NOTE RE HSCA INVESTIGATION OF THE MEXICO CITY STATION.
Originator: CIA
From: SMITH, HAVILAND
To: THE DIRECTOR
Document date: 06/15/1978
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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

June 15, 1978

NOTE FOR

: The Director

FROM

SUBJECT

: Haviland Smith

: The HSCA Investigation of the Mexico City Station

1. The memorandum fröm Scott Breckinridge, attached hereto, dated

15 June, addresses only one aspect of our problem with the HSCA.

In the

fall of this year, the HSCA will prepare a report for the Congress which will

be unclassified.

There seems every likelihood that this report, whether we

are able to contest it successfully either with the Committee or perhaps even

in the Courts, will contain sensitive information, the revelation of which

will be very damaging to our interests in Mexico. Not only will this report

provide evidence of our unilateral intelligence activity in Mexico Gitk. which

activities are against Mexican Law,

but t will also contain proof that ele-

ments of the Mexican Government are involved in activities which are illegal

under their own constitution./ The best example of this, but not the only

example, is their telephone"ap activity, the evidence from which will be

an integral part of the HSCA's conclusions.

2.

Mexico City is a focal point for Soviet intelligence operations

against the continental United States.

There is a long, documentable history

of Soviet activities based in Mexico being run into our Country.

The relation-

ship that we have with the Mexican Security Service is a critical ingredient

in our ability to protect ourselves against these Soviet intelligence acti-

vitiese elements of the Meat th governe case, as be supee the contes

by those elements of the Mexican government.

publishes the kind of information spelled out above, the result on this

liaison relationship will be disastrous. It will seriously weaken our

ability to protect our country from Soviet intelligence activities.

3. We believe that the issues raised by Chairman Stokes in his letter

to you affords an excellent opportunity for you to underline to him some of

the problems which are inherent in an ultimate declassification and publica-

tion of the sensitive information they have gleaned from our files on general

intelligence activities in Mexico City.

This may not prove to be helpful

in dampening the ardor of the HCSA staff, but it most certainly will put

them on notice that the course they are taking will have direct repercussions

not only on CIA activities in Mexico City, but on our bilateral relations

with that country.

ET

19998

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