BACKGROUND ON MEXICO STATION SUPPORT ASSETS (COVERAGE OF SOVIET AND CUBAN EMBASSIES)
Originator: CIA
From: GOODPASTURE, A.
To: LEADER, JOHN, IG STAFF
Document date: 02/10/1977
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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

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(SECRET

10 Feb 77

Source:

Suoject:

Motes made by A. Goodpasture

for John Leader, IG Staff

Background

on hexico Stati

(Coverage of Soviet and

ssets

ssies

1. ( Unilateral

coverage.

ico Station was opened in

¿April 1947 (by Bill Doyle) until

of Win Scott as COS in 1955, Charles

Anderson III (still in LA/HQ) had developed a support apparatus to

exploit leads fron the Soviet Enbassy. This umbrella type project (LIFEAT)

consisted of milti line phone taps, three photo sites, a mobile surveillance

team and a nail intercept operation.

Fhone taps were placed by an employee of the telephone company

Ratina ol in steeled.

who was handled by David WIISTED (pseudo). The number of lines

tapped was lintedoul

by availability of a listening post nearoy

(since the taps were not made in the main ce

Spanish (Soviet, Polish, Czech,

these agents (nostlywe

Sand English/

inscribers.

Generally

Mexican American) were related

that time felt was good security in that

ired about shop, they would talk to each other.)

b. Three photo sites were handled by Anderson with the help

of camera, film, and concealment

devices.

JFK-056

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a fixed site bang opposite across

the street fron the front gate of the Soviet Enoassy which had

both a vehicle and foot entrance.

The Soviet

gate was on the

Northliest corner. of their compound and LINICED was diagonally

across a double barrelled street on the Southgast danis an

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that block. LITED was the first base and it cheraied strictly on an

e: arinental basis in the early stages.

I trink the lexi Station bought

one

storey.

the Station got word

puolic by the Warren Connisshe

"REPRODUCTION

througk LINOUSTE (check to

This base was closed when

OHOBITE!

man" was being released to the

nearby.

The property was sold (under an operational agreenent with LIMOUSIVE

for a long term Lease

on the top floor of a new apartment blaing to be built

on this site).. LILYRIC was planned as an alternate photo base to LINITED.

It was in an upper storey (3rd floor -check) on the sare side of the street

as LIITED but in the middle of the block South. It had a slanted view of

the front gate of the Soviet Enbassy. The agents in LEITED and LILYRIC (both

Vexican families) as far as we knew, were not acquainted with each other.

3 was located

In one of a row of four houses on the South

We soniat Itassy compound

which the lexico Station purchased on

about 1953 (check date), also using

LINOUS It as the purchaser

"This site overlooked the back garden of

the Soviet Embassy compo

The purpose of this operation vas to get good

identification photographs of the Soviet personnel (uno at thet time were largely

unidentified in Mexico Station records). The three photo sites were handled by

Ranon Alvarez (ifexican citizen of U.S. mother

who taught elerentary level at

the American School). Ramon; col

and Luris three tindEDROlULtlut

*m from LEITED

developed and printed

was for LICALLA film to je

PROHBITEI

husband, ¿Carlos (Mexican docior)

ect print strips.

The master plan

ssed inside ISD man from 1957 to 1959 (Harper

Holt'- resigned) could not handle the volume and as

the unprocessed filn began

to accumulate, the inside Co (i'ahoney) becane disgusted

and took the filn out

for Paron'S brother-in-law to process (probally early 1959). Thus Baron became

the handler for all three photo kases.

A sensitive staff D nonitoring operation

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was run out of another one of these houses (crypt for the four houses tas

LINUSTil, ete). This was ha:dled by Glen WIDDal (outside ISD officer! anà

'anoney using HQ TDY teans for monitoring. This opsration vas also separate

from LICALLA, The two houses in between were

Co

robile surv

team consisied of a half

panel truck (which

could be used on stake_outs for photo cousra e).

The plan was to activate this group by radio (fron LIMITID BASE)

Soviet

when someone of interest left the/Embassy gate and stay with then

until they made their meetings.. These agents knew about the LETTED

BASE reêause they had LIIIED photos for identification purgoses..

This worked fairly well until about the niddle of 1958, (check date)

When one of the surveillance agents got too

close

$ target and

arrested by the Mexican transit

starned over to the

Mexican Secret Service.

ng the Station could arrange through

a cleared attorney t

han out (Juad Austin of the Goodrich,

Little and Piquete firm), the agent: lad identified Sancho (uno tas

evacuated across the border at Nogales by Bob Shaw) and the inside-

phone number of Mahoney (who vas subsequently replaced by Louis

Fuckett). As a result of this flap, the LIFEAT project was broken

up into several others.

new crypts.

the unilateral

surveillance team

laggard)replaced Anderson in handling

replaced liahoney and handled the

and the photo bases through Renon.

do

LIBIGHT was the crypt used for alunilateral (originally) mail

Intercept handled by Charlie inderson III, The agent (rexican) had

a semi official status and arranged to obtain selected letters fron

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a sub-agent in the postal system (I think at the airport)!

¿Tonso Spera,

vere later/Fuckett, Rovert Foldaann, and Alan White.

His case officers

2. (LIaison coverage was unreliable and insecure as

craracterised by the nature

of the Mexican services, at that tire.

an DES (Direction of Federal'

[Security) with which ve dealt

sroud run out of the Ministry

Of Gov ment. This in

Foreigners and solitical intero batt

of its time on control of

Their agents were vicious, venal,

corrupt extortionists, (Robert elberg, established contact with one of them

{ Levine De Leon (later LIFIRE group) in about 1950 or 51. He gave them some

training la group of about five surveillance types) in travel control working

the aircort as well as file searches of names from DES Hatrs

where the files

were poorly organized and often inaccurate.

fio: and t

sore useful

information vas developed but it could not be

Felberg, was

replaced by Fhil Foettinger. (resigne

remained in Mexico), Nahoney, Thomas

Hazlitt, ard Rooert Feldmap

Ther ather)

During 1958,

Scott met socially some of theichronies of the

¿ Mexican President elect, Adolfo Lopez l'ateos.

During this period, the U.S.

Ambassador Robert C. Hill (reflecting the policy of then Sec State J.F. Dulles)

was energetic in organizing groups to "fight cormunisn".

One of these seeds

grew into a proposal liguel Alenan (jr, son of forner lexi President), acting

{for Locez "ateos, made to Win Scott

irge

The Mexican in control

son (LIaIr-2) vas a nast l hillbit Edence, old, and greedy. His

manipulated control over the principal agent of LIBIGEl mail intercept.

The

first case officer was Alfonso Spera inside with Turner Smith (retired) outside

and John

(TSD training officer for surveillance and head of the listening

post where thirty telenhone lines would connect as vell as a transcriction roon

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staffed in ican aIny ofricers.) Initially the suation tried to suet every

¿enand (nade by the lericans, bothSnith and John had language difficulties and

personal problems associated with being outside

were virtually uncontrolla le, spendi

equipment at enormous cost

Depend for hey plesea, squirrelting aver

the ststion so that the Mexicans

part of the bargainy in the

production of transcripts bil

he wanted

Spera was repiaced

by Jacke Brady who sound himself

approve a request by ITELIGAIl that Brady had turned down by the son, IIEiVOX-2.

Finally wher the cost became exhorbitant and there was little to show for it,

the project was revarped. Snith and John returned

to the U.S. and were replaced

by a TSD officer, Charles Flick, who has put inside the listening post to naintain

Brady was reassigned to other duties rendirg a trensfer.

the equipment./ Scott too; over the project as case officon tele with IIELEGANI.

He designated Ann Goodpasture to meet dailing with a

of the Istentne post, poking up trengers

tapes. Goodpasture had no

(dealingswith the Mexicans) except when

on Scott was ill or out of town. Generally,

all decisions were made by

This was about late 1961.

3.. 'y menory is a little vague about the origins of the Cuban Babassy but I

think the staff first developed fron a pro-Castro group celebrating on New

Years eve 1959. As I recall, it was a makeshift arrangement of volunteers

through most of 1960 and El with Ton Hazlitt producing voluminous reports on

their actirities and recruiting agents right

i lent arong Cuban nationals in

Mexico City.

ow is who was in lexico during

the period prior to Oswald

sequent investigation by the

ro as there and what they vere doing I

have groped persons torether chronologically with areas of their assignent

as the

covrring from 1950 to 1969 so thet strates names pop up, one can tell wrat

period they were in Mexico and

their assignments, at the Line.

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8/56-6,59

COS

DEOS

Winston H. Scott (deceased)

7/56-7/59

Alfonso Rodriguez (retired)

10/53 - 12/62 Warren Dean (retired)

6/63 - 9/65

Alan White (retired) ~

10/65 - 1959 Stanley Watson (retired in Mexico) :

COVERT ACTION

} Prior to 19543

Howard hunt (retired)

12/54 5 7/55

Williard Kill (resigned)

12/55 - 9/61

Stannard Short (re

9/61

Chief

-3/64

8/62 - 9/64

Gunnar Bedataly

and minERPIDUCTIUN

2/64 - 6/65

66 - 68-

Don Heath

68 - 71.

Joseph SmithC (retired in Mexico)

CURA OPERATIONS

56 - 4/62 Tronas Hazlitt Chief

2/60 - 4/62 {Jack Stewart (retired Costa Risa)

4/63 - 4/65 Bob Shaw Chief -

9/63 - 7/65 Ray Swider

10/63 - 5/65 Lorna Mackay

(ло

8/63 - 6/65 David Philli

9/65 - 10/68 Joseph Picco.

10/55. - 12/67 Peggy Maggara

PROWBITED

SOVIET TARGET

6/57 - 10/59 Louise Iyon (refused)

6/62 - 1/67 Prentice Narheine (os)

9/59- 8/65 Herbert Panell Chief-

9/59 - 8/65 (Barbara Wanell -

5/64 - 7/65 William Brignt

4/05 - 11/67 Cynthia Hausmann

6/65 - 7/67 Alice Pittinger

1/65 - 4/69 Paul Dillon Chief

SOVIET TRANSCRIBIPS

REPRODUCTIUN® Co

6/56 - 8/53

6/58 - 6/63

George Misko

6/63 - 70

Tarasoif (retired in Mexico) -

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SUPPORT ASSETS

{Unilateral, phono taps

{1949) - 1961

Charles Anderson III Chief

<4/55} - 4/60

Pegey Paggard Asst

4/56 - 1162

Frank Estancona

Chief

2/60 - 10/64 Thomas Keenan

7/64 - 12/67 Michael Farmer

349-70

PROHIBITED

Unilateral

photo

Cubans

6/59 - 4/64 Robert Zambernardi (resigned Kexico)

7/59 - 6/62 {Richard Spathar TSD) (retired)

Unilateral photo Soviets

3/54 - 4/59 Harry I. Mahoney

(retired Chicago)

5/57 - 8/64 A. Goodpasture (alternate CO -

and internal routing)

6/58 - 6/63 Louis D. Packett (retired)

6/63 - 10/67, Thomas Keenan Robert

65 - 66

William Bright

813)6

in Mexico

56 - 68

Remon

in Mexico)

Enema. Oil repasting

Tracot.

Liaison phone taps

1959 - 1969

Winston Scott (deceased)

195%

- 1960

Alfonso Spera

(retired)

1959 - 1960 {Turner Smith (outside, now retired)

1959 - 1960

John

(Training rept resigned

1960- 1961

John Brady (retired)

1962 - 1968

A. Goodpasture -

1961 - 1971

Charles Flick. (outside

bjaison?

- surveillance

REPRODUCTION

retired) -

Prior 1954 Robert lelberg

3/54 - 4/59

Harry Mahoney

4/59 - 1961

Thonas Hazlitt

retired DROHIBITED

retired!

12/62 - 9/67 Robert Feldnann

ISD Outside unit

4/53 - 12/63

Glen Widden (retired) -

3/59-4/54

Joseph. 1:. Resigno (ps) Unit blown and closed down

illadilade

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About nid 1962 (check date) LiNO

for the telephone nunders of the Soviet

outside lexi rept asted

and Satellite Erbassies.

With this forewarning, LIFEAT (uni

as I recall, the Mexicans) co

2 Polish, and I lugoslav I:

was disconnected. However,

5 Soviet lines, 3 Gzech,

e listening post had a live

monitor lino made short summaries

teresting conversations for a daily

resume which was

received each day

arourd 8 a.n. (passed by Flick to Goodcasture

to get to Scott before 9.a.i.) Later (when the reel was completely recorded)

full transcripts were typed ard passed to the

station in the same way, however,

there was usually a time lag of a day or so.: Those transcripts which haa

Russian or another language besides Spanish or English went out of the listening

post the day after the transcript (of other conversations o

reel)was

typed. These reels were taken to another location

were translated

and typed. In the case of the Russian tr

tions, Boris Tarasoff usually ran

about a week behind the date.

seversation because of the volue off

Russian conversations am

members of the

Soviet Erbassy - During this

period: (fall of 1963) the reels were probably being brought into the station

and carried to Boris by one of the people from the Soviet Section of they may

have been carried to him by Flick but I think I brought the reel in and gave

it to Ferbert Kanel? to take to Boris. Herbert Hanell and his wife Barbara

handled 211 of the processi:g of Soviet transc

ts. Hy job involved screening

the photographs as soon as ve learned the

calling hinself Osvald was

probably an American.

However,

s a backlag because the

photos were ricked up thre

for dates a few days previously

night time basis. Fhotographs

ones ricked up were usually

le doctor processed the film on a

se made usually until one roll las used but

later ve got it cranged to one day coverage on each roll - in other vords the

operators, cleared the caera each day whether there was anglings a full

roll of filn exposed. Instructions vere. to cover office hours, photograch each

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nev Soviet and fanily, all foreigners and foreign licence plates. Fuman

error did occur but

generally the agents were

gonscientious.

The Cuban

embassy coverage had nore sophisticatea

(a pulse ca:era) but it

frequently develored nechanical dif

(I think) handled this film

Zanbarnardi and Spathar

Lorna lackay screened

the film inside the stati

I am certain that tr

aswald call came to our attention fron the

Soviet line. It was picked up and taken to Boris for a translation because

the caller was trying to speak Russian. Any delay vas caused by waiting to

compare the photographs with the typed transcript. There were no copies of

transcripts every made in languages other than Spanish

oglish because Win

Scott could read only those

two languages ard he

creened the

transcripts for operational leads he vented

REPROCUCTON

Sued:

REPRUL

DUCTION

HIBITED

0290

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REPRODUCTION

ROHIBITED

REPRODUCTION

NEL

Phate Basee

(4) 50

LIC

REPRODUCTION

PROMIBITE

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+173

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