OPERATIONAL MONTHLY REPORT --1-31 DECEMBER 1963
Originator: CIA
From: CHIEF OF STATION, MEXICO CITY
To: PHOTOGRAPHIC BRANCH
Document date: 01/16/1964
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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1104-10052-10275

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

DISPATCH

CLASSIFIÇATION, : .

SECRET

TO

Chief, KURIOT

Attn: Photographic Branch

INFO.

Chief, WH Division

FROM

Chief of Station, Mexico City

SUBJECT

Operational Monthly Report -- 1-31 December 1963

ACTION REQUIRED - REFERENCES

Action: None. For your information.

XX

PROCESSING ACTION

MARKED FOR INDEXING

NO INDEXING REQUIRED

ONLY QUALIFIED DESK

CAN JUDGE INDEXING .

Presented below is a reporting of the operational and support activities

of Gregory D. PARMUTH for the above mentioned period.

1. General Summary of Activities.

Activity for the month of December consisted of the following:

Installation of the SEQUENCE camera at the LIERODE basehouse; Assistance

was given to C/MKCHARITY on an audio operation against an LCHARVEST

target; A locked door containing audio equipment was opened by PARMUTH

at an LP monitoring the LCHARVEST apartment; Station production totaled

2,325 for the month; One agent was trained in SW; and Photographic basehouses

covering Soviet and Satellite Embassies produced below average production

because of the Christmas season.

2. TDY

On 16 December 1963 Peter T. SWINEHARI, POB, arrived at Mexico

City to install a SEQUENCE camera at the LIERODE basehouse.. See para 5. g.

of this report for details.

On 17 December 1963 an SWB representative arrived at Mexico City.

(continued)

Enl:

Training Report (KASNICKA)

Sequence Camera reports (3)

3.

SWB Report

Distribution:

U2 - KURIOT, w/encls

1 - WH, w/o encls

ROSS REFERENCE TO

no atte to file

CROW 1

ancludad fron adismate

deskashliceilan

DISPATCH SYMBOL AND NUMBER

HMMA -22726

CLASSIFICATION

SECRET

0$2,53

50-6-18

DATE

16 January 1964

HQS FILE NUMBER.

50-6-18

dese

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HMMA-22726

for the purpose of training PARMUTH in the use of SW system 99.

3. Training.

See training report forwarded as Enclosure 1 on Lewis F. KASNICKA.

4 Operations.

None.

5. Station Support.

a.

On the morning of 1 December 1963, PARMUTH assisted RESCIGNO

in installing audio microphones under the flooring of an LCHARVEST occupied

apartment.. (See HMMA-22608, 11 Dec 63, para 5. d.) Lines leadiig from the

audio installation to the IP were strung and secured below the flooring which had

ample semi-crawling space between the target area and the LP apartment.

RESCIGNO and PARMUTH entered this crawling space by removing a amall

section of flooring located inside the LP apartment. There is also a trap door

leading into the crawl space at the front entrance hall of the building although

the curious would be discouraged to enter this area because of stagnant water

six to ten inches deep on the floors at all times, cob webs, bugs, etc., etc...

Three audio microphones were installed on this operation.

b. During the period 2-14 December 1963, PARMUTH again handled

LIFIRES 4/5 while Marvin A. CABOT was on annual leave.

c.

On 6 December 1963 PARMUTH forwarded to KURIOT/ WAVE

Headquarters two orders of envelopes (six month supply per each request)

and one request for stamps. The envelopes were handcarried by Timothy A.

CAPRIOTT to WAVE Headquarters, avoiding a week's delay if the ervelopes

were sent through the pouch from Mexico City. The stamps were handcarried

d. On 6 December 1963 PARMUTH was requested to re-enter the

LP covering the LCHARVEST apartment as reported in para 5.a. of this report.

The purpose of this visit wa's to wlock a closed door which stored the LP equip-

ment which monitors LCHARVEST activities in that apartment. ' Although the

basehouse keeper had a key which worked well for several days previously, the

lock would not open for the agent on the afternoon of 6 December. PARMUTH

entered the apartment at 0130 hours on 7 December and unlocked the door. It

was found that the throw bolt located inside the lock was broken. For security

purposes, two other locks were removed from other doors located in the same

room to check if these locks were in the same bad condition. In each case,

when the key was inserted into the lock and turned excessively, the throw bolt

snapped. A new lock of the same type manufacture was installed on the closet

door by the basehouse keeper on 7 December 1963.

On the night of 7 December 1963, PARMUTH was requested by

the COS to install an extension phone at the COS residence.. After a short

training period given by RESCIGNO at the MKCHARITY base, PARMUTH was

able to service this request satisfactorily. This extension was one which

replaced one removed (for study) by KUSODA officials who inspected Mexico.

f. On 10 December 1963 PARMUTH photographed 423 frames, using

the Recordak to fulfill a monthly Staff D requirement for the Chief of Station..

%. On the morning of 17 December 1963, SWINEHARI, LIFEUD/22

and PARMUTH met at the LIERODE basehouse to install the 35mm SEQUENCE

camera and the VLS-2 trigger device. SWINEHART instructed both L-22 and

PARMUTH very thoroughly on the installation and maintenance of the SEQUENCE

CLASSIFICATION

FORM

10.57 530

(40)

USE PREVIOUS EDITION

PAGE NO.

REPLACES FORMS

5178. 5178A: AND 51-29

WHICH ARE OBSOLETE.

SECRET

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camera. The complete system was then dismantled by SWINEHART so that L-22

could re-install the system from the beginning. This wis done by I-22 and met

with SWINEHART's satisfaction. Although the Consulate door was closed to the

public for a period of aix days for unknown reasons as of the night of 17 December

1963, tests were made using the SEQUENCE camera photographing people walking

by the Consulate door.. The camera worked well and produced good printable

negatives. On the morning of 18 December 1963, L-22 contacted PARMUTH and

explained that the Consulate door was now open to the public and receiving

visitors as of 1010 that day. PARMUTH and SWINEHART joined L,-22 shortly

later at the LIERODE basehouse and found that the camera system was working

well and photographing people entering and leaving this target area. SWINEHART

then processed this film at the Station lab and made sample prints of the day's

take to be presented to the COS and C/PBRUMEN for their approval. Both were

very pleased with the photographic results using this type of camera equipment,

at the LIERODE basehouse. As of this reporting, the SEQUENCE camera is

using approximately 100 feet of Plus X film between 0900 and 1400 hours (office

hours for the Consulate). L-23 uses the present dark room area to photograph

traffic entering and leaving the front gate of the Embassy and is on duty from

0800 to 1800 hours daily, six days a week. In order for L-22 to process the film

from both of these cameras and make prints daily, it will be necessary to install

another darkroom at the basehouse. I-22 will need a Morse Tank for processing

film, a drying rack, and a small PAKO dryer for finishing prints in order to

satisfy PBRUMEN requirements at the Station. Forwarded as enclosure 2 is

the installation and statistical and training report concerning this operation.

k. On the night of 17 December 1963, PARMUTH and SWINEHART

went to the Mexico City Airport to meet a visiting SWB TDYer and assisted him

through customs. Before the plane arrived, PARMUTH and SWINEHART took

the opportunity to inspect the passport camera located in the Immigration Section

of the Airport.

i. On the evening of 31 December 1963, PARMUTH was requested by

Michael C. CHOADEN, C/PBRUMEN Operations Officer, to make an emergency

meeting with LIFEUD/22. The purpose of this meeting was to pick up photographs

and logs for 30 and 31 December in connection with a priority PBRUMEN operation.

6. Station Support (SW Activity).

a. On 6 December 1963, a visiting TDYer from Tegucigalpa requested

PARMUTH to train SWLUCK/1 in secret writing. Training was carried out on

7 December 1963 at a local hotel in the city. SW systems 37 and 58 were used in

this operation as per KURIOT instruction in DIR 87130. Forwarded as enclosure

3 is the SW report which is to be sent to SWB.

(Ene: #3 is an S-2 forin).

b. On 20 December 1963, PARMUTH was trained in the use of SW

system 99 by a visiting KURIOT technician.

7. Miscellaneous Statistics.

a. Number of operational targets surveys completed during month: 0.

b. Number of TDY trips completed during the month: 0.

c. Photographic equipment issued for operational use: SEQUENCE

camera.

d. Photographic equipment repaired: 0.

e. Number of people trained in photographic techniques/equipment: 2.

FORM

10-57 53a

(40)

USE PREVIOUS EDITION:

REPLACES FORMS

51-28. 51-28A AND 51-29

WHICH ARE OBSOLETE.

CLASSIFICATION

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DISPATCH SYMBOL AND NO.

HMMA-22726

8. Production Figures on Jobs Processed.

a. Black and white: 43 jobs.

(1) Total prints: 2, 325.

(2) 35mm microfilm: 300 feet.

(3) 16mm film: negative - 400 feet; positive - 400 feet.

(4) 35mm cassette: 35.

(5) 120 size roll film: 2.

(6) Sheet film (all types): 0.

(7) Miscellaneous: 0.

b. Color: O jobs.

c. KURIOT Station Support:

1)

Secret writing: issued1 - 37 carbon to SWLUCK/1.

(2) Flaps and seals: 0.

(3) Chemical harassment: 0.

atland Curtis

POKM

3a

USE PREVIOUS. EDITION.

REPLACES

FORMS

5148. 5178A AND 51-7

WHICH ARE OBSOLETE.

CLASSIFICATION

SECRET

50-6-18

AGE NO

CONTINUED

40

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