DISCUSSION OF PERSONNEL W/RE TO EMPLOYMENT
Agency: CIA
Originator: CIA
From: UMBACH, ERWIN W.
To: ACTING CHIEF, PERSONNEL SECURITY DI
Document date: 02/25/1960
Document type: PAPER-TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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104-10112-10280

STIJHOARD FORM NO. 64

PET

Office Memorandum : UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT

TO

DATE: 25 February 1960

Acting Chief, Personnel Security Division

FROM

: Deputy Chief, Clearance Branch

• ASTURNIO SI

Background Use Only

* Do Not Reproduce

SUBJECT:

CROZIER, Ross Lester

#112569

Reference is made to your query of 19 February as to whether Subject,

1 Career Agent, grade CS-12, would be eligible for employment as a staff

mployee, contract employee or independent contractor. The record or

Subject for the moment in the Office of Security is a covert file which

has been reviewed at your requeste

Subject has had a covert affiliation with the Agency since 1949. He

is 37 years of age and native born of native born parents. After withdrawing

from high school in June 1940, he enlisted in the US Army in August 1940.

He served in the Army Air Corps as an Intelligence specialist until dis-

charged in July 1945. He returned to Panama to marry his wife in December

1945 (he met her at an Army post exchange while stationed in the Panama

Canal Zone in 1943) He was employed as a civilian laborer by the US

Naval Air Station at Coco Solo, Canal Zone during the winter of 1945-46,

reenlisting in the USAF as an Intelligence NCO in April 1946. Upon com-

was granted a high school diplona in 1948 on the basis of CED tests, and

attended universities in Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Cuba working towards a

BoA, degree in economics.

He was broughtto the US for training in basic

tradecraft during the autumn of 1953.

Favorable National Agency record checks and a check of Ri were COm

pleted on Subject in September 1954. A favorable background investigation

and a re-check of National Agency records was completed in May 195% The

AGO check indicated that Subject had been granted a Secret clearance by

the Caribbean Air Command on 18 May 1948 on the basis of a limited inves

tigation. RI checks at this time were not derogatory. A check of source

K on Subject, his alien spouse and some of his alien in-laws developed in-

formation covered below. Both Subject and his wife were given favorable

polygraph interviews in April and May 1958.

When Subject married in December 1945, he acquired an alien wife and

numerous alien in-laws, all Costa Rican nationals. Subject's mile, whose

maiden name was Argentina CORDERO Calderon, was born 15 March 1918 in

San Jose, Costa Rica.

Her parents were born in Costa Rica and are deceased,

her father since 1942 and her mother since 1956. Her grandmother was born

in Germany. She has nine siblings one of whom died as a child. She

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14-00000

* RETURNTO CLA

Background Use Ony

: Do Not Reproduce

attanded school until 1933. She was

married to a Pedro MarzAl a

wholesale pharmaceutical supplier and Spanish national from Novembar

1939 to December 1940. In February 1941, HarzAl married a younger

sister of Subject's wife, Gladys.

At one time during World Var It,

HarzAl was included on American and British proclaimed lists as a

Nazi sympathizer and in May 19h4 was jailed by Costan Rican authorities

on charges of adultering drug products.

He left Costa Rica in 1946

with Subject's sistar-in-law. The field reportad in August 1959 that

Pedro & Gladys MarzAl have been residing in Spain.

{1n Decembar 1940, Subject's wife worked in local

cantinas in San Jose, Costa Rica until Nay 1942 when she went to Panama.

She workded at three different post exchanges in the Panama Canal Zone

until October 1943. She then worked at various cantinas in Colon, Panama

as a casbier and bartender until Subject returned to Panama to mariy

her in 1945. In 1944, Army Intelligence ran an extensive investigation

on her after it was alleged that she was sympathetic to Germany and tas

attempting to elicit information from servicemen across the bar. The

allegation was proven baseless although it was developed that she could

speak and understand German, thought German men would make fine iusbandg

and dislikedmost American ben bacause of their immorality. For a period

of a several months during 1944-1945 Subject's wife and a younger sistar

were part of a dance troupe composed of astateless Russian, his stateless Russian

wife and themselves. Since her marriage to Subject, her interests have been

primarily domestic.

She completed a beautician's course in Havana, Cuba,

1957-1958 and has worked as a beautician in Mexico City to the present.

With regard to the siblings of Subject's wife, a report of the

halitary Attache, Ameracan umbassy, San Jose, Costa Rica made in November

1944 characterized one of Subject's brothers-in-law, Antonio, as being

a sex pervert and norphine addict. He was reported by the field in

law, Mario, may have been a member of the Commurist Party of Costa Rica.

He is presently self employed as a- shoemaker and living in a house owned

by Subject and his wife in suburban San dose, Costa Rica. Mario had

been a staunch supporter of the Calderon party in power in Costa Rico,

1944-1948 which comprised a coAlition of liberals, socialists and

Comunists. At the time of the 1947-1948 Revolution in Costa Rica,

horever, Mario fought with the Communist forces. In June 1959, the

Agency was considering the possibility of recruiting lario.

The field

reported in August 1959 that Mario is being regularly visited by Cormnists

who leave printed propaganda with him. In its August 1959 report, the

field reported that a third brother-in-law, Azdruval is currently employed

as a shoemaker in a San Jose shop owned by a Conmunist. Azdruval is also

reported to ba sympathetic to Communism®

WH Division advises that Subject's operational capability and

achievements are outstanding and point out that he received a personal

commendation from the DDCI for his services on behalê of the Agency

during early 1959 when he contacted Fidel Castro in the Sierra Maestra

mountains of Cuba. i

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14-00000

RETURN TO CIA

Background Use Only

• Do Not Reproduce

It is the hope of

VH Division that a tour in the United States will

: enable his wife to become an Anerican citizen Reports

fron the field also indicate that subject's wife is witting of his work

and at one time in Costa Rica mada his agent contacts for him when ha

tras sick.

16-15

In light of the information presented above, it is not believed that

Subject is eligible for staff employment or contract Type A employment.

It is conceivable, however, that Subject could be utilized as an inde

pendent contractor with access to information classified through SECRET,

provided his future usefulness to WH Division would not be nullified by

an overt association with this Agency. It is recommended that it Division

be so advisede

Corvin W. Chuback

Ervin W. Umbach

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HAADDES

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