ARRB REQUEST: CIA-IR-15: MEXICO CITY STATION SURVEILLANCE TAPES
Originator: ARRB
From: ARRB
To: CIA/HRG
Document date: 12/18/1997
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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1104-10336-1001

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

re CIA IR-15

YON

Assassination Records Review Board

600 E Street NW • 2nd Floor • Washington, DC 20530

(202) 724-0088 • Fax: (202) 724-0457

December 18, 1997

CALES NO ONECTION TO

SCHAND/OR

Mr. John Pereira

Chief

MITRES DOC

APORIATION

Historical Review Group

Center for the Study of Intelligence

Central Intelligence Agency

Washington, D.C. 02505

Re: Status of CLA Responses to Assassination Records Review Board's Requests for

Additional Information and Records

Dear John:

I am writing to follow-up on our telephone call earlier today and to convey my serious

concern about the status of CIA's responses to the Review Board's requests for

additional information and records. Although CIA has completed its responses to

several requests, and many others have beën answered in part, a significant number of

requests have not been answered — including some that were made more than two

years ago. On many occasions we have been assured that responses would be

forthcoming, only to have promised dates come and go without answers. It is now

extremely important that these requests be answered promptly so that we may conduct

a proper follow-up if necessary. The issues that we can now identify as being of the

highest priority are identified in the text below by double asterisks (**)' and we request

that they be answered within the next month. We request that the remaining requests

be answered by April 1, 1998.

The remainder of this letter is divided into two parts: first, a listing of the formal

requests for information and records, and second, a listing of the intormal requests for

information and records. Please let me know if your understanding of any of the

following points differs from ours so that we can resolve any potential discrepancies.

'As identified more fully below, the issues are: CIA-1 Organizational Material,

CLA-6 Cables and Dispatches, CLA-13 Backchannel Communications, CLA-IR-03

HTLINGUAL Documents, CLA-IR-04 Disposition of Angleton Files, CIA-IR-07 Claude

Barnes Capehart, CIA-IR-15 Electronic "take" from Mexico City, CLA-IR-21 DRE

Monthly Operational Reports, CIA-IR-22 "A" Files on Clay Shaw and Jim Garrison.

BOARO MEMBERS: John R. Tunheim, Chair • Henry F. Graff • Kermit !. Hall • William L. Joyce • Anna K. Nelson

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Mr. John Pereira

December 18, 1997

Page 9

CIA-IR-12 Contacts with Journalists or Publishing Houses.

The Review Board seeks to determine to what extent, if any, CIA might have

attempted to influence any journalists or publishers regarding public discussion

of the assassination. This request, originally discussed in March 1997, was raised

at the DO follow-up briefing on April 1, 1997. CLA has had no response and no

time frame for a response.

CIA-IR-13 Office or Person Dealing with Organized Crime and Cuba.

The Review Board requested that ClA make a particular personnel file available.

The file was made available by CIA for review. The Review Board seeks a full

and accurate formal response to this request detailing any and all searches made

and the results of those searches. Once a formal statement is provided, this

request will be complete.

CIA-IR-14 Breckinridge Files.

CIA (OGC) will determine the disposition of the files of Scott D. Breckinridge.

CIA has had no response and no time frame for a response.

**CIA-IR-15 Electronic "take" from Mexico City Station.

The Review Board has for some time been attempting to determine whether it

has had access to all of CIA's surveillance "take" from the Cuban and Soviet

facilities in Mexico City at the time of the Oswald visit and in the immediate

wake of the assassination. On numerous occasions, the Review Board has asked

whether there was any surveillance take in addition to what is currently in the

collection.

On March 18, 1997, the Review Board provided additional leads to CIA to assist

it in answering these questions. The DO has agreed to check Headquarters

records for the file referenced in HMMW 12454, to search for the crypts cited in

this document, and to search for HIMMA 20307 and other cables or dispatches

cited in this document.

In addition, the DS&T will query its offices for possible records on Mexico City

and Cuba and for the present location of Staff D records. Regardless of the

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Mr. John Pereira

December 18, 1997

Page 10

outcome of these particular searches, the Review Board continues to seek a full

accounting for all surveillance conducted during the relevant time periods.

CIA-IR-16 U-2 Files.

DS&T has provided a folder title printout of U-2 materials for Review Board

examination and has checked for records filed under Richard Bissell's name. The

Review Board staff continues to review these indexes. The DS&T should

continue to search for OSP files.

CIA-IR-17 DS&T Records on Castro Assassination Plots.

The DS&T records should be searched for any records on Castro assassination

plots. The Review Board will provide possible search query suggestions from

the 1967 IG Report.

CIA-IR-18 DO Office.

The Review Board has requested orally information about a particular DO office.

Since January 1997, CIA has had no response and no time frame for a response.

CIA-IR-19 Computer Searches.

The Review Board has requested that full computer searches be conducted on all

of the following people and organizations. The results of the searches should be

documented. Once formal documentation of the completed searches has been

provided, the request is complete.

1. Spas Raikin

2. Leo Cherne

3. Hunter Leake

Results/Comments

This request is complete.

ARRB awaits documentation.

ARRB awaits documentation. HRG is checking for a DCD

4. Marilyn Dutz Murret

5. John McVickar

6. Andy Anderson

This request is complete.

ARRB awaits documentation.

ARRB awaits documentation.

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FRUHL

REQUEST

Became

CIAIRIS

"Electionic

January

— 1997

Mr. John Pereira

3297

take"

Director

Historical Review Group

VIA SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

Center for the Study of Intelligence

Central Intelligence Agency

RELEASE IN FULL

Washington, DC 20505

2000

Re:

Request for Additional Information and Records No. CIA-19

(Surveillance Operations in Mexico City)

Dear John:

As you are aware, there has been a great deal of interest surrounding the reported trip

of accused assassin Lèe Harvey Oswald to Mexico City in September and October of

1963. Information that has now been publicly released reveals that CLA had in place

several surveillance operations targeting Cuban and Soviet facilities or personnel in

Mexico City. For more than one year, the Review Board staff has attempted to ascertain

to what extent CIA's records related to this surveillance are complete.

It is our goal to ensure, to the greatest extent possible, that we have identified and

reviewed all documentation and operational reports relating to all telephone, electronic,

and photographic surveillunce the CIA had targeting the Soviet and Cuban establishments in

Mexico City from September 1963 through December 1963 (hereinafter "Surveillance

Operations"). Although we are aware that the HSCA requested records on the

Surveillance Operations, the records in the Sequestered Collection now appear to us to

be somewhat incomplete and somewhat inconsistent. We would like to assemble as

complete a collection as possible of all types of reporting vehicles used by the Mexico

City Station and Headquarters regarding the Surveillance Operations. We are also

trying to reconcile possible gaps in operational activity and operational reporting, and

in order to do so would like to review all logs pertaining to these operations and all

original negatives from the photo surveillance operations.' Therefore, we wish to pose

a series of questions and request for records.

Request No. 1. It is the Review Board's understanding that the following

operations targeted, in part, Cuban and Soviet facilities and personnel at the time.

'For example, to our knowledge, photographic take from LICALLA and

LILYRIC were never made available to any of the investigative commissions in the past.

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Mr. John Pereira

January — 1997

Page 2

of Lee Harvey Oswald's visit to Mexico City: LIPSTICK; LIEMPTY; LILYRIC;

LICALLA; LIMITED; LIENTRAT; LIONION; LIERODE; LIFEAT; and LIENVOY.

Did CIA have any other surveillance operations that targeted Cuban or Soviet

facilities or personnel in Mexice Eity during September and October of 1963? If

so, please identify the operations.

Request No. 2: The Review Board has identified the following types of

documentation that appear to have been regularly prepared in the course of

conducting operations similar to those identified in the preceding paragraph.

Project Files

Monthly Operational Reports

Annual Reports

Requests for Project Renewal

Reviews of Project Renewal

Authorizations of Project Renewal/Project Action Reports

Quarterly Project Progress Reports

Project Charts

Photo technician monthly reports

Resuma

Equipment Studies

Reports on testing of newly installed cameras as part of LIONION

Basehouse Agent Logs

Technical Services Division (TSD) Logs

Negatives from photographic production

Transmittal Manifests?

Communications (cable, dispatch, backchannel).

In addition to the documentation identified above, were there any other forms of

documentation prepared with respect to the Surveillance Operations?

According to the Lopez report, in a 6/19/64 cable, MEXI 9440, Mexico City

Station alerted Headquarters that "they were sending up the negatives from the pulse

camera coverage of the Cuban Embassy," and that "All available negatives and five

packages of undeveloped film were sent to Headquarters by transmittal manifest

#252572. (See pp.20-21)

-

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Mr. John Pereira

January _ 1997

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Request No. 3: Did CLA conduct any form of microphone or electronic

surveillance (other than telephone line intercepts) of Cuban or Soviet facilities or

officials in Mexico City during September through December 1963? If so, please

identify, with specificity, the operations.

Request No. 4: Please provide all original records and copies of records for the

Surveillance Operations as follows:

For the period July 1963 through December 1963.3

Project Files

Monthly Operational Reports

Annual Reports

Requests-for Project Renewal

Reviews of Project Renewal

Authorizations of Project Renewal/Project Action Reports

Quarterly Project Progress Reports

Project Charts

For the period 1 September 1963 through December 1963

- Photo technician monthly reports

Resuma

Back Channel Communications

Equipment Studies

Reports on testing of newly installed cameras as part of LIONION

For the period 26 September - 3 October 1963

Basehouse Agent Logs

Technical Services Division (TSD) Logs

Negatives from photographic production

Transmittal Manifests*

3In order to clarify that time periods requested, let me provide the following

illustrations. For example, if hypothetical Operation "X" against a Soviet establishment

in Mexico City was in effect in October, 1963, we are requesting records for Operation

"X" from July through December of 1963. However, if a hypothetical surveillance

Operation "Y" was in effect from January through August (but not September through

December), we are not requesting any records related to Operation "Y."

*According to the Lopez report, in a 6/19/64 cable, MEXI 9440, Mexico City

Station alerted Headquarters that "they were sending up the negatives from the pulse

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Mr. John Pereira

January — 1997

Page 4

In addition, we request reports in the project and related files that make reference to

activities during September and October 1963. In requesting these files, we are asking

the CIA to conduct new and comprehensive searches of Agency files which go beyond

what is contained in the Sequestered Collection. This request should be interpreted in

its broadest sense and extended to include any other surveillance operations that were

targeted against the Soviet and Cuban installations during the time of Oswald's visit.

For example, if there were additional TSD operations, wiretapping, microphone

surveillance (bugs), or technical surveillance other than those listed above, we request

any files and/or logs that exist on such.

In the event that any file has been destroyed, we request that all information pertaining

to such destruction be provided. We anticipate that the results of these searches and a

written explanation of missing material will be included in the Agency's Final

Compliance Statement.

In requesting access to these materials, we are not designating them "assassination

records" as of yet. Nor are we, at this time, requesting that copies be given to the

Review Board.

We would appreciate your response by March 7, 1997. If this does not provide you

with sufficient time, please let us know, in writing, by what date you believe you will

be able to respond to this request.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

T. Jeremy Gunn

General Counsel and Associate Director

for Research and Analysis

camera coverage of the Cuban Embassy," and that "All available negatives and five

packages of undeveloped film were sent to Headquarters by transmittal manifest

#252572. (See pp.20-21)

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SECRET

9 January 1997

MEMORANDUM FOR: J. Barry Harrelson, JFK Project Officer

FROM:

DS&T Information Management Officer

SUBJECT:

JEK Records

REFERENCE:

Assassination Records Review Board

Letter dtd 18 December 1997

1. '

This is in response to the latest inquiry from the

Assassination Records Review Board. Specifically, DS&T was

tasked with the following items:

a. CIA IR-07

Request: Information on Claude Capehart

Results:

Medical Report on Capehart relevant to

GLOMAR Project (Status:

Requested from AARC, 9 January

1998. Document will be sent to you.)

X-ray of skull of Capehart dated 10

March 1974. Not relevant to JEK timeframe but will be made

available to you upon request.

b. CIA IR-15

Request: Electronic "take" from Mexico City

Station

Results: Operational Monthly Reports (3), dates:

1-30 September 1963; 1-31 October 1963; and 1-30 November

1963. (Enclosed)

CL: (0524507

CL Reason: 1.5(c)

DECL On: Sources marked OADR

Date of Sources:. Oct-Dec 1963; 7 April 1975

DRV FROM: Intel Reports and Memo

SECRET

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16:11 FAX 202 724 0457

ARKB

Faxed. to MangAwsis 7/17/97

Re Questin raised at i8 march meethe

(these notes reic san michelle%

April 16, 1997

Page 10

IR 15818 topics for discussin at

July 29 recrea sessin

CTA-IR-14 Breckinridge files.

CIA (06G) will determine the disposition of the files of Scott D. Breckinriage.

**CIA-IR-15 Electronic "take" from Mexico City Station:

The Review Board has for some time been attempting to determine whether it

has had access to all of CIA's surveillance "take" from the Cuban and Soviet

facilities in Mexico City at the time of the Oswald visit and in the immediate

wake of the assassination. On numerous occasions, the Review Board has asked

whether there was any surveillance take in addition to what is currently in the

collection.

On March 18, 1997, the Review Board provided additional leads to CLA to assist

it in answering these questions. The DO has agreed to check Headquarters.

records for the file referenced in HMMI 12154, to search for the crypts cited in

this document, and to search for HIMiVA 2030Zduld other cables or dispatches

cited in this document. The DS&I will query its offices for possible records on

Mexico City and Cuba and for the present location of Staff D records. Regardless

of the outcome of these particular searches, the Review Board continues to seek a

full accounting for all surveillance conducted during the relevant time periods.

CIA-IR-16 U-2 files.

22302?

1-30 Septi

6p. Rot

DS& I will provide a folder title print out of U-2 materials for Review Board

examination, check for records filed under Richard Bissell's name, and search for

DS&T has also contacted Lockheed for assistance.

CIA-IR-17 DS& Redords on Castro assassination plots.

HIRG will farnish the 1967 IG Report to provide possible search query

suggestions for DS&T follow-up.

CIA-IR-18 DO Office.

The Review Board has requested orally information about a particular DO office.

We understand that you are collecting the relevant information.

"Opant anal Sewise/Defector Staff

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L0I8.1U

MEMORANDUM FOR:

FROM:

SINAULD

2020

(U)

(U)

22 January 1998

SUBJECT:

REFERENCE:

(U)

(U)

Chief, JEK Declassification

Project/HRP/OIM/DA

Fredrick C. Wickham, JI.

Chief, External Support Group/IMS/DO

Central Intelligence Agency

IR

DO Response to Informal Request CIA #15

nel stauro sandu despondo cember 1997;

Assassination Records Review Board's

Requests for Additional Information and

Records

(U) This memorandum is submitted in response to informal request

number 15 (CIA IR #15) from the Assassination Records Review Board

(ARRB) •

**CIA-IR-15 Electronic "take" from Mexico City Station

(S) The Directorate of Operations has checked Headquarters records

for files referenced in HMMW 12454 and for files on the crypts cited in

this document and searched for HMMA 20307 and other cables or dispatches

cited in this document. As previously explained, the crypts in HMMW

12454 have been researched. The dispatch was apparently written in haste

and in truncated language without correct knowledge. of the operational

crypts for the specific operations in Mexico City. The crypts in the

dispatch are the more generic crypts

for teltap operations, not for the

then-current operations in Mexico City, which are in question.

(U) "Surveillance" is a term that is too broad for a

meaningful/productive search, because it is the nature of CIA's charter

to conduct surveillance.

Fredrick C. Wickham, Jr

CL BY: 2103140 /

CL REASONA

1.5 (c)

DECL ON: XI

DRV FROM:

MIS 5-82

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...•

.... інкі. і

....

CIA SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

RELEASE IN FULL

2000

3 February 1998

MEMORANDUM FOR: T. Jeremy Gunn, Esq.

Executive Director

Assassination Records Review Board

FROM:

SUBJECT:

J. Barry Harrelson

Senior Reviewer

Re: ARRB Request CIA-IR-15, For Information

On CIA's Electronic "Take" in Mexico

The following is a partial response to referent

request.

The Agency has made specific searches for files

referenced in HMMW 12454 and for files on the crypts cited

therein. It has also searched for HMMA 20307 and other

dispatches and cables cited in the document.

whe

documa-s,

The crypts

within HMMW 12454 are the more generic crypts for telephone

tap operations and not those of the operations extant in

Mexico City during the periods asked about, namely the time

prided

of Oswald's visit and the period following the assassination

of President Kennedy.

Our best judgment is that the

dispatch was written in haste and in truncated language

without correct knowledge of the operational crypts for

specific operations in Mexico city.

rewrite

The DDS&T search for records resulted in the Mexico

City September, October and November 1963 Operational

reports, HMMA's 22307, 22482, and 22608. All three of these

are in the sequestered collection. We are awaiting their

response on Staff D records.

Reference is made to that part of CIA-IR-15 which asks

if the Agency has any other "surveillance take" from the

Soviet and Cuban facilities

in Mexico City beyond what is

already within the JFK collection.

While we have conducted

some searches, it would be helpful to our research if we

could further define what is sought.

Gunn is

infereste

bugs

DO DOI

J. Barry Harrelson

Senior Reviewer

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CIA GERCIAL, COLLEC DIONS

Robert M. McNamara, Jr., Esg.

July 15, 1998

Page 9

In addition, the Final Declaration should confirm whether or not CIA has saved any

1963-64 files of the Mexico City Station (and certain files from another station). If those

files have not been retained, please confirm that fact in the Final Declaration. To the

extent those files have been archived, however, then please confirm that they have been

examined for the purpose of determining whether they contain assassination records.

2. CIA Should Identify More Specifically the Records It Has Released

Relating to Oswald and the Assassination of President Kennedy

We recommend that CIA identify more specifically the CIA files that have been, or will

be, placed in the JFK Collection at NARA. Although we leave this to CIA's discretion,

we recommend that, to the extent practicable, CIA attach a non-classified listing of the

files encompassed within the CIA-HSCA Sequestered Collection. We believe that an

identification of the files within the CIA-HSCA Sequestered Collection will demonstrate

the breadth and variety of assassination records being made public by the CIA.

3. CIA Should Specifically Account for Certain Important Record Groups,

Including Any Destruction of Assassination Records

We request that CLA, in its Final Declaration, account for any important records

regarding the assassination that may have been destroyed or that otherwise cannot be

located.

For example, CIA has reported that the original surveillance tapes that recorded the

Oswald telephone conversations with the Cuban Consulate and Soviet Embassy in

Mexico City were destroyed, and that CIA has no copies of these audio recordings:

However, CIA apparently has preserved certain recordings from Mexico City that post-

date the assassination (see I A.2 of this letter). We assume that CIA will provide a

complete accounting for these records in its response to Review Board request CIA-IR-

15, which relates to CIA's "electronic take" from Mexico City for the relevant time

period. That response should be attached to the Final Declaration (CIA may also want

to attach any formal explanation of this issue that it previously provided to the HSCA).

We want to ensure that CIA explains the circumstances for the destruction of the audio

recordings of the Oswald telephone calls in Mexico City, confirms that no copies of this

audio surveillance has been retained by CIA, and gives a full accounting of the post-

assassination Mexico City tapes.

We also request an accounting of certain records of former CIA Director John McCone.

In reviewing his files, we noted that certain documents on the assassination (or dated

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1.

CIA SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

RELEASE IN FULL

2000

17 September 1998

MEMORANDUM FOR: Ms. Laura Denk

Executive Director, ARRB

FROM:

J. Barry Harrelson

Senior Reviewer

SUBJECT:

Re: ARRB Request CIA-IR-15, For Information

On CIA's Electronic "Take" in Mexico

1. The following is in response to referent request.

2. Over the years, there have been a number of efforts

to determine if any electronic surveillance audio tapes made

during the period Oswald visited Mexico (26 September - 2

The Directorate of Operations

has again made a thorough search of its records system as

well as the index to retired records trying to locate any

such tapes or documentation which would shed light on their

disposition.

In addition, the Agency has discussed this

question with operational experts whose professional opinion

is that, most likely, the tapes in question were recycled

for further use and never sent to headquarters for

retention.

The normal operating practice within the Mexico

City station was to recycle audio surveillance tapes after

transcribers had listened to them and made transcripts of

those parts with intelligence value.

3.

With respect to the issue of messages between

Mexico City and CIA headquarters which referred to "tapes"

being sent, we offer the following.

Messages between field

stations and headquarters use operational jargon and

shortened sentence structures that can sometimes cause

misunderstandings.

Our best judgment is that those

references within field messages which referred to "tapes"

being sent really intended "transcripts" of, or

"information" from, audio surveillance tapes, not the actual

capes.

4.

In addition to the above, there is a possible

explanation for the personal recollections of some people

about tapes being sent to headquarters.

During the DO

search for the tapes in question, it located approximately

185 audio surveillance tapes of the Soviet and Cuban

facilities in

Mexico City for the period 22 November 1963 to

early January 1964 -- the day of and the days immediately

following the assassination.

These tapes have been declared

assassination records and are being processed for release to

the National Archives.

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5.

In conclusion, based on the search efforts that

were undertaken and the studied opinions of operational

experts who were consulted, the Agency is satisfied that the

audio surveillance tapes made during Oswald's visit to

Mexico do not exist and almost certainly were recycled in

the normal

course of business before their potential value

was known.

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