DISPATCH: LIFEAT PROGRESS REPORT, JANUARY 1963
Originator: CIA
From: CHIEF OF STATION, MEXICO CITY
To: CHIEF, WH DIVISION
Document date: 03/08/1963
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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-00000

104-10188-10043

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

10

DISPATCH

Chief. WH. Divistoil

CLASSIAKIATIUM

SECRET

rOSIO.

vera

RESENS:LEL

per ESN 45-43

KKKX

PROCESSING

ACTION

MATRIN FOR INDINING

DO INCEXING MOVINLO

LAOQUAA:(AS DESA

CAN JUDGE INDINITE

LISHIE

AN

Chief of Sation. Mexico Cly

O'LIFEAT Progress Report, January 1963

NCTION REQUEDLO PRFERENCES

merril.

PS

Action: Sev paragraph G.

Ref : HMM1-20531

Ark irisos

DOC MIGiO SER.

DES LIED

LIND

The following report Is submitted in accordance wich CSHB-F 52-6-1,

sectlo. V. paragraph 2 (U) (1).

A. EXPLOTTATION OF LEADS

1) LIFEAT/SOVIET

2) LIFEAT/POLISH

rovided con: inuing information on the daily activities and contacts of the Polis

mbassy personnel in Mexico Cit!

3) LIFEAT/YUCOSLAV

During the reporting period, LIFEAT provided informa. ion that gave timely war-

ning of the possibility of gaining access to Yugoslav official correspondence.

LIFEAT information enabled the Statto. to plan this attempi in detail and remain

abreast of developme..… in this case while awaiting Headquarters's decisia:!.

whether or nor to proceed with this effort. LIFEAT also provided ¿ravel infor-

mation on a Yugoslav TDY intelligence officer which was very useful to ODENVY.

Tenove

from Project

Cj classificution:

(Continued)

Box:

Foid:

" CÃOSS REFERENCE TO

AFCORD COPY

SECRETA

DATE TYPED

7 Mar. 1963

DISPATCH STABGE AND NUMBER

HMMA - 20373

HCAOQUARTERS THE NEMBER

50-6-32/3

CATE OISPATCHED

§ Mar. 1963

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CONTINUATION OF

DISPATCH

SECRET:

HMMA-20573

4) LIFEAT/CUBAN

LIFEAT coverage of two relatives of AMSTRUT-2 provides an "essential" check

on the activities of AMSTRUT-2, and particular information which aids the in-

icitsied cse uficers jan the aciual co tacis with ANSTRUr-2 plus the progress

of the AMSTRUT operation. The value of LIFEAT providing an unilateral check

on the activities of AMS TRUT-2 and her rela ives during critical periois of the

AMSTRUT operation cannot be over emphasized. Copies of the daily take from

the two lines covered by LIFEAT for the AMSTRUT operation are forwarded

iwice a week to WAVE.

5) LIFEAT/EXILE

LIFEAT information is draw, on heavily both for the presen: harassment campaign

direcied against ESLARD-l as well as for daily intelligence of the astivities and

contacts of this targei. Weekly summaries of LIFEAT provided material are

cabled dirccily to Headquarters and Station Guatemala City.

6) LIFEAT/AMERICAN COMMUNISTS

As per reterence, coverage in this area was resumed on 22 January 1963 with the

return fro.n home leave of the ODENVY processor of these lines.

Travel and

contacis of the American Communist Group in Muxico (ACGM) provided by the

LIFEAT take are of particular interes: to ODENVY.

B. PROCESSING OF TAPES

Only change noted in paragraph 1. A (6) above.

C. LIAISON

Resumption of local liaison with ODENVY as noted in paragrapi 1. A (6) above.

D. SECURITY :

) The installation of new municipal lighting for many areas in Mesic

City noted in reference continued during January 1963, but at a reduced scale

Some areas covered by LIFEAT basehouses are now free of the installation

crews.

li) Due to the circumstaces under wilch most of the LIFEAT basehouse

keepers were origiaily recruited or shifted from other projects to emplo; ment

in LIFEAT (in most cases at least ten jears ago) they are either aware or have

reason to suspect that they are now, or at one time were, employed dy KIBARK

working out of the local ODACID installation, LIFEAT Outside principal agent,

Derid M. WILSTED, (at Siation direction) is making a major and continuing effort

• to orient the LIFEAT personnel toward the idea that there is no presen: coniact

with the ODACID insiallation, that WILSTED and Ws/ne C. DRABAND (under alias)

in PBPRIME. Wnen and if necessary for the Station Case Oticer in

charge of LIFEAT to meet any of the local agents under LIFEAT, it is under alias.

If protracted meetings of this type become necessary a cover story will be devel-

oped for the Case Officer's continued presence in Mexico... such as "tourist"

status or commercial employment with an unnamed PBPRIME firm doing business

in Mexico.

E, TECHNICAL

An additional six Revere audio recorders were received during the menth of january

1963 for the LIFEAT operation. These have been placed in operation and are per-

forming well.

FORM

1ng: 530

"SE ODERQUSE:"OR

S2 S2eaS381

SECRET

Pait No

TWO

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CONTINUATION OF

DiSPATCH

SECRET

SPEN SIMA. 4 190 NO

HMMA-20973

F. COVERAGE

During the month of January 1933 LIFEAT provided unilateral coverage on a total

of 13 targe: lines. Coverage by target was as follows:

I. Aleksandr G. SIDOROV

2. and 3. Polish Emlassy

4. 5. and 6. Yugoslav Embassy

?. and S.

ails fRot Overailon

%. Juan Jose AREVAiO Bermejo

10.

Sergio BELTRAN Lopez

11. Home uf a Czech Intelligence Officer

12. Francisco WALTZ Olivera

13. Albert MALTZ

G. FERSONNEL

David M. WILSTED returned from home leave on 1 February 1963 and assumed full

responsibilities as LIFEAT outside Case Officer. Wayne C. DRABAND and

LIEMER. CE-S who subs:luted for WILSTED in the LIFEAT operational and technl-

cal phases respectively during WILSTED & absence are so be commended for their

maintaining LIFEAT at the high level of efficiency and security normally enjoyed

by the operation.

DRABAND's performance was the subject of separate correspon-

dence (see HINLMT - 3+69):

As presently projected, Wayne C. DRABAND will be leaving Mexico on or about 1

November 1963. The responsible Station Case Officer and WILSTED are attempting

to resolve ihe problem of a replacement for DRABAND a: the local level, primarily

from the pool of agents already employed under the project. This would have the

advantage of not further disseminating the faci that LIFEAT does exist, but would

have the serious drawback of giving knowledge of the whole operation (I.e. all

basehouses) to another Mexican national. (Note: At presem LIFEUD-2 and

LIFEUD-3. the two linemen who now co.meci the lap lines to the basehouses, are

the only Mexican nationals who know of the location of all LIFEN'T basehouses.)

The Station does not desire another staff employee io fill this position, but would

prefer a UJ.S. citizen, technically competent, with sone working knowledge of Span-

ish or ability to acquire a working knowledge of Spanish. Since working papers are

extremely difficult to obtain at present,

for cover purposes anyone coming into

Mexico to fill the LIFEAT position would probably have to come as a recired person

with a guaranteed income. It is thought that perhaps an individual retiring from une

of the Armel Forces in a technical rating might have the bes: possibilities of filling

all the requirements noted.

Although the Station will continue io explore all possible solutions to the problem,

it is requested that Headquarers' views and, if possible. assistance be given the

Siation in his matter.

2. Di ring the reporting period a number of memoranda were prepared by

the Station for passing to local ODACID and ODENVY based in whole or in pari on

LIFEAT provided material. The following HMMS were provided as a by-produci

of the LIFE.AT Operation:

HAM- 6993

HNAI-7011

HMM-7005

HMM-70 18*1

HNLM-7073

Distributioi: 13 - C, WHD:

2 - Files

S*E:6-St910

1×530

SECRER

Willard C. CURTIS

CATION

laster

58 - 6-32/3

PAGE NO

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