BACKGROUND ON MEXICO STATION SUPPORT ASSETS (COVERAGE OF SOVIET AND CUBAN EMBASSIES)
Originator: CIA
From: GOODPASTURE, A.
To: LEADER, JOHN, IO STAFF
Document date: 02/10/1977
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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1104-10054-10287

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

SEGRET

10 Feb 77

Source:

Notes made by 1. Goodpasture

for John Leader, IG Staff

Subject:

Background on Mexico Station Support Assets

(Coverage of Soviet and Cuban Embassies)

1. (Unilateral coverage. Fron the time the Mexico Station was opened in

(April 1947) (by Bill Doyle) until arrival of Win Scott as COS in 1956, Charles

Anderson III (still in LA/HQ) had developed a support apparatus to Eatin

exploit leads from the Soviet Embassy. This umbrella type project (LIFEAT)

e surveillance

team and a mail intercept operation.

a. Fhone taps were placed

who was handled

tapped

(since

th

employee of the telephone company

VILSTED (pseudo). The number of lines

by availability of a listening post nearoy

taps were not made in the main central) and English/

Spanish (Soviet, Polish, Czech, etc) transcribers. Generally

these

agents (mostly Mexican or Mexican American) were related

which the station at that time felt was good security in that

if they telked about shop, they would talk to each other.)

b. Three photo sites were handled by Anderson with the help

of Harry Mahoney (retired, living in Chicago) and TDY TSD

people checking

the best type of camera, film, and concealment

devices. These had sub-cripts under LIFEAT (LIMITED, LILYRIC,

and LICALLA). LIMITED was a fixed site bang opposite across

the street from the front gate of the Soviet Embassy which had

both a vehicle and foot entrance. The Soviet gate was on the

Northlest corner. of their compound and LIMITED was diagonally

across a double barrelled

street on the Southeast coons

LESNEF.

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inconst

that block. LI ITED was

the first base

and it

operaied

strictly on an

exerimental basis in the early stages.

I trink the l'exi

Station bought

one

storey

this property. (a/Spanish Colonial stone house) through LINOUSLIE (check to

be sure). Later this house began to fall apart. This base was closed when

the Station got word that the photo of "uniden man" was being released to the

public by the Warren Commission. The photo operators were noved to another apt

nearby. The property was sold (under an operational agreement with LIMOUSINE

for a long term lease on the top floor of a new apartment blding to be built

on this site).: LILYRIC was planned as an alternate photo

to LIMITED.

It was in an upper storey (3rd floor -check) on the

läe of the street

as LIlTED but in the middle of the block saut

had a slanted view of

the front gate of the Soviet Enbass

gents in LIMITED and LILYRIC (both

Mexican fanilies) as far as

LILYRIC was a rented apac

were not acquainted with each other.

LICALIA, the third photo site, was located

in one of a row of four

houses on the South side of the Soviet Embassy compound

which the lexico Station purchased in about 1958 (check date), also using

LIMOUSINE as the purchaser (check). This site overlooked the back garden of

the Soviet Embassy compound. The purpose of this operation was to get good

identification photographs of the Soviet personnel (who at thet time were largely

unidentified in Mexico Station records). The three photo sites were handled by

Ramon Alvarez, (jexican citizen of U.S. mother who taught elerentary level at

the American School). Ranon collected the film a

A from LIMITED

and LILYRIC three times a week. His sister's husband, Carlos (Mexican doctor),

developed and printed the film into 8x10 contact print strips. The master plan

VAs Or ITATIA FIlm to i, processed aide, T3D nan fron 2957 to 1959 (farpor

Holt - resigned) could not handle the volume and as the unprocessed film began

-

to accumulate, the inside CO (Mahoney) becane disgusted and took the filn out

for (Ramon's) brother-in-law to process (probably early 1959). Thus Ramon| became

the handler for all three photo bases.

A sensitive staff D nonitoring operation

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was run out of another one of these houses (crypt for the four houses

tas

LIUST, 1, ete).

This was ha-aled by Glen WIDDEN (outside ISD

officer) and

Wahoney using HQ TDY teams

for monitoring. This opsration was also separate

from LICALLA.

The two houses in between were rented

to unsusrecting

tenants.

co lobile surveillance was developed by Anderson and later placed

• under liahoney and Joseph Sancho. This tean consisted of a half

dozen or so agents who used three to for late model cars and a

panel truck (which could be used on stake_outs for photo covera e).

The plan was to activate this group by radio (from LIMITED BASE)

Soviet

when someone of interest left the/Embassy gate

with them

until they made their meetings.

These

out the LIITED

SASE cecause they had LE

This worked f

SPPORICTON

identification purposes..

about the middle of 1958 (check date)

when one of

th

surveillance agents got too close to his target and

was arrested by the Mexican transit police and turned over to the

Mexican Secret Service. By the time the Station could arrange through

a cleared attorney to bail him out (Juad Austin of the Goodrich,

Little and Riquelme firn), the agent had identified Sancho (who was

evacuated across the border at Nogales by Bob Shaw) and the inside-

phone number of Mahoney (who was subsequently replaced by Louis

Puckett). As a result of this flap, the LIFFAT project was broken

up into several others. The agents were not changed but vere given

Frank

new crypts. /Estancona and Peggy Haggard replaced Anderson in handling

the unilateral, phone taps. Puckett replaced Mahoney and hendled the

surveillance team (LIENTRAF) and the photo bases through Remon

d. LIBIGHT was the crypt used for a unilateral (originally) mail

intercept handled by Charlie Anderson Ill, i

The agent (Mexican) had

a semi official status and arranged to obtain selected letters from

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(a sub-agent In une jostal system (I think at the airport),

His case officers

AtIonso Spera,

were later/Fuckett, Rosert Foldmann, and Alan White.

2.

(LIaison coverage) was unreliable and insecure as characterized by the nature

of the l'exidan services jat that time. EIre Mexican DES (Direction of Federal

(Security) with which we dealt was a hip pocket group run out of the ilinistry

Of Gov rument, This iänistry spent a major part of its time on control 0f

foreigners and political investigations. Their azents lere vicious, venal,

corrupt extortionists. (Robert Melberg) established contact with one of them

(Levine De Leon' (later LIFIRE group) in aboat 1950 or 51. He gave them some

training (a group of about five surveillance types) in travel

trol working

the airport as well as file searches of names from DIS

ere the files

were poorly organized and often inaccurate.

en, however, sore useful

information was developed but it

depended upon.

Melberg was

replaced by Phil Foetting

and remained in Mexico, Mahoney, Thomas

Hazlitt, and Robert Feldma

one after the ether)

During 1958, Win Scott met socially some of the chronies of the

Mexican President elect, Adolfo Lopez lateos? During this period, the U.s.

Ambassador Robert C. Hill (reflecting the policy of then Sec State J.F. Dulles)

was energetic in organizing groups to "fight communism". One of these seeds

grew into a proposal figuel Alenan (jr. son of forner lexi President), acting)

(for Logez "'ateos, made to Win Scott for a joint telephone tap operation

project (LIENVOY) went through about four distressing years of a shakedown.

The lexican in control (LIELEGANT) was inexperienced, old, and greedy. His

son (LIENVOY-2))was a masterpiece of deceit and corruption. LIFLEGAIT also

manipulated control over the principal agent of LIBIGHT rail intercept.

The

first case

officer was Alfonso Spera inside with Turner Smith (retired) outside

and John

(TSD training officer for surveillance and head of the listening

post where

thirty telerhone lines would connect as well as a transcription roon

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staffed ijlb ican army officers.) Initially the station tried to met every

jemand/made by the Mexicans. both (Snith and John red language difficulties and

personal problems associated with being outside the station so that the Mexicans)

were virtually uncontrollaile, spendie money as they pleased, squirrelling away

equipment at enornous costs, and neglecting their part of the bargain' in the

production of transcripts or placing taps which we wanted. Spera was replaced

by Jack Brady wno found himself in the same pincer novement of having Scott

approve a request by LIELEGANT that Bredy had turned doin by the son, LIEiOX-2.

Finally when the cost became exhorbitant and there was little to show for it;

the project was revarped. /Smith) and John returned to the U.S

nd were replaced

by a TSD officer, Charles Flick, who was put inside

He post to naintain

Brady was reassigned to other duti

the equipment./ Scott took over the project as

cer meeting with LIELEGAT.

He designated Ann Goodpasture to meet

with

Flick for routine supervision

of the listening post, pickir

ripts and tapes. Goodpasture had nò

dealingswith the lexican

when Scott was ill or out of town. Generally,

all decisions were made by Scott. This was about late 1961..

3. My menory is a little vague about the origins of the Cuban Embassy but I

think the staff first developed fron a pro-Castro group celebrating on New

Years eve 1959. As I recall, It was a rakeshift arrangerent of volunteers

through most of 1960 and El witt. Tom Hazlitt producing voluminous reports on

their activities and recruitirg agents right and left anong Cuban nationals in

Mexico City.

4 Personnel assignments. Of interest to us now is who was in Mexico during

the period prior to Oswald's visit and the subsequent investigation by the

Warren Connission. To determine who was there and what they were doing I

have gro:ped persons together chronologically with areas of their assignment

covering from 1950) to 1969 so that solvede names pop up, one cen tell what

period they were in Mexico and

their assignments "at the time.

SECRET

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8/50-6/69

COS

DCOS

Winston #. Scott (deceased)

7/56 - 7/58

Alfonso Rodriguez (retired)

10/58 - 12/62 Warren Dean) (retired)

6/63 - 9/65

Alan White (retired)-

20/65 - 1969 Stanley Watson (retired in Mexico)

COVERT ACTION

Prior to 19541

Howard Hunt (retired)

(12/54 - 7/58

Williard Hill (resigned)

12/55 - 9/61

Stannard Short (retired)

9/61

Chief

- 3/64

David Phillips C/(retired) -

8/62-9/64

§Gunnar Beckman Asst -

2/64 - 6/65

James Flannery C/(retired) -

9/64 - 11/66 Harold Dalghren Asst

10/65 - 1967

• Stanley Watson C/ (retired)

66

68

Don Heath

68 _ 7. ? Joseph SmithC(retired in Me

CUBA OPERATIONS

56 - 4/62

Thomas Hazlil

2/60 - 4/62 Jack Stewar

REPRODUCTION PROHIBI

PROHIBITED

(retired Costa Rica) \

4/63 - 4/65 Bob Shaw Chief

9/63 - 7/65 Ray Swider 3

10/63 - 5/65 Lorna Mackay

(retired) -

8/66 - 6/65 David Phillips Chief (netired) -

9/65

- 10/68 Joseph Piccolo

10/65 - 12/67 Peysy Haggard

SOVIET TARGET

5/57 - 10/59 Louise Iyon (retried)

7/59- 8/65 Herbert kanell Chief-

7/59 - 8/65 Barbara Panell -

1/04 - 7/66 WilTian Bright

/65 - 11/67 Cynthia Hausmann

1/65 - 7/67

Alice Pittinger

165-4/69

Paul Dillon Chief

SOVIET TRANSCRIBIRS

6/56 - 8/58.

Morris Gordon (resigned)

6/58 - 6/63

George Misko

6/63 ÷ 70

Boris Tarasoff (retired in Mexico) -

6/62 - 1/67 Prentice Marheine (ps)

(retired ?)

Outside CO

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SUPPORT ASSETS

Unilateral phono teps

{1949 - 1961

Charles Anderson III Chief

(4/55)- 4/60 (Pegey Faggord) Asst

4/56 - 1162

Frank Estancona Chief

2/60 - 10/64 Thomas Keenan

9/64 - 12/67 lichael Farmer

{49-71: Outside CO

Davia WILSTED (ps)

retired in Mexico

(Unilateral photo Cubans

6/59

- 4/64

Robert Zambernardi (resigned l'exico)

7/59 - 6/62 (Richard Scathar TSD (retired)

Unilateral photo Soviets

131547-4159

Harry T. Mahoney

(retired Chicago)

5/57 - 8/64

A. Goodpasture

and internal

6/58-6/63

Louis D. Pu

COUCTION PROHIBITED

56

- 68

Outside Agent

Ramon Alvarez (resigned in Mexico)

6/63 - 10/61 Thomas Keena

etired)

Robert H. Feldmann

65 - 66

William Bright

813)63.

6/668

Eatena. gil repesting.

Trial .

Liaison phone taps

1959 - 1969

Winston Scott (deceased)

1959 - 1960

Alfonso Spera

(retired)

1959 - 1960

1959 - 1960

Tomer Smith (outside, not retarca)

(Training rept resigned)

1960- 1961

John brady (retired)

1962 - 1968

A. Goodpasture

1961 - 1971 Charles Flick (outside TSD Staff Agent - retired) -

Liaison - surveillance

Erior 1954) Robert Kelberg (retired)

3/54 - 4/59

Harry liahoney (retired)

4/59 - 1961

Thomas Hazlitt

12/62 - 9/67 Robert Feldmann

TSD Outside unit

4/59 - 12/63

6/59-4/54

Glen Hidden (retired)

Joseph. *:. Resigno (os) Unit blown and closed down

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Count t

About nid 1962 (check date) LITIVOY outside lexi rept asked

for the telephone numbers of the Soviet, Cuban, and Satellite Embassies.

(With tris forewarning, LIFEAT (unilateral coverage) was disconnected. However,

(as I recall, the Mexicans connected 5 Cuban lines, 5 Soviet lines, 3 Czech,

2 Polish, and 1 lugoslav line. The basehouse listening post had

a live

monitor who made short sumnaries of interesting conversations for a daily

resume which was received each day arourd 8 a.. (passed by Flick to Goodrasture

to get to Scott before 9 a..) Later (when the reel was conpletely recorded)

full transcripts were typed and passed to the station in the

me lay, however,

there was usually a time lag of a day or so.

Those

ipts which had

Russian or another language besides Spanisheor

vent out of the listening

post the day after the transcript

conversations on the reel)was

typed. These reels were

ther location where they were translated

and typed. In the ouse plis

e Russian translations, Boris Tarasoff usually ran

about a week behind the date of the conversation because of the volume of

Russian conversations among the embers of the Soviet Exbassy. During this

period (fall of 1963) the reels were probably being brought into the station

and carried

to Boris by one of the people fron the Soviet Section or they may

have been carried to him by Flick but I think I brought the reel in and gave

it to Herbert Manell) to take to Boris. (Herbert laneli and his wife Barbera)

handled all of the processi:g

of Soviet transcripts. My job involved screening

the photographs as soon as we learned trat the man calling himself Oswald

was

probably an American. However, here again there was a backlag because

the

photos were picked up

three times a week but the ones ricked up vere usually

for dates a few days pretiously because the doctor) processed the film on a

night time basis.. Photographs were made usually until one roll vas used but

later we got it changed to one day coverage on each roll - in other words the

operators, cleared the camera each day whether there was andinday a full

roll of filn exposed. Instructions were

to cover office hours, photograph each

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new Soviet and fanily, all foreigners and foreign licenee plates. Funan

error did occur but generally the agents were conscientious.

The Cuban

embassy coverage had more sophisticated equipient (a pulse ca:era) but it

frequently developed rechanical difficulties. Bob Zambarnardi and Scathar

(I think) handled this film - pick up and delivery. Lorna l'ackay screened

the film inside the station.

I am certain that the Oswald call came to our attention from the

Soviet line.. It was picked up and taken to Boris fo

the caller was trying to speak Russian.

to

compare the photographs with

cript.

There were no copies of

Scott could read only those two languages ard he personally screened the

transcripts for operational leads he wanted pursued.

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REPR

DUCTION PROHBITED

(4) s0r Erib gate

1- LIMITED

2- LILYRIC

3. LICALLA

Phate Bases.

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