OUTLINE: PROJECT LIONION-THIS IS A TECHNICAL (PRIMARILY PHOTOGRAPHIC) SURVEILLANCE OPERATION AGAINST THE PBRUMEN EMBASSY IN MEXICO CITY.
Originator: CIA
Document date: 1964-01-01 00:00:00
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

# DOCID-32392964

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Date: 02/21/05

JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM

IDENTIFICATION FORM

AGENCY INFORMATION

AGENCY : CIA

RECORD NUMBER : 104-10414-10380

RECORD SERIES

JFK

AGENCY FILE NUMBER : RUSS HOLMES WORK FILE

DOCUMENT INFORMATION

CIA

AGENCY ORIGINATOR

FROM

TO

TITLE :

OUTLINE: PROJECT LIONION-THIS IS A TECHNICAL

(PRIMARILY PHOTOGRAPHIC) SURVEILLANCE OPERATION

AGAINST THE PBRUMEN EMBASSY IN MEXICO CITY.

01/01/1964

DATE

PAGES :

4

SUBJECTS : JFK ASSASSINATION

AMTHUG

DOCUMENT TYPE

PAPER

CLASSIFICATION

SECRET

RESTRICTIONS

1B

CURRENT STATUS

DATE OF LAST REVIEW

RELEASED IN PART PUBLIC - RELEASED WITH DELETIONS

07/07/04

COMMENTS : JFK-RH07 : F135

: 20040324-1064417

Released under the John F. Kennedy

Assassination Records Collection Act ol

1992 (44 USC 2107 Note). Case#:NW

65990 Date: 11-01-2021

[R] - ITEM IS RESTRICTED

104-10414-10380

NW 65990 Docld:32392964 Page 1

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PROJECT LIONION

B.

Identification. This is a technical (primarily photographic) surveillance

operation against the PBRUMEN Embassy in Mexico City.

Objectives. The operation is designed to (1) furnish photographic coverage

during daylight hours of the entrances of the target installation, (2)

dispatch physical surveillance teams against persons associated with the

target, and (3) keep in readiness a listening post for the monitoring and

recording of eventual technical penetration operations of the target.

The target installation is the PBRUMEN Embassy compound (including

Consulate) in Mexico City. The above-listed objectives are accomplished b!

two trained, full-time surveillance agents who live across the street from

the target.

The project is in consonance with Priority A, Objective 1, of the

current Related Mission Directivel for Mexico.

C. Background. This project, herewith presented for approval for the first time,

does not represent a new operation. LIONION activity has been going on since

1962 and costs have heretofore been charked to PBHUMEN FI funds. The

operation produces photographs of persons associated with the PBRUMEN Embassy,

both staff and visitors.

These photographs are normally reviewed for identi-

fications by the PBRUMEN section at the Station, then shown separately to

LITAMIL-9 and LITAMIL-7 who are penetration agents working inside the target.

They are subsequently forwarded to the CI section of WH/SA where they are shown

to PBRUMEN intelligence defectors AMNIP-1 and AMMUG-1. Of those assets to whom

they are routinely shown, LITAMIL+9 has to date made the largest number of

identifications.

The photos have proven of great value. Within hours of the

arrival of a new limbassy staff meriber his photograph is in the hands of the

Station

In addition to the identification of staff and visitors, the photos

(accompanied by a log kept by the LIONION agents) reveal patterns of action

(arrivals and departures) and details of personal associations (who associates

with whom) which are of great value to the Station in mounting operations against

the target.

In addition to photography, LIONION-1 and LIONION-2 are often called upon

to do visual surveillance of the target installation and LIONION-1 is essential

üo the dispatching of the LIMBRACE surveillance team against individuals

associated with the target. Because of the presence of police patrol cars in

the vicinity, the Station's mobile surveillance assets cannot come close to the

target, hence the need for LIONION-l's dispatching services.

The presence of LIONION-1 and LIONION-2 also insures continued occupancy of

a valued piece of real estate which will be used. as a listening post when the

Station succeeds in installing additional technical surveillance devices in the

target in the form of concealed radio transmitters.

Dad/on Sd:

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Operational Assets (Personnel) •

LIONION-1 is a young PBRUMEN lawyer in exile.

He left PBRUMEN in 1960,

planning to continue on via Mexico to the United States where he resided in

his early years. His two brothers are American citizens, one a desk officer

in the Department of Commerce in Washington, the other a police official in

Tampa, Florida. While in Mexico LIONION-1 was recruited, as LILILY-1, to

perform PBRUMEN operational support services for the Station and, once having

a taste of clandestine activity, decided to remain in Mexico. LIONION-2, his

mother, was recruited in 1961, as LILILY-2, as a basehouse occupant and

operator in the LIFEAT/LIERODE technical operation aimed at the PBRUMEN

Embassy. At this same time LIONION-1 also phased into LIFEAI/LIERODE work and

the two worked together as a tean. In 1962 LIONION-1 and LIONION-2 worked

together in processing the take of the LIFEAT/LIERODE/MKTRAP installation, now

known as LIOMiN. At this time their cryptonyms. were changed from LILILY-1 and

2 to LIFEUD-22 and 23, respectively. In the latter part of 1962 the two agents

began the present photographic surveillance operation.

IIONION-1 was granted an OA on 18 May 1962 by HMMV-10664. He was

ICFLUTTERED on & October 1963, HMMW-12064.

LIONION-2 was granted an OA on 16 May 1962 by HMM-10660.

LIONION-1 is the mainstay of the operation. LIONION-2 acts as his assistant

and fill-in at such times as he is absent from the observation post. Botn serve

principally as observers and photographers. LIONION-1 also acts as a dispatcher

for the LIEMBRACE surveillance team from which he is compartmented. Dispatching

is done by radio using pre-arranged innocuous code terminology; the team does not

know LIONION-1 or his precise location. LIONION-1 also processes on the premises

all photographic coverage of the main imbassy gate through final printing, cropping

and mounting. Photographic coverage of the Consulate gate is processed through the

negative development stage.

Control is primarily financial buttressed by the knowledge, on the part of

the agents, that as PBRUMN refugees they are vulnerable to pressure which might

be brought upon them by KUBARK through the Mexican government should they get out

of line. Motivation is a combination of financial necessity and violent aversion

to, and determination to bring about the downfall of, the AMMUG regime. An

additional motivating factor is that both agents actually enjoy what for many would

be monotonous work.

Both agents realize that they are working for PBPRIME intelligence; LICHION-1

appears to be aware that he is working for KUBARK. The cover utilized by LIONION-2

is that of dependent mother.

LIONION-1 passes as a would-be writer who can afford

io dabble without notable publishing success because of family landholdings in

Tampa, Florida (inherited from his deceased father), which enable him to live as

n. "rentista," one who lives on income from sources other than gainful employment.

His rentista status is registered with the Mexican government. In October 1964

this cover successfully withstood intensive investigation by Mexican authorities

checking on persons of questionable status fa tax collection purposes.. The

Station plans to bolster the writing cover with supporting documents from a

literary agent in New York City; these will be requested in separate correspondence.

ALCH

SEE REL: 210

NW 65990 Docld:32392964 Page 3

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- ,-

Communication 1s primarily with LIONION-1; with LIONION-2 only in his

_absence.

Meetings, pre-arranged or signalled by innocuous phone calls (calls

from. LIONION-1 go through a telephone cut-out), are usually held at the

• LIONION-1 safe apartment. This apartment, which would appear to be a LIONION-1

love nest, is in

another area of town. The Station KURIOr technician,

Hugh I. FRANCOITE, meets with LIONION-l at least once a week.

The Case Officer,

Lawrence F. BARKER, meets with him less frequently. Whereas LIONION-1 knows

the true name of the Case Officer, he does not know FRANCOITE's true identity.

Security Evaluation. If either of the LIONION agents are uncovered by Mexican

authorities as engaged in operations against the target, they have been briefed

to indicate that they are working for an exile organization based in the JMAVE

area on a voluntary, non-paid, patriotic basis and to stick to the story covering

their income. This would probably hold up unless they were caught in flagrante

with the KURIOT automatic pulse camera on the premises. This camera is of such

refinement and complexity as to be difficult to ascribe to an exile organization.

In any event, LIONION-1 has a close relationship with an official of the Mexican

president's office.

This connection, developed by LIONION-1 for his own protectio.

enabled him to weather the tax investigation and can be used by him to overcome an;

future difficulties with Mexican authorities.

Under Mexican law, the principal (photographic) activity of the project is

not illegal, therefore uncovering of the photographic operation would not of

itself result in arrest or prosecution. It is usually possible to stave off

investigation or house search for a period of time sufficient to remove compromis-

ing material from the premises. The. LIONION base house was once cleaned completel:

in one evening and could again be cleaned, probably in less time, if circumstances

should warrant.

The target installation is aware that photo surveillance is a probability.

On one occasion AMKNOB-1, a JMWAVE asset, was shown a nearby building (not the

LIONION base) by a PBRUMEN Embassy officer and told that it was a KUBARK photo

LIONION-1 is known by sight to some PBRUMEN Embassy staff personnel who have

observed him in the neighborhood.

Presumably they believe he is a

• Mexican. To

avoid operational compromise, he cannot renew his expired passport

PBRUMEN Consulate.

For this reason the Station will request KURIOT in separate

correspondence to prepare new passports for both LIONION agents so that they may

travel outside Mexico.

Security measures employed in this operation are designed to make it virtuall;

impossible for any opposition service to link LIONION personnel with the Station.

r. Coordination. Coordination with other PBPRIME elements or the Mexican government

is not necessary at this time and none is envisaged.

NW 65990-Bocld 32322954-Ragest

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ü .

Coots. The totel ammal e

as shown below:

23: 65

12.66

422110

Lots?

4:160

IIONICA -1 nalar

• 13 monthe @ $320

LIONION-? salary

13 months 8 $150

Real estate

rentala:

LIONION Basehouse

LIONICN Sarehouse

Utilitiee on both houses

Supplies

(Factographic Gilni, paper,

chericals, ond miscellaneous)

l'otels

900

1050

1950

600

264

150

1.170

600

201

150

1170

1200

520

• 300

23110

$5004

422:74

510470

Salaries for LIONION-]. and 2 include the customery year end

bonus of one month's calary. IIONICH-l's setuy vas vaired from j20o to

$320 monthly in 1964 to compencate in part for his renunciation

sales poobion in order that he might devote his full time to the tichnoi

operation. LIONION-2's salary has renained at 4150 per month sirse her

rocruitment in 1961. No salary changes are contemplated during e

project year.

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