MEMO: FLIGHTS FROM MEXICO CITY TO HAVANA ON 22 NOVEMBER 1963
Originator: CIA
Document date: 1963-01-01 00:00:00
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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Released under the John F. Kennedy

Assassination Records Collection Act oi

H 992 (44 USC 2107 Note]. Case#:NW

55990 Date: 10.29-2021

"*'

SUBJECT : Flights from Mexico City to Havana on 22 liovember 1953

REFERENCE: 1. What is the total ClA information on the two flights

from Mexico City to Hayana?

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 fliants long

1 twin engine flight to Mexico City connecting with Cubana for onwaro

transportation to Havana of a mysterious passenger; and the other a flight

allegedly from Dallas, Tijuana, and lexico City to Havana with two "gang-

landa 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 Novenber

1963 a Cubana Airlines plane from Havana arrived at the Mexico City Inter-

national airport at 1620 hours - Mexico City time and departed on a return

flight to Havana at 2035 hours - Mexico City time. 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 lovember 1953.

3. Report not substantiated by líexico 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 arrived at the lexico

City airport in a private twin notor aircraft at 2130 hours l'exico tire.

Passenger transferred directly to Cubana plane without going through customs

or inmigration and travelled in pilot's cabin to Havana.

2! This infomation

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 tio above that some parts of this report are in error.

flight was not delayed for five hours. It had departed for Havana from

Mexico City at 2035 hours which would be at least an hour before the twin

motor aircraft was alleged to have arrived in Mexico City.

name is on the manifest as a passenger from Mexico City to Havana but the

tine supplied by him does not agree sith other information considered reliable.

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the Mexican Gorenient aisured the li.s

lassador that it was saling

stops to control tracllers and closed the lorder with the U.S. for

several hours imelintely aiter the assissination.

A flight of a

private aircrait such as this is possible but it is unlikely thai such

musual activity as this kould have gone unnoticed bi thie Mexico Station

tean of observers nho reported on Oubiula dirlines flights. *

1. Report not substantiated by Mexico Station records: On 2 lovember

1961 the Hamburg Base reported that a source in Cuba clainad to have seen

an aircraft with "lexican markings discharge passengers at tie livana aimort

at 1700 hours on 22 November 1963.

The source reported that the tiro passen-

lers "were gangsters" and that "the plane had just come fron Dallas, V13

Tijuana (where

it uns forced to lind because of engine trouble) and

5/ This inforation has sent to the FBI on 23 December 1961 for

investigation.

6/ The FBI responded on 31 December 1961 that Tijuana

would hare been an unlikei; place for a "forced landing" on a flight fron

milas to havana.

Their office was making no further inquiries in the

absence of additional details fron CIA.

They suggested thit CIA conduct

on investigation in Tijuana.

7/ (Tijuana is almost the sane distance frea

Pullas flying

lest as ilavana hould be flying Southeast or lexico City sould

be fljing South.)

The Mexico Station had no investigativ e assets in the

Tijuana area.

The information has a year old when received and mich too

vague for retroactive checking of records.

The untested source bio had

provided the report died before he could te questioned for additional

The SSC l report page 103 further complicates travel data by the

listing of the Cubana dirlines flight delay from "6 pon. until 1l p.m."

The sriters of this report iere probably trying to transpose the departure

time to the equivalent of Eastem tino.

Their information is dated 1

is dated 30 November 1965. 3/

arita tre dote be or 1o mich is the date to a social lica22g

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SOURCES:

1/

Transcripts froz Cuban Embassy and Cubana Airlines conversations

on 32 November 1963 discussing arrival time of flight, it's delay

in arriving, and departure. Joint CIA l'exican Governrent telephone

tap of four

Sumnary translations are

These are not verbatin

transcripts.

the Spanish text is the original monitor's interpretatici

of the conversation.

he English text is an interpretation of thi

nonitor's interpretation.

(File: 50-9-12 Folder 25, 22 Novenber 1965

Job 64-518/84, Space 307389.)

Cable from CLA to Mexico City Station DIR 36051 dated 30 November 1963.

(File:201-289243)

Nexico City Station file copy of DIR S6054 which is

dated 1 December 1963, the date of receipt. (201-289248).

Extract of

the infomation passed to the 'exican Government officials for a check

on this aircraft, dated 2 Decenber 1963. (File: 201-289248).

Cable from U.S. Enbassy, 'exico City, Ambassador Thomas C. Jann,

dated 22 lovender 1963, Control 269, SECSTATE 1177, advising the

department of State that the lexican Government had closed the border

with the U.S. for all travellers not personnally and well-incun to the

Mexican Goverment, (File: "lexico Station File P-8595).

LIFIRE surveillance team. Their case officer at that time was Robert

H. Feldmann of LA Division.

EGGA-3171 dated 2 November 1961, a dispatch fron Hamburg Base

reported inforsation from Professor alter SINC" who had received

it a year earlier from a Cuban colleague.

COLONY Job +66-602/61,

File: 19-6-79/5, volume l). F3NH=13244 dated 30 Decenher 1961

transmitted to lexico City Station a copy of the CSCI-316/02515-64

which had been sent to the FBI on 23 December 1964. (201-322247) •

CSCI-316/02545-67 dated 23 Decenber 1964 (201-322247).

FBI memorandun dated 31 December 196÷ DBA-9454, Subject: Lee Harve)

OSWALD responding to CSCI-316/G2515-67 (201-322247).

....

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