HSCA PROCEDURAL WRITE-UP: MEXICO TRIP 2
Agency: HSCA
Originator: HSCA
Document date: 00/00/0000
Document type: PAPER-TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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Appendix 3: HSCA Procedural Write-up

Mexico Trip 2

House Select Committee staffers Edwin Juan Lopez

and Harold Leap traveled to Mexico City on August 7,

1978. The staff members were met by David T. Patton,

a State Department official, at the Mexican airport

at 10:15 p.m.

Mr. Patton then checked the staffers into

Room 1754 at the Maria Isabel Hotel.

Mr.

Patton informed the staff members that Larry Sternfield

CIA Chief of Station in Mexico City, wished to see us

at 8:30 a.m. the following morning.

On Tuesday, August 8, 1978, Committee staffers

met with Larry Sternfield. He informed the staffers

that the two individuals the committee wished to inter-

"View, Daniel Flores, 1207/ aka Luis Aparicio, and Ramon

Alvarez Duran, 1208/were now

available.

At 9:30 a.m., August 8, 1978, Committee staff mem-

bers interviewed Danny Flores. 1209/ The interview

ended at approximately 10:15 a.m.

Committee staff members returned to Mr. Sternfield

office.

Mr. Sternfield stated that it appeared that the

Government of Mexico had only been able to locate two

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He asked the staff members whom they wished to speak to.

The Committee staff members explained that they would

like to interview!

•J. [

Janal

Mr. Steinfield stated that

it appeared that the House Select Committee on Assassina-

tions had already asked the Mexicans to locate them.

Mr. Steinfield

stated that the HSCA's interview

with Ramon

Alvarez Durad) was considered "nighly sensi-

tive." He explained that three rooms at all laby hotel

would be used. In one room, (Ramon Alvarez Durant) would

sit, Committee staff members would sit in a second room

and two CIA personnel officers would insure that the

equipment worked properly in a third room. Mr. Stein-

field then phoned Mr. Niles Gooding, who had been sent

to the Mexico City Station from Headquarters to arrange

the procedures for the interviews. MI. Gooding explained

that in 1977. Stansfield Turner had created a new posi-

tion at Headquarters to insure that important sensitive

meetings were within the guidelines previously arranged.

Mr. Gooding stated that the Central Intelligence Agency

had been under greater Congressional scrutiny than the

past two years.. Therefore, Director Turner, in ordei to

demonstrate the Agency's good faith, had engaged a retired

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Army officer to act as liaison at sensitive interviews

by Congressional representatives. Mr. Gooding then ex-

plained that we would be escorted by two CIA personnel

to our interview with(Ramon Alvarez Durant.)

At 10:55 a.m., August 8, 1978, Committee staff mem-

bers interviewed (Ramon Alvarez Durant). (Sea (Ramon A1-0f

varez Durant) interview write-up.)

At 12:30 p.m., Committee staff members telephoned

Captain Fernandez Ventura Gutierrez. His secretary

explained that Mr. Ventura was not in the office, but

that she would have him call us when he returned. At

6:30 p.m., since Mr. Ventura had not yet returned the

staffer's call, they again called his office. His se-

cretary apologized for Mr. Ventura and explained that he

had not yet returned to the office and she assured us

that he would telephone upon his return. At 9:15 p.m.,

DI. Jesus Yanez, the Assistant to the official mayor,

telephoned the staff members explaining that MI. Ventura

was very busy on an important assignment and asked us

to visit the Procuraduria General at 11:00 a.m. the

following morning.

At 10:15 a.m., August 9, 1978, Committee staff

members met with State Department Official Richard Howard

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to alert him that the Committee would request the Mexi-

can officials to make Silvia Duran available in Washing-

ton for an HSCA hearing. Mr. Howard explained that

once we had permission from the Mexican government the

State Department would insure that she was in Washington

when necessary-

At 11:00 a.m., August 9, 1978, Committee staff

members met with Dr. Jesus Yanez and Ciprianio Martinez

Novoa.

Mr. Yanez told Committee staff members that

Ciprianio Martinez Novoa, the Mexican agent in charge,.

would try to aid us in all our interviews. Mr. Martinez

then briefed the Committee staff members on their up-to-

date progress:

Oscar Contreras Lartigue had been located and pre-

interviewed by Mr. Martinez in Tampico, Mexico. We

would fly to Tampico on Friday, August 11, 1978 at 7:35

a.m. to interview him.

Noe W. Palomares had been located and could be

interviewed during the afternoon of Thursday, August 10,

1978 at his office, Cerrada de la Presa 4. His phone

number, 595-0891, was made available to the Committee.

June Cobb Sharp received a tourist permit, number

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Cassifice Jona

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72781, on June 27, 1947.

She entered Mexico through

Nuevo Lardo, Texas.

She requested but was denied

permission by the Mexican government to represent the

magazine, Modern Mexico. On June 21, 1948, she re-

ceived a courtesy

permit, number 25556.

She disappeared

in 1954 and never

returned to Mexico.

The Committee staffers did not tell the Mexicans

• that the House Select Committee on Assassinations had

evidence from review of June Cobb's 201 file that she

was in Mexico in the Sixties.

Eunice Odio Infante, a Costa Rican, received a

three-month tourist permit from the Mexican government

on February 9, 1964. She remained in Mexico, illegally

residing at Nacas-45-a, until 1972. She applied to

write for the Excelsior magazine on many different oc-

casions, but was rejected every time. In 1972, Ms.

Odio married a Communist painter, Rudolfo Sanabria Gon-

zalez and moved to Rio Neba-16 Apartment 40.

On May 24,

1972, Ms. Odio was found dead in her bathtub. The offi-

cial presiding at her autopsy concluded that Ms. Odio

had poisoned herself.

Emilio Carballido Fontanes was in Caracas, Venezuela,

on vacation and scheduled to return to Mexico in early

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Too tomo lottertant dor materiar extracted

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September. His address is Constituyentes 207. His

phone number is 515-8345.

(Consuelo Esperon'=)personnel recora in Mexico

could not be located. When the Mexican officials in-

quired about her at the Cuban Embassy in Mexico City

to the committee's trip. no one at the office

remembered that she had worked there.. Committee staff

members were told that (Esperon)was probably dead. No

basis was given for the Mexican government's conclusion.

Al Wichtrich worked at Royal Crown Cola until

1968 when its offices in Mexico closed..

06

(Carlos Jurado J. Delmar)was born in Cuba on

November 3, 1927) He entered Mexico July 1, 1965 and

taught Graphics and Art at U.N.A.M. until January 1,

1968 when he disappeared. The Mexican officials assume

that he returned to Cuba.

General Jesus Jose Clark Flores died in the early

1970 's.

Ernesto Lehfeld Miller, Academic Coordinator at

the School of Interior Design, had not yet been located.

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Luis Alberue Suoto lives at Michelet #7, Apartment

#301, Colonia Aneura) Mexico City. His phone number is

(545-9947). The landlady at his apartment explained to

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the Mexican officials that Mr. Alberue) had left town

hurriedly on Monday, August 7, 1978. Mr. Martinez,

wishing to know when he returned, had placed a piece of

scotch tape on the botton right edge of his door. Mr.

Martinez explained that he checked it every four hours

and would notify us if (alberue returned before we left.

Manuel Calvillo did not live at Cuantemoc 877-5

as the Committee had stated. The landlady for the past

twenty-five years at the apartments told Mr. Martinez

that Manuel Calvillo had never resided there. Committee

staff members explained that Calvillo went by a pen name

which would be forwarded to the Mexican officials the

following morning.

When Committee staff members inquired whether

Ms. Silvia Tirado Bazan could testify at an HSCA hearing,

the Mexican officials stated that they would have an

answer for the staffers by Friday morning. The Mexican

officials explained that they would have to speak to

her to insure that she was willing to travel to Washing-

ton.

On Thursday, August 10, 1978, at 11:00 a.m. the

Committee staff members met with Dr. Jesus Yanez, Agent

Ciprianio Martinez Novoa, Captain Florentino Ventura

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sitters?

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Gutierrez and Attorney General Licensiado,

Manuel Calvillo's "pen name" was given to the Mexicans

who stated that they would check it with the landlady

at his alleged apartment building.

Committee staffers returned to their hotel room

with Agent Ciprianio Martinez Novoa after the meeting.

Agent Martinez attempted without success to telephone

Oscar Contreras Lartigue to inform him of our visit.•

At 3:30 P.M., Agent Martinez finally reached Mr. Contreras'

child who informed him that Mr. Contreras was not in

Tampico. He had traveled to Mexico City for a Partido

Republicano Institucional convention. When Agent Mar-

tinez

asked the child if he knew where his father was

staying in Mexico City, he responded that he did not.

Agent Martinez explained to the child that he would call

at a later time to speak to his mother.

Agent Martinez telephoned Noe W. Palomares at 4:00

p.M.

and arranged an interview for 6:30 p.m. that even-

ing. Mr. Martinez asked Committee staff members to

meet him at his office at the Procuraduria General at

6:00 p.m.

At 6:00 p.M., August 10, 1978, Committee staff

members met Agent Ciprianio Martinez at the Procuraduria

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General at 6:00

At 6:00 p.m., August 10, 1978, Committee staff

members met Agent Ciprianio Martinez at the Procuraduria

General.

Martinez then drove the HSCA representatives

to Mr. Palmoares' office. At 6:30 p.m., Committee

staff members interviewed Noe li. Palomares. (See Noe

w. Palomares interview write-up.)

Following the

intervie: Agent Martinez returned

to the Maria Isabel Hotel with Committee staff members.

He attempted to reach Mrs. Contreras telephonically at

Tampico twice without success. At 9:45 p.m., he finally

contacted her.

Mrs. Contreras told Agent Martinez

that Mr. Oscar Contreras had told her that he would

try to get a room at either the Hotel Regis or Hotel

San Francisco. Mrs. Contreras explained that since

there were a few conventions scheduled in Mexico City

that weekend she could not assure that he would be at

either. Mrs. Contreras told Agent Martinez that she

would notify him if her husband

should call.

Mr. Martinez called both hotels and niquired whether

Oscar Contreras Lartigue was registered. He was not

registered at either; they were completely booked up.

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dr. cartinez attempted to reach by telephone Silvia

Tiardo Bazan at her home to ask her whether she would be wil-

ling to travel to Washington to testify at a HSCA hearing

and to ask if she knew where Mr. Ernesto Lehfeld Miller

could be located.

She was not at home, however.

Agent Martinez explained that he would attempt to

locate Oscar Contreras Lartige Lartige at the hotel where

the Partido Republicano Institucional was holding its con-

vention early the following morning; after which he would

meet the staff members at 9:30 a.m. at their hotel room.

At 9:45 a.m., August 11, 1978, Agent Martinez

met Committee staffers at their hotel room and explained

that he was unable to locate Mr. Contreras

Lartigue at

the convention. Mr. Martinez then left to check the

whereabouts of(Mr. Alberue Suoto) and Silvia Tirado Bazan.

At 12:30 p.m., Aujust 11, 1978, Agent Martinez re-

turned to the Committee staff members' hotel room. He tele-

phoned Mrs. Contreras in Tampico who stated that her husband

had not telephoned her since she had last spoken to Agent

Martinez.

At 1:50 p.m., another agent, Honorio Escondon,

télephoned Agent Martinez. at the Committee staffers' hotel

room to inform him that Luis Alberue suote) must be back in

town because the scotch tape placed at the base of his

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entranceway door was no longer in place, At 1:55 p.m.,

Agent Martinez telephoned (Luis Alberue Sutoto. During the

phone conversation, Alberue denied that he had worked at04,08

the Cuban Embassy in the Sixties, stated that he knew

nothing about the assassination and declined the Committee

staff members' request to interview him.

At 2:00 p.m., August 11, 1978, Agent Martinez tele-

phoned Silvia Duran.

Agent Martinez then gave the tele-

phone to Committee staffer Lopez. Mr. Lopez ask Ms. Tirado

whether she would be willing to testify sometime in Septem-

ber at a Committee hearing in

Washington; she answered

affirmatively. She stated that September 13th, 14th and

15th would not be "good days" because the Mexican Revolution

celebration would be taking place and she was a planner and

participant. When Mr. Lopez asked Ms. Tirado if she knew

Mr. Ernesto Lehfeld Miller's phone number, she stated that

she did not., but she stated that if we telephoned her ex-

husband Horatio at either 516-0398 or 515-8621, he would

be able to help us.

At 2:15 p.M., Committee staffer Lopez telephoned

Horatio Duran, who gave him Ernesto Lehfeld Miller's of-

fice phone number, 548-4839. At 2:20 p.m.,. Lopez telephoned

Mr. Miller and arranged a meeting for 9:00 p.m. that evening.

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G/pV

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At 2:30 p.m.; Agent Martinez telephoned Capitan

Ventura to report on his progress, pertaining to his work

with the HSCA. When Martinez told Ventura that he had

24

(located filberue, ventura asked him if he was alone Lunara

Agent Martinez lied and stated that he was alone. Ventura

told him that he should under no circumstances

allow us

to interview.

Alberuell when Agent-Martinez completed his

phone. call, he said, "I don't understand why nobody wants

you to talk to him."

At 9: P.M, August 11, 1978, Committee staffers

interviewed Ernesto Lehfeld Miller. (See Ernesto Lehfeld

Miller interview write-up.)

At 11:15 a.m., August 12, 1978, Committee staffer

Lopez called Euis Alberue Suoto at his home. When Mr.

Lopez identified himself, Mr. Alberue immediately stated

that he knew nothing.

He further stated that he never worked

fox the Cuban Embassy. When Lopez explained to him that

employees at the Cuban Embassy had stated that he had been

employed there, Mr. Suoto hung up. Mr. Alberue's voice

quivered throughout the short talk.

At 11:45 a.m., Silvia Tirado called Lopez and stated

that she had thought all night about travelling to washington.

She said she had seen a report in the newspapers in which

Azcue had stated that the man who visited the Cuban Consulate

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Question

20ra5

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• .

in 1963 was not Lee Harvey Oswald. She stated that Azcue

had only seen Oswald once while she had seen Oswald "at

least three times." When Lopez said, "At least three

times?" Ms. Tirado said. "Three times, you know?" She

further stated that if she testified in Washington and

the Committee concluded that she was lying she would be

crucified when she returned to Mexico. Mr. Lopez reassured

her and explained that when he returned to Washington he

would send her a long letter explaining procedures.

At 12:05 p.m., Agent Martinez met the Committee

staff members at the airport. He stated that Contreras

and Calvillo had not been located. The Committee staffers

gave Martinez a list of questions to ask Oscar Contreras

Lartique.

Agent Martinez

stated that he would mail the

results of the interview to Lopez at the Committee offices

-.

in Washington. The Committee never received any interview

reports from the Mexican government.

The Committee staff members left Mexiço City at

1:55 p.m. and arrived at Washington's Dulles Airport at

10:35 p.m.

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