OPERATIONAL REPORT - - 1-29 FEBRUARY 1964
Originator: CIA
From: COS, MEXICO CITY
To: CHIEF, KURIOT
Document date: 03/17/1964
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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104-10246-10025

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

-DISPATCH

CLASSIFICATION

SECRET

•TO

Chief, KURIOT

INFO.

FROM

Chief, WH Division

Chief of Station, Mexico City

Attn: Photographic Branch

SUBJECT

• Operational Report -- 1-29 February 1964

ACTION REQUIRED • REFERENCES

Action: None; for your information.

XX;

PROCESSING ACTION

MARKED FOR INDEXING

NO INDEXING REQUIRED

ONLY QUALIFIED: DESK

CAN JUDGE INDEXING

MICROFILM

Presented below is a reporting of the operational and support activities of

Gregory D. PARMUTH and Hugh I. FRANCOTTE for the above mentioned period.

1. General Summary of Activities.

Activity for the month of February.consisted of the following: two photo-

graphic operational assignments were serviced by PARMUTH and E RANCOTTE

using the LIFIRE truck and Balscope; one flaps and seals operation was completed

by PARMUTH and Harriet A. ZAMBELLE; one carbon and developer was issued

to LICORAL/1; Station print production totaled 1, 952 prints for the month; the

new passport camera cassettes which were sent to the Station from Headquarters

are working well; and photographic basehouses covering the Soviet and Satellite

Embassies performed normally.

2. IDY.

a. On 14 February 1964 Harriet A. ZAMBELLE arrived at the Mexico

City Station for the purpose of removing important Communist Party documents

from clothing. See paragraph 5.a. below for details concerning this operation.

b. On 20 February 1964 Hugh I. FRANCOTTE arrived PCS at the

Mexico City Station. FRANCOTTE is replacing Gregory D. PARMUTH who is

Photographic Operations Officer representing KURIOT at the Mexico City Station.

Enclosures:

5Enel3

A. Iraining Report

B. Film

GREEP 1

C. Photographs

Excluded tram automati.

dancarsing and

D. Drawing | DOC FORWARDED W/O S/CH

•11:7057

E. Misc. ReporBa RID/AN Aù 93100.

F. Identity (under separate cover

(continued)

59-61-183

Distribution:

V2 - KURIOT, w/encls

CROSS REFERENCE TO

DISPATCH SYMBOL AND NUMBER

HMMA -2308&S COPY

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DATE

17 March 1964

HQS FILE NUMBER

50-618

#16148

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3. Iraining.

See training report forwarded as enclosure A. on Lewis F. KASNICKA.

4. Operations.

a. On 25 February 1964 PARMUTH and FRANCOTTE were requested

by Lee R. MYLECHRAINE to cover a meeting between Oliver Q. WIMPHEN

and a top-ranking official of the PCM. MY LECHRAINE requested movies of

this meeting. A casing exercise was completed on the afternoon of 25 February

with the recommendations that the LIFIRE truck be used on this operation.

On the morning of 27 February 1964, PARMUTH and FRANCOTTE, with

RESCIGNO driving the LIFIRE truck, successfully photographed this meeting

on motion picture film using the Turret Camera Concealment device.

Forwarded as enclosure B is a copy of the film covering this meeting.

b. During the period 26 February - 1 March 1964, PARMUTH and

FRANCOTTE were requested by Gerald F. GESTETNER to prepare for a

photographic operation which would take place on 1 March 1964p

of this operation was to photograph a meeting between a Soviet official and a

U.S. Army enlisted man who came from the States to Mexico to meet with

this official clandestinely. Work on this operation began on 26 February 1964

by choosing different photographic locations using the LIFIRE truck. On

27 February 1964, immediately following the PCM operation, test exposures

were made from the LIFIRE truck at the proposed meeting site using both

the K-100 for motion pictures and the Exacta camera with 240mm lens for

stills. Upon reviewing the tests, the Station chose

stills for this operation.

On the night of 28 February 1964, FRANCOTTE and Lola M. CAPAZZI

registered in alias at a hotel which overlooked the general meeting site.

FRANCOTTE was requested to photograph all persons who would be near the

target area before and after the meetings took place in order to check for

counter-surveillance. On the morning of 29 February 1964, FRANCOTTE

made tests with the Exact camera and 30x eyepiece.

Using Tri-X film,

FRANCOTTE photographed examplars of what type of coverage could be expected

in bright morning sun from this location. This test rool of Tri-X film was

developed with excellent results in Acufine, full

strength at 75 degrees, for a

period of 20 minutes. The Station was satisfied with this part of the coverage.

On the morning of 1 March 1964, RESCIGNO parked the LIFIRE truck directly

across the street from the meeting site (which was at a local movie theatre),

leaving PARMUTH to cover this part of photographing the meeting between the

Soviet and the target. RESCIGNO immediately went to FRANCOTTE's rOom

in the hotel to maintain audio communications between the LIEMBRACE

surveillance team (which would be following the target when he left his hotel

for the meeting) and the LIFIRE truck which would be warned when the target

approached the theatre area for his meeting with the Soviet. FRANCOTTE'S

coverage showed the Soviet entering the park area approximately 25 minutes

before the actual meeting time. At 0916 the Soviet walked to the theatre

entrance where the target was standing. The Soviet waited approximately 6

minutes before approaching target. Forwarded as enclosure C. are photographs

taken of this operation, which were requested by the U.S. Army through

GESTETNER.

5.

Station Support.

a. On 15 and 16 February 1964, ZAMBELLE and PARMUTH were

requested by Lee R. MY LECHRAINE to be on standby to remove important

Communist documents which were sewn into the lining of a raincoat. Con-

siderable preparations were made on the part of ZAMBELLE for this operation,

who spent the whole of 15 February practicing on different stitching both by hand

and machine. On the night of 16 February 1964, PARMUTH and ZAMBELLE

TOKM

were notified by MX ECHRAINE that the raincoat with the documents stitched

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inside the coat plus 19 envelopes were in the case officer's possession for a

period of 7 hours.

ZAMBELLE successfully removed the documente which

consisted of three type-written documents on white thin cloth.

The documents

were then photographed and resewn into the raincoat.

PARMUTH opened,

photographed and resealed 16 of the 19 envelopes with the help of ZAMBELLE

and Julie G. PERSFULL.

This operation was completed in five hours.

PARMUTH requested that MY LECHRAINE tell his agent that the 19 envelopes

should be carried by the agent preferably in his rear hip pocket during his

trip by bus from Mexico City to Merida (a hot long trip by bus) to distort any

chance that the recipients would detect that the letters had been opened. On

27 February 1964, MYLECHRAINE reported that his agent returned from

Merida and followed the Station's instructions about placing the letters in his

hip pocket. The letters arrived in Merida as expected, in a pressed damp

condition.

The three of the 19 envelopes which the Station did not open had

been originally sealed with a liquid gum-type glue which gets tacky when sealed.

When PARMUTH attempted to open these three envelopes which were made of

cheap rough fiber paper by direct steaming, it would found that the fiber would

give way before any noticeable softening of the glue and the decision was made

to leave the envelopes untouched. On 17 February 1964, seven sets of prints,

consisting of 63 each set, were given to"MYLECHRAINE for hit dissemination.

No repercussions were reported to the Station concerning this Fand S operation.

b. On the afternoon of 24 February 1964, FRANCOTTE and PARMUTH

visited the MKCHARITY basehouse where PARMUTH introduced FRANCOTTE

to RESCIGNO. KURIOT Station support was discussed at length during this

meeting.

:. On the night of 25 February 1964, PARMUTH introduced FRANCOTTE

Identity A who controls the passport camera activity at the airport) A meetin!

was race by anil to a PARaTHan TeA new inspect eh which

were sent to the Station for this passport camera operation have been tested

and are working well. Several improvements were made by Identity A to the

safe area where the passport camera is used. They are as follows:

(1) The new room now has a steel grating as a ceiling preventing

anyone from climbing over and into this room;

(2) Another door divides the location of the room into two parts.

This door as well as the other two doors is always locked. Thus the entire

area is secured.

(3) Identity A and one camera operator have the key to this new

inner room for their private use only.

See enclosure D. for the drawing of

this room.

d.

On 24 February 1964, PARMUTH introduced FRANCOTTE to

LIFEUD/22 and 23 who are located at the LIERODE basehouse. An inspection

tour of the installation was given by LIFEUD/22, explaining in detail his respon-

sibilities at this installation in support of PBRUMEN

operations.

FRANCOTTE

will handle this photographic operation when PARMUTH departs Mexico.

6. SW Activity.

a. On 8 February 1964 PARMUTH trained Lawrence F. BARKER in

the use of the 37 carbon system and 58 developer. This training was given to

BARKER so that he could train LICORAL/1 in New York City in these systems.

b.

LICHAP/1.

On 21 February 1964 PARMUTH developed two SW messages from

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c.

LICHAP/1•

On 28 February 1964 PARMUTH developed one SW message from

7. Miscellaneous Statistics.

a. Number of operational target surveys completed during the month: 0.

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

c. Photographic equipment issued for operational use: 0.

d. Photographic equipment repaired: 0.

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

0.

8. Production Figures on Jobs Processed.

a. Black and White: 62 jobs.

b. Total prints: 1,952.

c. 35mm microfilm:

300 feet

16mm

microfilm:

800 feet

d. 120 size roll film: 2.

e. Sheet film (all types): 18.

f. Color jobs: 0.

g. KURIOT Station Support:

(1) Secret Writing:

3 messages developed, plus 1 training job.

(2) Flaps and seals: 16 letters opened and resealed.

(3) Chemical harassment: 0.

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