.

On the night of 7 December 1963, PARMUTH was requested by

the COS to install an extension phone at the COS residence." After a short

training period given by RESCIGNO at the MKCHARITY base, PARMUTH was

able to service this request satisfactorily. This extension was one which

replaced one removed (for study) by KUSODA officials who inspected Mexico.

On 10 December 1963 PARMUTH photographed 423 frames, usin

the Recordak to fulfill a monthly Staff D requirement for the Chief of Station.

g. On the morning of 17 December 1963, SWINEHART, LIFEUD/2:

and PARMUTH met at the LIERODE basehouse to install the 35mm SEQUENC

camera and the VLS-2 trigger device. SWINEHART instructed both L-22 and

PARMUIH very thoroughly on the installation and maintenance of the SEQUE

FURM

105º 530

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:MMA-22726

camora. The complet

system was then dismantled by SWINEHART so that L-iz

could re-install the system from the beginning. This was done by L-22 and met

with SWINEHARI's satisfaction. Although the Consulate door was closed to lbe

public for a period of six days for unknown reasons as of the niuht of 17 December

1963, tests were made using the SEQUENCE camera photographing people walking

by the Consulate door.

The camera worked well and produced good printable

negatives.

On the morning of 18 December 1963, L-22 contacted PARMUTH and

explained that the Consulate door was now open to the public and receiving

visitors as of 1010 that day. PARMUTH and SWINEHART joined L-22 shortly

later at the LIERODE basehouse and found that the camera system was working

well and photographing people entering and leaving this target area. SWINEHART

then processed this film at the Station lab and made sample prints of the day's

take to be presented to the COS and C/PBRUMEN for their approval. Both were

very pleased with the photographic results using this type of camera equipment,

at the LIERODE basehouse. As of this reporting, the SEQUENCE camera is

using approximately 100 feet of Plus X film between 0900 and 1400 hours (office

hours for the Consulate). L-23 uses the present dark room area to photograph

traffic entering and leaving the front gate of the Embassy and is on duty from

0800 to 1800 hours daily, six days a week. In order for L-22 to process the film

from both of these cameras and make prints daily, it will be necessary to install

another darkroom at the basehouse. L-22 will need a Morse Tank for processing

film, a drying rack, and a small PAKO dryer for finishing prints in order to

satisfy PBRUMEN requirements at the Station. Forwarded as enclosure 2 is

the installation, and statistical and training report concerning this operation.

On the night of 17 December 1963, PARMUTH and SWINEHART

went to the Mexico City Airport to meet a visiting SWB TDYer and assisted him

through customs. Before the plane arrived, PARMUTH and SWINEHART took

the opportunity to inspect the passport camera located in the Immigration Section

of the Airport.

i. On the evening of 31 December 1963, PARMUTH was requested by

Michael C. CHOADEN, C/PBRUMEN Operations Officer, to make an emergency

meeting with LIFEUD/22.

The purpose of this meeting was to pick up photographs

and logs for 30 and 31 December in connection with a priority PBRUMEN operation.

6. Station Support (SW Activity).

a. On 6 December 1963, a visiting IDY er from Tegucigalpa requested

PARMUTH to train SWLUCK/1 in secret writing. Training was carried out on

7 December 1963 at a local hotel in the city. SW systems 37 and 58 were used in

this operation as per KURIOT instruction in DIR-87130. Forwarded as enclosure

3 is the SW report which is to be sent to SWB.

b. On 20 December 1963, PARMUTH was trained in the use of SW

system 99 by a visiting KURIOT technician.

7. Miscellaneous Statistics.

a. Number oi operational targets surveys completed during month: 0.

b. Number of IDY trips compieted during the month: 0.

Photographic equipment issued for operational use: SEQUENCE

caneta.

10?!1

9$530

d. Photographic equipment repaired: 0.

e. Number of people trained in photographic techniques/equipment: 2.

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