Agency: HSCA
Originator: HSCA
From: CIA
Document date: 00/00/0000
Document type: NOTES

## Page 1

JFK Assassination System

Identification Form

Date:

2/16/201

Agency Information

AGENCY:

RECORD NUMBER :

HSCA

180-10142-10129

RECORD SERIES: CIA SEGREGATED COLLECTION

AGENCY FILE NUMBER :

23-15-05

Document Information

ORIGINATOR: HSCA

FROM:

CIA

TO :

TITLE:

DATE: 00/00/0000

PAGES:

7

SUBJECTS :

Released under the John

F. Kennedy

488a381nation Records

Collection Act of 1992

144 USC 2107 Notel.

Caset:NT 53080 Date:

06-01-2017

CIA, METHODOLOGY

ARRESTS, DURAN, SYLVIA

DOCUMENT TYPE: NOTES

CLASSIFICATION: Unclassified

RESTRICTIONS: 1A; 1B

CURRENT STATUS: Redact

DATE OF LAST REVIEW: 01/01/2003

OPENING CRITERIA :

COMMENTS :

Box 12

v9.1

HH 53080

DocId: 32271433

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## Page 2

Sylvia Duran Statements

Page 29.

CIA Handling of Sylvia Duran Matter

President

When/John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November

redlinds.

22, 1963, the United States investigative agencies -- FBI,

CIA, Secret Service, etc.--were asked to investigate the

assassination. When the Central Intelligence Agency

Mexico t stah

• learned

that lee Harvey oswald had visited Mexico City between dum

late September and early october they reviewed their its

the ciA it not on they.

Elles and found in the electronic surveillance files und foun

phone calls to the Soviet Embassy made September 27th,

cidence

september 28th, and October Ist, that could have been

made by Oswald. (See Electronic Surveillance Section.)

They also found phone calls between the Russian Consul

and sylvia duran where Oswald appeared ta betaiscussed.

(See Soviet Electronic Surveillance Section.) In addition

they found a phone call made by Sylvia Duran to the

Soviet Consulate on September 28, 1978, where Sylvia Duran

stated that there was an American citizen at the Cuban

vanc

Consulate who had previously visited the Soviet Consulate,

awkware

the allowst

and put a man on the line.

*See Soviet Electronic Surveil-

lance Section.) A final phone

what

call where Oswald identified

8r0dt31

this

himself was also found.

See Soviet Electronic Surveillance

is

Section.)

I give date.

veering

Let's talk about this.

NW 53080 DocId: 32271433 Page 2

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## Page 3

At this point, the Central Intelligence Agency

determined that it would ask the Mexican Government-- w.FX

whom it had a good relationship with--to arrest Sylvia

Duran because she might shed some light on the circum-

stances surrounding the assassination.

Sylvia Duran was

A1sã a Mexican citizen, and aid not have diplomatic immunity.

The Central Intelligence Agency's Mexico City Statior

identity paition

sent a note to Luis Echevarria requesting that he arrest

Sylvia Sylvia Tirado de Duran

immediately.

'he agency

stated that she was a Mexican citizen who had put oswala

in touch with the Soviet Embassy

The agency

gave Echevarria

a note with Duran's address,

her mother's address, her

pelevance?

brother's address, her license plate number, her home

phone number and her place of work. The Mexico City

Station also suggested that Duran be held incommunicado

until she could be questioned on the matter. (Note to Luis afove

Echevarria to arrest Sylvia Duran, November 23, 1963, CIA deteil

No. 444; Cable re oswald-Duran, Mexi 7029, November 23,

1963, CIA No. 441; Anne Goodpasture Chronology, Wx 7241,

entry 36, November 23, 1963, CIA NO. 635)

The request to Luis Echevarria was not authorized

by the Central Intelligence Agency's Headquarters. When

Ibut

they received the cable on November 23, 1963, Headquarters

dos

zhu,

Seam

The nepes City Station Did mit, get se

seas

sy, requent the

that if

Mey goir to mast sgtil

NW 53080 DooId: 32271433 Page 3

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HH 53080

DocId: 32271133

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## Page 5

git.

sage a Duran statementsut o

Page 32.

awareness

but

Ale, er

is t"e

/int

mentiong

discovery

The Central Intelligence Agency feared/that Amer-

If icans were behind the arrest of Sylvia Durang )would

Why?

endanger tkei continuing convert surveillance operations. Make

for this reason, the

Mexico City Station requested the

explicit.

Mexicans to arrest Sylvia Duran on their initiative.

Similar logic dictated when Headquarters asked the Mexico

City Station to request the Mexican authorities to inter-

rogate Sylvia Duran to the extent necessary to clarify

the outstanding points raised in their fables the previqus

forty-eight hours. Headquarters stated that the Mexico

City Station could provide questions to the Mexican

interrogators but that they wished no Americans to come

in contact with Duran. (Cable CIA Headquarters to Mexico

City Station, November 27, 1963, DIR 85318, CIA No. 497;

chronology of Anne Goodpasture, November 27, 1963, entry

no. 121, CIA No. 653)

When,

on November 27, 1963, the

antwedd

Mexico City Station sent a photostatic copy of Sylvia Du-

Ian's ten page signed statement to Headquarters (Cable

Mexico City Station to Headquarters, November 27, 1963,

Mexi 7105, CIA No. 479; Chronology of Anne Goodpasture,

November 27, 1963, entry no. 127, CIA No. 656

the follow-

ing day Headquarters sent a clarification cable to the

seeking

Mexico City Stationg Headquarters wanted to insure that

neither Sylvia Duran nor the Cubans

sot the impression would

Too slangich

NH 53080 DocId: 32271433 Page 5

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## Page 6

Sylvia Duran Statements

Page 33.

Я

have a basis for concluding

Ithat the-Americans were behind her rearrest.

The cable

stated "We want the Mexican authorities to take the re-

J

by

Burk.

sponsibility for the whole affair." (Cable from Headquarters

to the Mexico City Station, November 28, 1963, DIR 85371,

CIA No. 464; Chronology of Anne Goodpasture, November 28,

1963, WX7241, entry no. 141, CIA No. 658)

When the Central Intelligence began to deal with

the Warren Commission, Headquarters cabled the Mexico

City Station that their present plan in passing informa-

tion to the Warren Commission was to eliminate mention of

telephone taps in order to protect their continuing opera-

tions. Headquarters stated that they would rely on Sylvia

Duran's statements and on the Consular files which the

soviets gave the state Department. Headquarters stressed

that exact, detailed information from Tetamil-7 and

Tetamil-9 (Penetration agents in the Cuban Embassy) on just

what Sylvia Duran and other officials said about Oswald's

visits and his dealings would be valuable and usable

corroborative evidence. (CIA cable from Headquarters to

Mexico City Station, December 21, 1963, DIR 90466, CIA

No. 549; Chronology of Anne Goodpasture, December 21, 1963,

Entry No. 268, CIA No. 682)

Prior to three Warren Commission staffersMessers.

Willins, slawson and Coleman visit to Mexico city in

put

NW 53080 DocId: 32271433 Page 6

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## Page 7

Must

wahow

sylvia

Sylvia Duran Statements

Page 34.

April 1964 the Agency still felt that if an American con-

tacted sylvia Duran, their covery continuing operations

wald

night be endangered. Headquarters cablea

quarter are the exit atlangisk

station that one of the touchy subjects that the staffers

would discuss was whether they should talk to Sylvia Duran

in Mexico at the Consulate. (Cable Headquarters to Mexico

City Station, April 8, 1964, DIR 13026, CIA NO. 698)

Headquarters further cabled that the Warren Commission staf-

fers knew that the Central Intelligence Agency had tap

assets and that they might have guessed from the coverage

that they had photo points and a source in the Cuban Em-

bassy, but that they did not know the details on the Agency's

arrangements with the Mexicans. Headquarters stressed

that the Chief of Station should lend them all the needed

assistance with the minimum possible disclosure of assets

and technigues. (Ibid,) - Reminl Bent to explaini

wis rectira

sie all th's

At thia paine tie lose solest committes en sesassi stuff

nations has determined that the Central Intelligence Agency dislarel

thought their continuing electronic surveillance operation

is by

Muna.

extremely sensitive and important.

The Warren Commission

would have needed to disclose sensitive information to

contradict Sylvia Duran's story.

The Central Intelligence

Agency had input into what could go in the Warren Report.

See Chuck Berk Write-up.)

de oker

HIH

53080 DooId:32271433 Page 7

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## Page 8

-state issue generally

procedure guerally

butline of suming werte.up)

for call section

O statement off irres

@siming of facts

COconclusion.

Rementer: eac section of fat

summation o anilgin mut immediatele

bundantly clan tons to the

uninformed reader.

HH 53080 DocId:32271433 Page 8

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