MEMO:LIONION PROJECT
Originator: CIA
From: C/WH/POA
To: WH/EXO
Document date: 1965-02-16 00:00:00
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

# DOCID-32371758

## Page 1

JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM

IDENTIFICATION FORM

AGENCY INFORMATION

AGENCY : CIA

RECORD NUMBER

104-10246-10028

RECORD SERIES

JEK

AGENCY FILE

NUMBER

80T01357A

DOCUMENT

INFORMATION

AGENCY ORIGINATOR : CIA

FROM

: C/WH/POA

TO

: WH/EXO

TITLE

MEMO: LIONION PROJECT

DATE

:

02/16/1965

PAGES

6

SUBJECTS : LIONION

MEXI PHOTO OP

Heleased under the John F. Kennedy

Assassination Records Collection Act of

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

55990 Date: 10.29.2021

DOCUMENT TYPE :

PAPER

CLASSIFICATION •

SECRET

RESTRICTIONS : 1A 1B

CURRENT STATUS : RELEASED IN PART PUBLIC - RELEASED WITH DELETIONS

SA ISED IN PARI PUBLIC - RELEASED VITE DELETIONS

DATE OF LAST REVIEW : 10/13/93

COMMENTS : JFK31 : F6: 1993.10.13.13:40:11:280022

[R] - ITEM IS RESTRICTED

104-10246-10028

NW 65990 Docld:32371758 Page 1

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## Page 2

16 February 1965

MENORANDUM FOR: WH/EKe

SUBJECT

: LIONION Project

1. LIONION is a new project which is submitted in the

of $10,478.

This is a photographic surveillance opera-

tion targetted against the Cuban Embassy in Mexico City.

agents are involved; LIONION-1, a young Cuban lawyer in

and LIONION-2, his mother.

The agents act as observers and

LIONION-1 is also used as a dispatcher for the

LIEMBRACE surveillance team, from which he is compartmented,

to cover individuals associated with this target.

These agents

were previously used in connection with the unilateral tele-

phone tap operation against the Cuban Embassy.

The current

photographic operation began in the latter part of 1962,

and was previously funded under Cuban FI funds. The operation

has provided valuable data for the identification of Cuban

Embassy personnel and visitors, and

on their patterns of

action and

personal associations.

2.

The security of this operation, particularly the

agent's cover for status and the communications arrangements,

appear reasonably sound.

Both agents know that they

working for AIS, and LIONION-1 was successfully FLUTTERED

in October 1963.

However, LITAMIL-7 and LITAMIL-9, who are

penetrations of the Cuban

Embassy, are aware of this

activity, as they are used to help identify individuals

photographed.

Approval for the LIONION Project is recommended.

It is requested that,

in order to assist Headquarters'

evaluation, project reporting include details of CI/CE data

furnished, and examples of leads developed from such information.

GERARD DROLLER

//WH/POA

SINATION.

HI9RAA-9.5110

0-1

RESIdE OF AMIATO5118

Peas No 50-6-122

00.

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## Page 3

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FICO ME MECOND

PROJECT OUTLINE

CRYPTONYM_

LIONION

STATION

Mexico City

FIELD CASE OFFICER

Laureuce F. Barker

Lawrence F. BARKER

CHIEF. OF STATION

Dillard Curtis

Willard C. CURTIS

The attached Project Outline Is presented for approval.

DID BY SPLIT TRAS

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GROUP

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50-6-122/

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DATE SUON

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## Page 4

PROJECT LIONION

A. Identification.

This is a

technical (primarily photographic) surveillance

operation against the PBRUMEN Embassy in Mexico City.

B. 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.

c.

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

the target.

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

current Related Mission Directive for Mexico.

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 charged to PBRUMEN FI funds.

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

they are routinely shown, LITAMIT-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 Enbassy staff member his photograph is in the hands of the

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

(accompanied by a l0g 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-I and LIONION-2 are often called upon

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

to the dispatching of the LIMBRAÇE surveillance team against individuals

associated with the target.

Because of the preserice 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 he

target in the form of concealed radio transmitters.

DATES

RU

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## Page 5

D.

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 two brothers are American citizens, one a desk officer

in the Department of Comerce 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 do 1961, as LILILY-2, as a basehouse occupant and

operator in the INFEAI/LIBRODE technical, operation aimed at the PBRUNEN

Imbassy. At this same time LIONION 1 also phased into LIFEAT/LIERODE work and

the two worked together as a team.

In 1962 LIONION-1 and LIONION-2 worked

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

known as LIOMEN.

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.

,IONION-1 was granted an OA on 18 May 1962 by HMMW-10664. He wa

CFLOLTERED on • October 1963, HMMW-12064

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

Both serve

principally as observers and photographers.

LIONION-1 also acts as a dispatcher

for the LIMBRACE 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 Enbassy 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 PBRUMEN refugees they are vulnerable to pressure which might

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

Motivation is a combination of financial necessity and violent aversion

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

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

be monotonous work.

Psychologically, they are ideally suited to this sort of work.

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

to dabble without notable publishing success because of family landholdings in

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

a "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 for 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

SEGRET/MAP OK

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## Page 6

E.

Communication is primarily with ITONION 1: with LIONION 2 only in hig

Meetings, pre-arranged or signedled by innocuous phone calls (call.

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 KURIOT technician,

Hugh I. FRANCOTTE, meets with LIONION-1 at least once a week.

The Case Officer,

Lawrence F. BARKER, meets with him less frequently.

Whereas LIONION-I 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 JMWAVE

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 protection,

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

future difficulties with Mexican authorities.

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

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 completely

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

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.

avoid operational compromise, he cannot renew his expired passport at the

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 virtually

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

Coordination. Coordination with other PBPRIME elements or the Mexican government

is not necessary at this time and none is envisaged.

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## Page 7

o secues)

CD 971

Wher: 1.

G.

Costs.

as shown below:

- The total annual cost of Project LIONION is $10,478, distributed

FY 65

FY. 66

Total

LIONION-1 salary

13 months @ $320

$1920

$2240

LIONION-2 salary

13 months @ $150

$4160

900

Real estate rentals:

1050

1950

LIONION Basehouse

600

LIONION Safehouse

1200

264

Utilities on both houses

Supplies

(Photographic film, paper,

chemicals, and miscellaneous)

Totals

528

150

300

1170

1170

2340

$5004

$5474

$10478

bonus

of

one month's salary.

Salaries for LIONION-1 and -2 include the customary year

LIONION-1'S

end

$320 monthly in 1964 to compensate in part for his renunciation of a

saary was raised from $200 to

operation.

sales position in order that he might devote his full time to the LIONION

LIONION-2's salary has remainea at $150 per month since her

project jear.

recruitment in 1961. No salary changes are contemplated during the

SECRET

DATE JON /965

THRU

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