Agency: HSCA
Originator: HSCA
From: CIA
Document date: 00/00/0000
Document type: PAPER-TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

## Page 1

180-10142-10190

THIS COPY IS NOT

FOR RELEASE.

B0x23

F.22

#2

.com

C. Syluin DuRAN

When Crisedent John 7 Kessody dan desert i

0.737.

Neenber 22;1963, -the Unsite State nailgate

genera = 73I, 01A Secret Servise, ile o dare cacked

inestigate tile assistan When the Santial

Artillegance Agay Way City Stateme dand thrit die

potent and sal

suveillance) falls and fried ghore eveded f ghose

calls to the siest Embery made distenher 277,

september 38th, and Other Lat, that all have been

Renes fi dile.

sylica: Decan where Oswald appeased to have been

discussed inste quiet (Elictracis surveillance diction) dos disting.

the son, a statio frand a degents 2811765 gre.

Agle Burn staded that the was on Arrest dity

at the Cuban Consolide ho shed privily sissited the

jime call were the alleged" Osusald edentified himseif de.

also.. frund (See Electranic) Sueekillance Section)

at this print, the deter ty legace

ditismenie

thank t ali request the ilesson givesent with whom

it had a got riltiny to arent sylin, duan ( as

diglimina ministy because she inght shed some light on

10142-1090

---

## Page 2

The blepic Ety Statia punt a site to the gabacco

wat Dust address, chee marthe

adder, bes barcheà adders, her beese gate number,..

hose phone sumber, hes place front ard a squid thit

she le arrestal isoneditely E Note to Quis Cotiveris, Now 28,

1963, SIAN 444; Cable re DUNGO- DURAN M6X17071, NOVEMBAR 23, 1113, -

ClANS 441; Anne Gond pastore Shearslagy, WA7241, entry 36, November i3.

the matter (ited)

Ducas, by necess authentics.

done idiogrestre, 21-98412 dily 37, Nember 23, 1963, ClA No. 635)

dait told (whilen) that he cold not rescind the regret and

a cable... stater,

that.... Aylia Duean hard been arrested. Libid).

that

last

to the

---

## Page 3

after Winston pestl's enversatin mach (ach Whittin, swee

Statin diared ge fontan recal firm Duan De fronte

medictely to the Wetics City Steten and that her anest.

and statemento not be communeed to any loftest gimps

No 440; Flash Cable fine kacamesses to Mexico City Stetion.,.

Niember 23, 1963, DIR 84916, 61A No 403) Chronelogy of Anne Goodpasture,..

entry 46, November 23,1963, CIANo 676)

Or Hwember 27,1963,- the blocican

artment fund

copy 7 Ayla Duans ten - page signed to

..to the

hesis Cty Status I Blied Heres re See. Hawey Oswald and

Sylvia Duran, November 26,1963, CIA $473) Flymn bearing ant

so riginal

Signed

Statement oI syivia unrai

rogation

Coversmant

She said: 11

5.D

Upon learning

about the assassination

she and her

husband speculated that President Kennedy might have been

assassinated for racial reasons. When she became aware

that the assassin was Lee Harvey Oswald, she ascertained me

that it was the same man that approximately two months

prior had been

to the Cuban Consulate to solicit an intran-

sit visa

to Russia. Having taken his name from

the special

documentation he presented she knew that he was married to

a Russian woman

and belonged to the "Fair Play for Cuba

Committee."

She checked the data in the Consulate archives

and became certain that it was the same individual who was

blonde, short, dressed

unelegantly. and whose

face turned red

when agry. The Consul had denied the visa because to

---

## Page 4

Pagers.

obtain

an

intransit visa from the Cuban government, it

was imperative that he previously obtain a visa from the

Soviet Consulate. Since obtaining a visa from the Soviets

took four months and Oswald's Mexican visa expired

SOOn

Oswald became excited and Duran had to call the Consul

who had an argument with him. The only aid

could

give

Oswald was advising that he see the Soviet

Consul, and

calling the person in charge of that office.

The Soviet

official told her that they would have to consult Moscow

which would take four months. That afternoon, Oswald re

turned to the Cuban Consulate and Sylvia Duran confirmed

that he could get a Cuban visa only after he received a

Russian visa.

She gave Oswald her name and business phone

number but never gave him her address because she had no

reason

to give it to him. She knew that phoning the Soviet

Consulate was not one of her duties and that if she did

so she did it only to help Oswald. She gave Oswald her

business phone number only because he would have to call

subsequently to check whether he had obtained a visa..

He

never called back.

(Blind Memo Te Lee Harvey Oswald and

-26-196

- CIA #173) .

- Sylvia Duease was released Krember 24, 1963. and

rearested. Revember 27, 1963, when the besicaw greement alleged that.

she was attempting to leave Mesics fr travel to Hase. I call fore.

¡netico co Station to Mesolgranters, Movember 27,1963, Medi 2104, 61A5. 482;

Cable-fum Mess City Statis to Headquarters, Roember 27,1963, Nesi

710k, CIA t 493] according to the wesiaw fficils who detained

---

## Page 5

The Were City Statin faded Decan's tew: Og

signed statement to hertgrater a Va 221963 I Cable Wester

City Stater to Her guarters, Movember 27, 1963, Medi 7105, 611N0, 4.79;

The foelnising day Hedgutters sent a clanfied cable to the

interco aty Station secting to souse that neither Sylves Duan.

mon the Cabars wonl have a basis for cmcludiy that the

Amescious ivese behire her rearest. Ithe calle staled, "We want the..

Mexican sachutes to take the raginabilet fu the whole offair;

Cable fenni Headquarters to the apies City Statini, -Hovember 28, 1963.,

DIR 85371, CIA No 464; Chronology-of Anne Goodpasture, Move.

28, 1963,

Wx.7248_entry.nd._1t1.c/A.No.658

When the Centual Intellence agency began to work with.

the Wars Crimissin, Headquates cabled the Medio City Station

that ther plan in passis infrication to the wars Coumission El

wast chiminte martin of telephone too fir ander to gertal thin

contening getenis... I cia calli from taluate to betico city

Statin, December 21,1963, D1290466, CLA N0.549; Chronogy of Anne.

Goidpasture, December 21,1963, Entry N0,268, CIA 1. 682) Healgraders cabled that

they mll rely or.Syliie Decan's stitements and on the Crusular files:

sid the Simate give the Stole Dost bid; I tendgater thered

that start, detarled infrisatin fume Gtare 7 and LitaniL-9 -= portation

agents in the Clan Embaray a) on what glue Ducen and oche

inficie de last dunes ists and lia delego ends le

valuable and noble enrobritie entire )

Where the content betelynce agesy friarded to the

an missin a cop f secan's segued statement, thang

---

## Page 6

Page p9A

b. The Possibility that Silvia DuRAN WaS AN

INtElliGENCE AGENT FOR EiTHER The CENTRAL

Intelliquee AjeNce de The Cuben Intelligense Agency

a) Was Sigle De

= a Centel entellegance Egant.

1 Was Star Duan a Chan telligence Agent?

i) Was Silves duran a Cantel Antelgice?

In an; effort to warlie. this question the truse

shet Commitles virewed the Unted Stits investigate

inllegonsiom.a.

In antitem, the trus Select Committe on Assassinatin.

internewes most f the Here's Cly Statin's inployes stret

the allegaton. Only Daved Phillis (Chiif f Guest. Goden In

Does EPitched is a term used by the CIA to deargute an

that"It was possible that she ISylViNDuRAN was not

Itamil as attement that al that will have to be hme to

emit. Duan was get a blonde, thee-eyed Amercin in bel

with the little outaL Pete is, 4 spanish teen fu sodne) I

---

## Page 7

at that print, Win Philly's asmiled that it sold like Deca

had at be trigited, that the statim si interest had been

subtail and that the westons and mies had been

because Dus had been targeted, did not necessarly mean

had nat

that she had been pitched. Libidps) to additing he stars sent

assis CI emploze, 1

Quorted on one

"Osaid Teek Fees" in Lie Septine on cal sitate 1975 cele

file me dare stated that he bleed that Demon had been

Disgute Ih. Phillips and Min

statements,

---

## Page 8

¿i Was Slur DuRAN A CUBAN INTElLENCE Ageat ?

a cata intelligence agot? the ISes serined the US.

agine see Due he Comte found no ende en thi flea

indent

Terre in

in sege, tough not jefising to semander all the titanks, stetel.

that he thought that Dries das

Cabosa intellege agent. ENSCA.

tatering Baray tilly, MiX, pI the pail:" At the tries when this

content told meg Syl Dune 2 taed the turo tagaler, yes sere l dimit

Kim, not it that line it wes boss to me as sore inteller agent

that there was sie insection there bat I wis f no steet there

to pose, it do sister that who t not see this contact f mine t

mintones the fact to kom and let bain prod to to whiter his wanted

In Hell fither shitt that he never wasted the saine Cit 1pi)

The stre Silet Comette

Ma Dain was a cabar intellin age

matern

mind whacher

hi. Hille was the tome withs

to art that

Sogle Dian say here be on Cala intelleges aget

---

## Page 9

i..::

i +?

..:.

On October 5, 1964, eleven days after the publica-

tion of the Warren Commission Report, a story alleging

Lee Harvey Oswald's presence at a party in Mexico City

attended by, Cuban government personnel came to the atten-

tion of the Central Intelligence Agency (Wx742, p.94, entry

$430, CIA #721; Blind memo dated 10/5/64, CIA #576) • pon

alles

tion of this type, if true, could negate the

Warren

conmission's conclusion that fee, Harvey eswa

dwas the

Lone

assassin of President John

Kennedy :

Elena's Story as Reported October 5, 1964

+ sir atten

4880s st

Elena Garro de Paz and Deba Garro de Guerrero Galvan,

first cousins fo Horatio, Ruben and Lynn Duran were invited

to a twist party at the home of Ruben Duran in the middle

of the week in the fall of 1963. Lee Harvey Oswald was

alleged to have been at this party in the company of "two

other beatnik-looking boys." (Ibid.) The Americans re-

mained together the entire evening and did not dance.

When Elena tried to speak with the Americans, she was

"shifted" to antoher room by one of her cousins! "

(The

memo does not state whether Elena had mentioned which cousin

had not allowed her to speak to the Americans.) One of

Elena's cousins told her at the time that (he or she did

not know who the Americans were except that Sylvia Duran

lan employee of the Cuban Embassy and the wife of Horatio

Duran), had brought them to the party.

---

## Page 10

-2-

The day after the party, Elena and Deba saw the

three Americans on the Insurgents, a main avenue in Mexico

City. 52)

The Garros claimed that they had recognized Oswald's

photograph when it was published after the assassinations:)

Sylvia

Duran's

arrest "underlined the Garros' certainty"

that the mn had been Lee Harvey Oswald. (Ibid.)

Deba added that Lynn and one of the Duran brothers

had made trips to Texas. (Ibid.) She added that, even

though the Duran brothers had always been poor before

the assassination, they were both driving expensive new

cars. (Ibid.)

The source of the memo'was a witting Central Intelli-

gence Agency asset known by the cryptonym LICOOKIE: I whom

the Committee identified as June Cobb Sharp while receiv

ing (LICOOKIE's) file. According to Elena, Ms. Cobb was

sent to her house shortly after the assassination for a

few days, by a mutual friend, a Costa Rican writer Eunice

odio. (CIA No's 580-583; WX-7241, Entry #427, P. 92, CIA

#719) Ms. Garro asserted that while at her house, Ms.

Cobb expressed interest in the Kennedy assassination.

1.5.0

One

night Elena's sister Deba, who was visiting, got drunk and

told the whole story. (Ibid.) Claiming to be a CIA agent,

Cobb suggested that Elena and Deba go to Texas to tell

their story. (Ibid.) Elena stated that when Cobb's sugges-

tion was rejected, Cobb stated that she would arrange a meet-

---

## Page 11

- 3 -

ing with the CIA Station Chief. (Winston Scott was the

Mexico City Station Chief in 1964). The meeting did not

occur because Ms. Cobb was asked to leave the Garro

house evidently because she kicked Elena's cat. (CIA

No's 580-583; Wx7241, Entry #427, p. 42, CIA #719). A

notation on the memo says that 1/1 (Licookie I) never re-

gained contact) with Elena Garro de Paz. (Wx7241, P. 94,

Entry #430, CIA #721; Blind Memo dated 10/5/64, CIA #576) .

The (LiCookie memo was not inserted in either the

Elena Garro or Lee Harvey Oswald "p" (personality) files

but in a local leftist and Cuban project file. The Com-

mittee learned about the memo from Wx-7241, a chronologi-

cal history of the Oswald

case prepared by Anne Goodpasture

for the CIA in 1976). The memo was found in December,

1965. (See Wx 7241, p. 94, CIA #721). Stanley Watson

found the memo. A marginal notation on Wx7241 says, "Why

was this not sent to Headquarters?" (P. 87, CIA #714) :

The

Committee has been able to determine that the memo was for-

warded to headquarters shortly thereafter.

des

raised:

Biography

i quit fee header

The story was told by Elena Garro de

Paz who was

born of Spanish parents in Puebla, Mexico on December 11,

1917. (All information in this section culled from Bio-

graphy Dta form prepared by Charles Thomas.) Ms. Garro

attended the National Autonomous University of Mexico and

wrote deane itin

Eater an

tend is?

- trenco)

Licite

---

## Page 12

- 4 -

later did graduate work at Berkley in California and at

the University of Paris. In 1963, Elena had long been mar-

ried to Octavio Paz, a career diplomat who is also one of

Mexico's finest poets and leading intellectuals. When

Octavio was named Mexican Ambassador to India, the couple

separated by mutual consent. Elena's daughter, also named

Elena, has always resided with her mother.

Since Elena spent seventeen years of her early life

in Europe she had a rather un-Mexican objectivity about

her native land and had a reputation for being one of its

more articulate detractors. At the same time, Elena was

considered emotionally committed to aghy aspects of Mexican

life and made an important contribution to its artistic

development.

In the 1960's Elena became a significant writer.

Hogar Solido, El Rey Mago, La Señora en su Balcon,

Ventura

Allende,_ Andaise por las Ramas, Parada Empresa, and El Viaje

are plays that have had appreciatve audiences in Europe,

where they were translated into German, as well as in Mexi-

co. Ms. Garro's short stories are collected in a volume

called La Semana de Colores.

The Literacy Supplement of

the London Times has called her novel, Los Recuerdos de

Porvenir, "a spendid success." Critics have said of her:

"For Elena Garro, there is not frontier between reality

and fantasy; in any case, the latter is a second reality-

perhaps more intense--to which one may penetrate without

---

## Page 13

- 5 -

passport or forewarning, thanks to the effectiveness of

a literature fired with passion, flavor and life.

people who knew Elena have asserted that the frontier

Many

between

reality and fantasy is also difficult for her to

distinguish in real life. (Biography Data Form on Elena

Garra de Paz prepared by Charles Thomas.)

Ms. Garro, for many years, was an active worker in

the Confederacion Nacional Campesina (CNC) , the agrarian

arm of the Partido Reformista (PRI). Because Ms. Garro

was a tireless propagandist and agitator on behalf of the

poorer Mexican peasants, she was on close personal terms

with and enjoyed the respect of peasant leaders from all

over the country. (Ibid.)

Elena was considered a witty, urbane and opinionated

woman with an unflagging sense of humor. Her forthright

opinions and sharp wit tended on occasion to ruffle feathers

in Mexico, but her important social, literacy, and political

connections rendered her faily immune from serious counter-

attack until 1968. Then, Ms. Garro was forced to flee the

country with her daughter, Elenita and her sister, Deba

Guerrero de Galvan, in the midst of the student strikes.

The House Select Committee on Assassinations has been unable

to determine the exact reason

Ms. Garro had for fleeing

Mexico.

11100t:

MAAM

---

## Page 14

- 6 .

Before her disappearance from Mexico, Elena was

well disposed toward the United States and had been

friendly

with Embassy officers.

Her broad range of significant

personal friends, the views of many important to the

American Embassy, made her a useful Embassy target.

"useful Embassy target" is a person deemed important enough

because of acquiantances to merit frequent contact, either

witting or unwitting, with American Embassy officials.)

Infarnani Reperis

1 October 12, 1964 CIA Memo for the Record

On october 12, 1964 the Chief of Covert Action Jim

Flannery,

wrote a memo for the record reporting that Elena

Garro de Paz had told her story to Eunice Odio. (The Com-

mittee has not been able to determine if Elena Garro told

Ms.. Odio the story personally or if Ms. Cobb related to

Ms. Odio what Elena had told her) who relayed it to ("Tich-

born" /Tichborn was Henry P. Lopez' cryptonym. Mr. Lopez

was a witting asset who wrote propaganda:pieces for the CIA.)

After careful review of his CIA file, the HSCA has not

been able to establish a link from Mr. Lopez) to either Ms.

odio or Ms. Garro_ I On 10/9/64. L.10/12/64 memo, CIA

#596; Wx7241, p. 87, CIA #714/

The story is not as detailed as the 10/5/64 version.

There is no mention of Deba Garro Guerrero Galvan. The

story, perhaps because it is third hand, differs from the

previous story in two areas: The party was at the Cuban

Embassy, not at Ruben Duran's; Elena

talked to a Cuban

---

## Page 15

- 7-

Embassy official, not one of her cousins about the three

Americans.

attached to the memo was a note froq Flannery fo

the Chief of Station, Winston Scott, which read, "Do you

want me to send the gist of this to Headquarters?".

• Scott

then noted that the memo should be filed.

The file indi-

cations: show that the memo went into the Oswald "p" file

and the Elena Garro: "p" file. (Ibid.)

B. November 24, 1964 CIA Informant Report

On November 24, 1964 a Central Intelligence Agency

unable: to

informant The House select committee been t

determine the informant's identity) reported information

(memo from Winston Scott to the files, re: June Cobb,

11/25/64, CIA Nos:

592-593; Wx 7241, P. 88, Entry #404;

CIA +715) he delamed from "LICHANTI. (While reviewing

LICHANT I'S file the Committee determined that thel

Elena claims that

the day following John F. Kennedy's assassination, Calvillo

escorted her and her daughter to the Vermont Hotel for

protection; see also December 25, 1965 Thomas memo. for

more information on Manuel Calvillo.) The informant as-

serted that June Cobb was an "American Communist" who

rented a room from Elena Garro. (Memo from Winston Scott

to the files, re June Cobb, 11/25/64; CIA Nos. 592-593,

wx 7241, p. 88, Entry.

. #404,CIA No. 715) The informant

also stated that Elena tried to talk to Robert Kennedy when :

---

## Page 16

- 8 -

he was in Mexico because she had met Oswald "and two

friends (Cubans)"at a party at Horacio Duran's house.

(Ibid.) In addition, the informant claimed that Elena

also told her story to an American official, at the Em-

bassy, who claimed to represent the Warren Commission.

(Ibid.) The Chief of Station noted that he had asked

LACHANTT

the informant to pursue the story (Ibid.) but there is

no indication that bICHaNt I ever complied with this re

quest. (HSCA Review of Classified CIA Documents.)

Elisa's

owin

Acets

C November 24, 1964 Elena Meeting with Mexico City Legal

Attache Officers

Elena and her daughter also told their story to

the Mexico City Legal Attache. (The Legal Attache in

1964 was Clark Anderson:) They recounted the same story

Jure Cobb Sharp

previously given to rICoOKEri

The date of the party

was given as September 30, October I or October 2, 1963

(FBI 105-825555 Report, Dec. 11, 1964 entitled Lee Harvey

Oswald, p. 1) The agent who wrote the report ‹

) noted that Lee Harvey Oswald could not have

been identical with the American allegedly observed by

Mrs. Paz at the party if this party were held on the even-

ing of October 1 or October 2, 1963. (FBI 103-825555

Report, Dec. 11, 1964 entitled Lee Harvey Oswald, p. 1)

FBI investigation of President Kennedy's assassination

had established that Lee Harvey Oswald had departed Mexico

---

## Page 17

-.9-

City by bus at 8:30 a.m. on Octber 2, 1963 when Ms.

Paz stated that she

saw Lee Harvey Oswald walking on

Insurgentes. (Ibid. p.3)

Elena was questioned regarding the identity of

ther persons attending the party at the Ruben Duran home

who might have been in a position to observe the three:

Americans. Elena stated that in the course of the party

her daughter met a young man named "Alejandro" at the

party and danced with him. (iã peihsme

ometleeat

Mitt the

The daughter did

not take the calls aná as a result

sbl""'Alejandro" wrote

several letters to the daughter.

Ms. Garro exhibited

two of the letters, as well as a business card which i-

dentified the young man as Ario Alejandro Lavagnini Stenius.

(Ibid. p. 3)

The letter which Ms. Garro said was the first writ-

ten by the young man to her daughter bore the date Septem-

ber 1, 1963 and the Mexico City Post Office postmark Septem-

ber 2, 1963.

When Ms. Garro was told this she commented

that the Communists probably had facilities for falsifying

postcards. (Ibid.)

To investigate Ms. Garro's story further, the

Federal Bureau interviewed Ario Alejandro Lavagnini Stenius

on November 27, 1964. (Ibia. p.4) Lavagnini recalled that

there were approximately thirty people at the Ruban Duran

party, few of whom he knew. He recalled having met a

Mexi-

Coblis

---

## Page 18

—10 -

can girl who had recently returned from living in France.

He was unable to fix the date of the party, but felt it

was probably early in September because of a heavy rain

which occurred as they were leaving the party about 2:00

a.m. (Ibid. p. 4)

Lavagnini noted no Americans present at this party.

physical description

He was familiar with the appearance of lee Harvey Oswald

because of publicity following the assassination of Presi-

dent Kennedy but otherwise had no knowledge of him and

had never seen him except for news photographs following

the assassination. (Ibid. p. 4) Levagnini was the only

person interviewed by the FBI who attended parties at

the Duran house in the September-October time frame.

There is no indication on the document that this

information was given to the Central Intelligence Agency's

Mexico City Station. Arven 8 CIA files citile consoned the cre.

Charles Thomas' First Meeting with Elena Garro Where Lee

Harvey Oswald is Discussed

On 12/10/65 Charles Thomas, a political officer at

the American Embassy, wrote

a memorandum about a conversa-

tion with Elena Garro de Paz. (CIA #586-587, WX-7241 Entry

No. 425, p. 91, CIA No. 718.) The meeting with Elena had

been about other matters but she mentioned knowing Oswald.

Thomas noted that she was reluctant to talk but did. (Ibid.)

Elena's story reported here is the same, but with

more

details,

that given in the Licookie memo dated 1/5/y

---

## Page 19

- 11-

1075704. She said that General Jose Jesus Clark Flores

la friend of Rubin Duran's,, Silvia Duran, Equebio Azcue

(Cuban Consul in Mexico City), Emilio Carballido (a pro-

Communist writer-friend of the Durans), and a Latin Ameri-

can Negro man with red hair (unidentified) were at the

party. A marginal conment by this entry in WX-7241

says, "How did Elena know about a red-haired Negro?"

Elena also told Thomas that she had later learned that

Silvia Duran had been "Oswald's mistress while he was

there." (A note by this entry in WX-7241 says, "How

did Elena Garro know about Silvia being the mistress of

Oswald?? This is 1965.") The Mexico City Station did not

hear about the Oswald-Duran "affair" until July 1967

(ENd SA Asset rings reported it: LAster reviewing

/file at the CIA the House Select Committee on Assassina-

tions has been unable to determine horstrING/a was asso-

who wauld hare

ciated with that had knowledge about Sylvia Duran or Lee

Harvey Oswald./

Elena told Thomas that she and her daughter had gone

to the Cuban Embassy on November 23, 1963 and shouted

"Assassins" and other insults at the Embassy employees.

(CIA #586-587, Wx7241, Entry No. 425, p. 91, CIA No. 718)

That same day a friend, Manuel Calvillo, an official in

the Gobernacion, took her and her daughter to a small hotel

in the center of Mexico City. (Ibid.) They were kept

---

## Page 20

- 12 -

there for eight days under the pretext that they were in

danger. (Ibid.) Elena claimed to have told Calvillo that

she wanted to tell her story to the American Embassy•

(Ibid.) Calvillo dissuaded her by telling her that the

American Embassy was full of Communist spies. (Ibia.)

Elena said that some of the other people who had been at

the party were taken to veracruz where they were "protected"

by Governor Lopez Arias. LIbid; The House Select Committee

Paz' allega-

was unable to determine the

Siee HSCA Investigetion..

tion:/

She said that Ruben Duran, reportedly "protected"

by General Clark Flores, was very prosperous and was

driving a big car. LCIA #586-587, Wx-7241, Entry No. 425,

p. 91, CIA No. 718/ Elena also claimed that Ruben Duran

told her months after the assassination that he was not

really a Communist and that killing Kennedy had been a

mistake. (Ibid; the House Select Committee on Assassina-

tions has not been able to determine whether Ruben actuat filets

SeeMSCA. Investigation

spoke to Elena about the assassination.

"Ruben" Duran claimed

he had no reason to lens the .

Kramedy had been e mistake, sinre"

he had no nurturerent.

Charles Thomas circulated

concerning clines allryst as copy of the chartes ther

distribitatonto

mas memorandum in the American Embassy including the Cen-

tral Intelligence Agency's Mexico City Station to aid

them in their investigation of the John F. Kennedy assassina-

tion. The House Select Committee has determined that the

Central Intelligence Agency received the copy of the thomas

---

## Page 21

- 13 -

his next mectag with Elina Garre.

memorandum prior to December 25, 1965. See below./ - The

cos wrote a note on the memo: which says: "What an imagina-

tion she has!?! Should we send to Headguarters?". The Of-

ficer replied, "Suggest sending. There have been stories

around town about all this, and Thomas is not only person

she has talked to...If memory serves me, didn't LICOOKIE

refer to Oswald and the local leftists and Cubans in one

of (her/squibs?" (CIA No. 588, note from sw to cos.).

The Mexico City Station called the information in

Thomas' 12/10/65 memorandum of conversations to CIA Head-

quarters (Cable from Mexico City to the Director, Mexi 5621,

date out off my copy; CIA Nos. 584-585) The cable reported

that Blena's story would be checked with(LicHAN/s) against

the production from the Cuban surveillance operation "and

other sources." (Ibid.). Winston Scott wrote, next to the

routing indications on the cable, "Please ask Charles Tho-

mas if he'll 'follow up.' Get questions from Anne G. LAnne

Goodpasture/ Please let's discuss. Thanks." (wis)

After the December 10 memorandum of conversations,

clark

Anderson as

Winston Scott (Chief/Station) and Nathan Ferris (Legal

harles.

Attache) called C. Thomas for a meeting. They asked him

account

to get a more detailed replay of Ms. Garro's story.

At

this meeting Winston Scott made it clear that the FBI

had fully responsibility for any further investigation in

the Oswald case. (State Dept: letter from Charles Thomas

---

## Page 22

Information

at tim. of

a (LIRING 3) AlLEGATION:

In 1967 a rigst that dibe swan had

had indirecte relatins with the laing lawald came to

the attentin f the lintel ditelligene Agesgin Werica City

Statin I Waite up Wallac

B. Rouston

meeting with cRisE/s way

26, 1967}, The sou

needly rive a call fine bylie Duan (ELECt

winge fo may 2s, isit, reafuld the glue call and that he had

anted her to renew

LiRINe/3, Way 26, 1907] Dusan tll (SICING/3) that she

Te Handy Orwald at the Chan Corsilite when he

volied fra via and had datel his on seveial scsarfinis.

Cibid omas

with Ovall but insisted that she hid no its f his plans

hualitos, puan bed (Frees) that when this news fo

C. bis)

the assarcinction

became gible trailedge, the metican givesse

sent arrested her

and dising the interrogation best here

stil she almadle that she had had are affair with

Lu Haing Danald Cibi d)

irote

I an onbaeguent

nanduse, dendquarters

Witt that Sylse Duran dad seaved intercourse

with kee

the latter

Mexican

Paul dent ipot the extent of the DueAN or

Oswald relationship

Westeen Hemisphers to chief ef Statur (AMMA- 32243, Ma477,1967, P. J

That the messian gressment dat sot disclose all the informations.

his hire onesis to the cutest tallynce fency raises me of

Two pissibilities i Ette the Wession guessinst dide siste iante to

disclose that ove f their categoris had had interiste relatives with

the assascin f jokin" 7. Hanety, i? Pileri Dusan ias a Nesca

was gusteding

ort te if the Clan Charlite and the her can generan

---

## Page 23

?.

- 18 -

mately two months after the assassination two "Communists"

personally warned her never to reveal that she had been

• to a party with Oswald. (Ibid.) Deba, consequently,

would not accompany Elena to the American Embassy to tell

her story on November 24, 1964. (Ibia.)

Elena said that a few

days after the assassination

Emilio Carballido took the Durans to Jalapa, Varacruz and

....=--

"kept them out of the way until the initial shock of the

assassination wore off." (Ibid.) The House

Select Committee

has

been unable to confirm Ms. Garro's allegation."

tion

Elena also alleged that shortly after the assassina-

an

American named June Cobb spent several days in her

house.

(Ibid.) She said that Ms. Cobb had been sent to

Elena by a mutual friend, Eunice odio.

(Ibid.) Elena

claims that while Ms. Cobb was at her house she expressed

an interest in the Kennedy assassination. (Ibid.) Deba,

visiting Elena one

night, got drunk and told Ms. Cobb the

entire story. (Ibid.)

Ms. Cobb wanted them to go to the

American authorities. (Ibid.) Claiming to be a CIA agent,

Cobb suggested that Elena and Deba go to Texas to tell their

story. (Ibid.)

When her suggestion was rejected, Cobb

said that she would arrange a meeting with the CIA Station

Chief.

The

meeting did not occur because Ms. Cobb was

asked to

leave the Garro house; evidently because

she

Kickoá Elend's sal. (Ibia.) (The louse select committae on

---

## Page 24

- 19 -

Assassinations has determined that

une "Cobb sharp was

à CIA asset in 19641) Isupra p. 31

Elena claimed that Ruben Duran visited her circa

the end of January 1964. (CIA Nos. 580-583; Wx 7241, Entry

#427, p. 92, CIA #719) He was worried that Oswald's visit

to his home might be discovered and that he might lose:

his Mexican citizenship. (Ibid.) Ruben told Elena that

it had been Silvia who had gotten him involved with Oswald.

(Ibid.) Ruben added that he was not really a Communist

and had opposed the assassination. (Ibia.) (Ruben Duran

denied the story. HSCA Interview of Ruben Duran,

P.

• JER DoC. #

)

Elena said that she had told her story to Noe Palomares

of the Gobernacion about six months after the assassina-

tion. (Ibid.) He advised against going to the American

Embassy and told her that if she did anything at all she

should merely write an anonymous letter. (Ibid.) The

Committee, spoke to Mr. Palomares who denied Ms. Garro's

claim. (HSCA interview of Noe Palomares,

JFK DoC.

Elena stated that it was "common knowledge" that

Silvia had been Oswald's mistress. (CIA Nos. 580-583;

Wx7241, Entry #427, p. 92 CIA #719) When asked who could

verify the allegation she could only remember one person

who had told her this. (Ibid.) Elena claimed that person

was Victor Rico Galan, a "pro-Castro journalist." (Ibid.)

/Victor

Rico Galan is dead. The Committee could not verify

---

## Page 25

- 20 -

Ms. Garro's allegation. Sylvia Duran denied the allega-

tion. Nonetheless, LIRING 3 Ma CIA asset) reported the

same story in 1967.7

During these conversations Elena also said that

she "understood" that Oswald had been in Mexico more than

once. (Ibid.)

_The HSCA has been unable to determine the exact date./

Subsequent to December 25, 1965 Thomas wrote in

the December 25, 1965 memo that Elena had found her

calendar and had reconstructed the date of the party as

late September and not early September. LCIA Nos. 580-

583, Wx-7241, Entry #427, P. 42, CIA #7197 When Thomas

went to Ferris' office and informed him, Ferris replied

that Elena had given the late September date when she had

originally reported her story at the American Embassy.

(FBI Report, 9/30/69, PP.3-4, JFK DOC. No. ) However,

Mr. Ferris explained to Thomas

that someone who had been

twist:

at the party had stated that there were no Americans there.

(Ibid.) Mr. Ferris did not tell Mr. Thomas that Ario

in air dief interuci

Alejandro Lavagnini Stenius Ferris had provided this in-

formation in 1964. (Supra p. ) Mr. Ferris suggested

that it was not necessary for thonds to pursue the mättell tons

since he considered the Oswald case closed and had heard

all the rumors before. /FBI Report, 9/30/69, pp. 3-4,

JFK DOC. NO. →

The State Department forwarded (the same day) a copy

of the Charles Thomas memorandum to the Central Intelligence

---

## Page 26

- 21 -

Agency's Mexico City Station to aid in their investiga-

tion of the John F. Kennedy assassination. On the first

page of the memorandum of conversation Winston Scott wrote

"Shouldn't we sent to Headquarters?" Someone responded,

"Of course." LCIA Nos. 580-583; Wx 7241, Entry #427, p. 92,

CIA #710/

Éle flena

December 27, 1965 Legal Attache Memo to the United States

Ambassador re Elena Garro

Nathan Ferris

iste write

On December 27, 1965 the Legal Attache had written

a memo to the Ambassador reporting that Elena and her daugh-

ter were interviewed on 17 and 24 November 1964. L Memo

by the leger Attached

offerin

Mexico Ct

to the Ambassador from the Legal Attache, 12/27/65, CIA

$578; WX-7241, Entry #429, P. 94, CIA #721./ The memo

recited

said that Elena and her daughter furnished information simi-

the infriend reported

lar to that in Thomas' 12/10/65 memo. (Ibid.) The memo

further stated, "Inquiries conducted at that time (Novem-

ber 1964), however, failed to substantiate the allegations

made by Mrs. Garro de Paz and her daughter. In view of

the fact that Mrs. Garro de Paz' allegations have been pre-

viously checked out without substantiation, no further

action is being taken concerning her recent repetition of

those allegations. " (Ibid.)

The Legal Attache forwarded a copy of the memorandum

to the Central Intelligence Agency's Mexico City Station.

(The House Select Committee has determined that the copy

vas forwarded prior to 12/29/78.

See below.) Winston

---

## Page 27

- 22 -

Scott superimposed superimposed a note to Anne Goodpasture

on this memo which read, "Can we send in a report to

Headquarters 'dismissing' our cable?" Goodpasture re-.

sponded, "Done." (Memo to the Ambassador from the Legal

Attache, 12/27/65, CIA #578, WX-7241 Entry #429, p. 94,

CIA #721) The cable Winston Scott

wanted dismissed was

Mexi 5621 (Supra. p. )

on December 29, 1965

A cable written by Anne Goodpasture/reporting the

Legat interview with Elena and the Legat office's failure

to substantiate Elena's story was sent to Headquarters.

(Memo from Mexico City to the Director, 12/29/65, Mexi

5741, CIA #575; WX-7241 Entry #430, p. 94, CIA #721) .

The cable promised to keep Headquarters advised if any

further information were to develop. (Ibid.)

the 1229145

(LICOOKIE'S) 10/5/64 memo is attached to this cable.

WX-7241 explained this in a marginal comment, "This docu-

ment by LICOOKIE fras not in (Oswald's file), but was copied

from (a project file) and attached to Mexi 5741, 29 Dec

65. " (Ibia.)

Stingtel

A note superimposed to this cable by (Allên White

stated, "I don't know what FBI did in November 1964, but

the Garros have been talking about this for a long time

and she is said to be extremely bright." Anne Goodpasture

wrote that the FBI had found Elena's allegations unsubstan-

tiated but that "we will try to confirm or refute Ms. Garro

de Paz's information and follow up." Win Scott wrote,

---

## Page 28

- 23-

"She is also 'nuts.'" (Ibid. CIA #574)

CIA Investigation of Elena's Allegation that She Created

A Disturbance at the Cuban Embassy on November 23, 1963

On February 3, 1966 Anne Goodpasture forwarded

Thomas' December 25, 1965 memo to the Cuban section

with

c.t1

Mexico

Stati.n

ende

an attached note asking them to check whether Elena was.

"seen creating such a disturbance as

lIt is apparent that the

they claimed incontinie

attemptin;

of the Cuban Embassy." (Note from Anne Goodpasture to either fite

or citrudirante

"Cubans," 2/3/66, CIA No. 579; WX-7241, Entry 428, p. 94, sume mipit

CIA #721.)

allegatious.)

One Cuban section officer responded, "No bells ring

with me." Another one wrote "Me neither." The third of-

ficer wrote, "No pictures either." (Ibid.) There is no

indication that the penetration agents in the Cuban Embassy)

were queried about Elena's allegation. Ibid., that there

are no pictures is reasonable since Elena claimed that

the event happened: 1) on a Saturday at 3:00 p.m. when

the Cuban Embassy was not normally photographically sur-

veilled; and 2) the "disturbance" occurred inside the Cuban

compound. HSCA Examination of the CIA Cuban Embassy photo-

graphic surveillance showed no surveillance on 11/23/63.

(Classifled Summary of Staff Review of CIA Documents, un-

dated, p. 3, CIA $763.17

---

## Page 29

- 24

it?

Legal Attache 2/23/66 Memo to the United States Ambassador

Regarding Elena Garro's Allegations

On 2/23/66 the Legal Attache wrote a memo to the

Ambassador reporting that "extensive investigation"

failed to disclose that Oswal'd had traveled to Mexico

prior to September 26, 1963 and that no information had

developed that would show that he had

not been in New Or-

leans in the early part of that month. /Memo from Legat

to Ambassador, 2/23/66, CIA #571; WX-7241 Entry #455, p.'95,

CIA #722/. The memo reitereated that no further action

was being taken by the FBI because Elena's allegations had

not been substantiated. (Ibid.) The Legal Attache fowarded

if this nets

a copy to the Central Intelligence Agency's Mexico City

Station. (The House Select Committee on Assassinations has

been unable to determine when the copy was

forwarded to

the CIA.) A marginal comment made. by Anne Goodpasture next

to this entry in WX-7241 says, "How can it be ascertained

that Oswald did not travel to Mexico prior to early September

1963? There must be some basis for Elena's reporting."

(Ibid; referenced to Thomas' 12/25/65 memo.)

- Charles Thomas 7/13/66 Memorandum of Conversation re-Elena

Garro

• vi

On 7/13/66 Charles Thomas wrote a memorandum of con-

versation reporting that Elena had told him that she had

received an-invitiation to visit Cuba

from Ambassador

Juoquin Hernandez Armas. (Memorandum of Conversation by

---

## Page 30

- 25 -

Charles Thomas, 7/13/66, CIA #565; WX-7241, Entry 460,

p. 96, CIA #723) Elena gave Thomas two letters to sup-

port her claim. (Ibid.) She said the ltters had been

delivered to her home by a driver from the Cuban Embassy.

(Ibid.) The envelope gave her address as Vermont 38.

(Ibid.): Because of her stay at the Hotel Vermont she saw

the letters as a threat and was frightened. (Ibid.) (The

HSCA has determined that the Cuban Government invited

Elena Garro to visit Cuba due to her literary talents;

See Biography .)

Legal Attache Memo to Winston Scott re Elena's Allegation

that She Had Stayed at the Hotel Vermont from the Day After

the Assassination until November 30, 1963

On 10/13/66 the Legal Attache wrote a memo to the

CIA/COS reporting that a reliable confidential informant

had reported that the records of the Hotel Vermont dis-

closed that "Elena Paz, housewife from San Luis Potosi"

had registered at the Hotel Vermont on November 23, 1963.

She left on November 30, 1963. (Memo from

Legat to Winston

Scott, 10/13/66, CIA No. 564; WX-7241, Entry #466, p. 98,

CIA #725; Thomas' 7/13/66 memo.) (The House Select Committee

on Assassinations has been unable to determine why the

Central Intelligence Agency and the Federal Bureau of In-

vestigations waited until 1966 to investigate this aspect

of Elena's story.) The Memo said that "the above individual

may or may not be identifical with Elena Garro de Paz." (Ibia.)

---

## Page 31

Glena

— 26 -

corrobirates

prescare

It

sher no

Charles Thomas' 12/25/65 memo, states, "She (Elena)

and her daughter did not personally register at the hotel.

She thinks Calvillo registered them as relatives or friends

of his from San Luis Postosi." (Memo of Conversation by

Charles Thomas, 12/25/65, P. 3, CIA #582) The entry for

the 10/13/66 Legat memo in WX-7241 bore the notation,

"This is what Elena claimed and no one would believe her."

(Wx-7241, Entry #466, p. 98, CIA #725)

Charles Thomas' September 30, 1969 Letter to State Depart-

ment and Legal Attaches Response

No further reports on Elena's story was generated

until 1969 when Charles Thomas was "selected out." ("Se-

lected out" is a phrase used when an officer is retired

after having been in one

grade for the maximum period of

time and is not considered qualified for promotion to a

At that time

higher grade). Then, he wrote a memorandum to the Secre-

tary of State which included a cover letter stating,

"Since I was the Embassy Officer in Mexico who acquired

this intelligence information, I feel a responsibility

for seeing it through to its final evaluation."

(State.

Department: Letter from Charles Thomas to William Rogers,

Secretary of State, July 25, 1969)

Charles Thomas' memorandum stated that "he got no

reaction

from Nathan Ferris and Winston Scott" regarding

---

## Page 32

- 27 -

his memorandum of December 25, 1965. (State Department:

Letter from Charles Thomas to William Rogers, Secretary

of State, July 25, 1969) In addition, Thomas wrote that

the only person to speak to him about the December 25,

1965 memorandum, Clarence Bonstra (Deputy Chief of Mis-

sion, State Department, Chief of Affirs at the time of

President Kennedy's assassination and subsequent Oswald

investigation) told him that Oswald had not been in Mexico

• on the date given for the party.

(State Department: Letter

from Charles Thomas to William Rogers, Secretary of State,

July 25, 1964) Thomas noted that even when he reiterated

that Elena had not changed her story but rather that she

had now given a more accurate account, Boonstra stated that

the date was wrong and dismissed the entire affair. (Ibia.)

The Mexico City Legatis Office, Nathan Ferris, in

reply to Thomas' letter and memorandum, asserted that

Thomas' office had been advised by memoranda dated Decem-

ber 27, 1965 and February 23, 1966 that since Elena Garro's

allegations had previously been investigated without sub-

stantiation, no

further action was being taken concerning

her recent repetition of those allegations. (FBI Report,

9/30/69, pp. 3-4, JFK Doc. No. ) In their report, the

Legat's Office concluded that either the counselor for Poli-

tical Affairs did not

route the memoranda to Charles Thomas

or thât Thomas did not recall receiving them. (Ibid.)

---

## Page 33

- 28-

Thomas wrote that when he went to Nathan Ferris'

office to inform him that Elena had found her calendar

and had reconstructed

the date of the party as late Sep-

tember, Ferris replied that Elena had given the late Sep-

tember date when she had originally reported her story at

the American Embassy. (State Department: Letter from

Charles

Thomas to William Rogers, Secretary Of State, Julye 25,

1969) - Thomas noted that Ferris explained that someone

wh chad been at the party had stated that there had not

been any Americans. (Ibid.) He wrote that he had assumed

that Elena could have clearly been mistaken about the identi-

ty of the American she saw there, but never doubted that

wrote

she had seen some Americans. (Ibid.) Thomas alleged that

had

Ferris

suggested that it was not necessary for Thomas to

pursue the matter since he considered the Oswald case

closed and had heard all the rumors before. (ibid.)

The Legat Officesreplied that it. ferris had not

told Thomas that someone who was at the party had stated

that there had not been any Americans present.. EBI Report,

9/39/69, P. 4, JFK DoC. No.

, The report asserted that

Thomas had been told that it would not be necessary for

him to pursue the mater. any further since Elena's story

had been investigated previously without being substantiated.

(Ibid.) In addition, the memo stated that Thomas had been

told that Elena's story was

considered a closed issue, not

---

## Page 34

- 29 -

that the Oswald case

was closed. (Ibid.)

House Select Committee on Assassinations' Investigation of

Elena Garro's Allegations

The House Select Committee on Assassinations investi-

gated Elena Garro's story both through file reviews and

personal interviews.

The Committee requested

and reviewed

the CIA's, FBI's and State. Department's files, when

available, on Elena Garro de Paz, Elenita Garro de Paz,

Manuel Calvillo, Noe W. Palomares, June Cobb Sharp.

Victor Rico Galan, Eunice Odio, Sylvia Duran, Lydia

Duran, Ruben Duran, Betty Serratos, Horatio Duran, Eusebio

Azcue, and Emilio Carballido. Only the Elena Garro de

Paz file contained information on her allegations. Though

all the names listed above played a role in Elena Garro

de Paz'

story, not one of their files included a reference

to

Elena Garro de Paz.

Furthermore, the House Select Committee on Assassina-

tions requested and reviewed the Central Intelligence

Agency's LICOOKIE I, LICHANT I, LIRING 3, LIHUFF I and

IICHBORN files. Once again, not one of the files included

a mention of Elena Garro's allegations. The House Select

Connittee on Assassinations Learned that COOKIE I vas)

June Cobb Sharp who) first reported

"Elena's allegation.

(Supra, P. 4) The Committee also learned thal (LICHANT I

---

## Page 35

- 30-

(was) Manuel Calvillo(wo had Elena carro and her daughter

in a hotel the day following the assassination. (Supra,

p. 13) He also told Elena that Sylvia Duran had been ar-

rested before this fact had become public knowledge. (Ibid.)

Since

file review was inconclusive, the Committee

decided

to arrange interviews in Mexico with Sylvia Duran,

Elena Garro, Elenita Garro, Horacio Duran, Ruben Duran,

Lynn Duran, Emilio Carbillido and Betty Serratos. The

Mexican Government informed the House Select Committee on

Assassinations that Elena and Elenita Garro disappeared

in 1968 during the student uprisings and have never re-

turned to Mexico. The officials stated that Elena and

her daughter might be in Spain. (See Mexico City Proce-

dural Write-up Trip 1.) The Mexican government reported

that Emilio Garballido could not be found. (Ibid.) The

others were interviewed between June 1 and June 6, 1978.

(Ibid.)

Betty Serratos, Lydia Duran, Ruben Duran, and Horatio

Duran all stated that Elena was not the dancing type and

therefore did not attend any of the twist parties at the

Duran homes. (See: HSCA Interview of Betty Serratos,

6/6/78, p. 6, JFK Document No.

; HSCA Staff Interview of

Lydia Duran, 6/5/78, p. 6, JFK Document No.

; HSCA

Staff Interview of Ruben Duran Navarro, 6/6/78, p. 16, JFK

Document No.

; HSCA Staff Interview of Horatio Duran

Navarro, 6/5/78, p. 25, JFK Document No.

) . When

---

## Page 36

- 31.-

Sylvia Duran was asked if Elena or Elenita Garro ever

attended twist parties at the Duran homes, she recalled

Elena attending one twist party at Ruben's home in 1963

when the Garros returned to Mexico from France. (HSCA

Staff Interview. of Sylvia Tirado Bazan, 6/6/70, p. 90,

JEK, Document No. ) All the Durans denied that Lee

Harvey Oswald had attended any party at one of their

homes. (String cites.)

The Committee next asked the Central Intelligence

Agency to arrange staff interviews with LICHANT/1 (Manuel l

Calvillo), LICOOKIE/1 (June Cobbl) along with a list of

other assets who may have had information related to Lee

Harvey Oswald's trip to Mexico City. (

The Central

Intelligence Agency declined to aid the Com-

mittee in this aspect of the investigation.

The Committee returned to Mexico City and attempted

to locate June Cobb Sharp and Manuel Calvillo. (See Proce-

dural write-up Trip 2 Mexico City) The results of the Com-

Indent.

mittee's work were as follows 1) -The Mexican government

told the Committee that June Cobb Sharp received a tourist

permit, number 72781, on June 27, 1947 when she entered

Mexico through Nuevo Laredo.

She asked, but was deneid,

permission to represent the magazine, Modern Mexico. On

June 21, 1943, she received a courtesy permit, number 25556.

Furthermore, the Mexican government explained that she dis-

---

## Page 37

INDENT

- 32 -

appeared in 1954 and never returned to Mexicle see pro-

cedural Writeup Trip 2 Mexico City.)

The Committee believes

that there is a possibility that this information is incor-

rect.

(According to Ms. Cobb's CIA file she worked for the

agency as an asset in Mexico from 1961 through 1966. (CIA

Report, 1965, June Cobb file, 201-

Elena also

stated that Ms. Cobb resided at her home in 1964. (Supra

p. :

iT 2) The Mexican government told the Committee

that Manuel Calvillo did not live at Cuohtemoc 877-5 as

informed thems

the Committee had stated.

Their agent-in-charge had spoken

at winich Manuel Caluillo

to the superintendant at the apartments to the east the apartments

was belicued to reside.

the supertit sisters

twenty five years who said that no Manuel Calvillo had

ever resided there. When Committee

staffers gave the Mexi-

can government Calvillo's pen name, the Mexicans gave the

same answers.

(See Procedural Write Mexico City Trip 2.)

The Committee

is-quite

certain that Mr. Calvillo lived at

at least until 6,76

this address since it acquired the address from a recent

CIA document. (CIA Report, 1976, Manuel Calvillo file,

201-

)

The Committee believes that there is a possibility

that the Mexican government received orders from the Cen-

tral Intelligence Agency to refrain from aiding the Committee

with this aspect of its work. (See Procedural Write-up

Trip 2 Mexico City.)

---