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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10 Feb 77

Source:

Subject:

Notes made by A. Goodpasture

for John Leader,

IG Staff

Background on Mexico Station Support Assets

(Coverage of Soviet and Cuban Embassies)

1. Unilateral coverage.

From the time the Mexico Station was opened in

April 1947 (by Bill Doyle) until arrival of Win Scott as COS in 1955, Charles

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

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

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

team and a mail intercept operation.

a. Phone taps were placed by an employee of the telephone company

Matarash we Makka,

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

tapped was limited"by availability of a listening post nearby

(since the taps were not made in the main central) and English/

Spanish (Soviet, Polish, Czech, ete) transcribers. Generally

these agents (mostly Mexican or Mexican American) were related

which the station at that time felt was good security in that

if they talked about shop, they would talk to each other.)

b.

Three photo sites were handled by Anderson with the help

of Harry Mahoney (retired, living in Chicago) and TDY ISD

people checking the best type of camera, film, and concealment

devices.

These had sub-cripts under LIFEAT (LIMITED, LILYRIC,

and LICALLA). LIMITED was a fixed site bang opposite across

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

both a vehicle and foot entrance. The Soviet gate was on the

NorthWest corner of their compound and LIMITED was diagonally

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that block. LIMITED was the first base ard it operated strictly on an

ex erimental basis in the early stages. I think the Mexi Station bought

one storey

this property (a/Spanish Colonial stone house) through LIMOUSINE (check to

be sure). Later this house began to fall apart. This base was closed when

the Station got word that the photo of "uniden man" was being released to the

public by the Warren Commission. The photo operators were moved to another apt

nearby. The property was sold (under an operational agreement with LIMOUSINE

for a long term lease on the top floor of a new apartment blding to be built

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

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

as LIMITED but in the middle of the block south. It had a slanted view of

the front gate of the Soviet Erbassy. The agents in LIMITED and LILYRIC (both

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

LILYRIC was a rented apartment. LICALIA, the third photo site, was located

in one of a row of four houses on the South side of the Soviet Embassy compound

which the Mexico Station purchased in about 1958 (check date), also using

LIMOUSIND as the purchaser (check). This site overlooked the back garden of

the Soviet Embassy compound. The purpose of this operation was to get good

identification photographs of the Soviet

personnel (who at that time were largely

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

Ramon Alvarez (Mexican citizen of U.S. mother who taught elementary level at

the American School). Ramon collected the film cheat satin from LIMITED

and LILYRIC three times

a week. liis sister's husband, Carlos (Mexican doctor)

developed and printed the film into 8x10 contact print strips. The master plan

trit

was for LICALLA film to ie processed inside, ISD man from 1957 to 1959 (Harper

Holt - resigned) could not handle the volune and as the unprocessed film began

to accumulate, the inside CO (Mahoney) became disgusted and took the film out

for Ramon's brother-in-law to process (probably early 1959). Thus Ramon became

the handler for all three photo bases. A sensitive staff D monitoring operation

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

LIMUST/1, etc).

This was handled by Glen WIDDEN (outside ISD officer) and

Mahoney using HQ TDY teams for monitoring. This operation was also separate

frOm LICALIA. The

two houses in between were rented to unsuspecting

tenants.

c.

Mobile surveillance was developed by Anderson and later placed

under lahoney

and Joseph Sancho. This team consisted of a half

dozen

or so agents who used three to four late model cars and a

panel truck (which could be used on stake outs for photo covera e).

The plan was to activate this group by radio (from LIMITED BASE)

Soviet

when someone of interest left the/Enbassy gate and stay with them

until they made their neetings. These agents knew about the LIMITED

BASE because they had LINITED photos for identification purposes.

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

when one of the surveillance agents got too close to his target and

was arrested by the Mexican transit police and turned over to the

Mexican Secret Service. By the time the Station could arrange through

a cleared attorney to bail him out (Juäd Austin of the Goodrich,

Little and Riquelme firm), the agent had identified Sancho (who was

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

phone nunber of Mahoney (who was subsequently replaced by Louis

Puckett). As a result of this flap, the LIfFAT project was broken

up into several others. The agents were not changed but were given

Frank

new crypts. /Estancona and Peggy Maggard replaced Anderson in handling

the unilateral phone taps. Fuckett replaced Mahoney and handled the

surveillance team (LIENTRAF) and the photo bases through Ramon.

d. LIBIGHT was the crypt used for a unilateral (originally) mail

intercept hardled by Charlie Anderson III, The agent (Mexican) had

a semi official status and arranged to obtain selected letters from

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a sub-agent in the postal system (I think at the airport). His case officers

Alfonso Spera,

were later/Puckett, Robert Feldmann, and Alan White.

2. LIaison coverage was unreliable and insecure as characterized by the nature

of the Mexican services at that time. The Mexican DFS (Direction of Federal

Security) with which we dealt was a hip pocket group run out of the Ministry?

Of Government. This Ministry spent a major part of its time on control of

foreigners and political investigations. Their agents were

vicious, venal,

corrupt extortionists. Robert Melberg established contact with one of them jorge

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

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

the airport as well as file searches of names from DFS Hatrs where the files

were poorly organized and often inaccurate. Now and then, however, some useful

information vas developed but it could not be depended upon. Melberg was

replaced by Phil Roettinger (resigned and remained in Mexico), Mahoney, Thomas

Hazlitt, and Robert Feldmann One Aftu Mie ocher)

During 1958, Win Scott net socially some of the chronies of the

Mexican President elect; Adolfo Lopez Mateos. 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 communism". One of these seeds

grew

into a proposal Miguel Aleman (jr. son of former Mexi President), acting

for Lopez Mateos, made to Win Scott for a joint telephone tap operation. This

project (LIENVOY) went through about four distressing years of a shakedown.

The Mexican in control (LIELEGANT) was inexperienced, old, and greedy. His

son (LIENVOY-2) was a masterpiece of deceit and corruption. LIELEGANT also

manipulated control over the principal agent of LIBIGHT 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 telephone lines would connect

as well as a transcription room

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staffed by Mexican army officers.) Initially the station tried to met every

demand made by the Mexicans.

Both Smith and John had language difficulties and

personal problems associated with being outside the station so that the Mexicans

were virtually uncontrollable, spending money as they pleased, squirrelling away

equipment at enormous costs, and neglecting their part of the bargain in the

production of transcripts or placing taps which we wanted. Spera was replaced

by Jack Brady who found himself in the same pincer movement of having Scott

approve a request by LIFLEGANT that Brady had turned down by the son, LIENVOY-2.

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

the project was revamped. Smith and John returned to the U.S. and were replaced

by a ISD officer, Charles Flick, who was put inside the listening post to maintain

Brady was reassigned to other duties pending a transfer.

the equipment./ Scott took over the project as case officer meeting with LIELEGANT.

He designated Ann Goodpasture to meet dailing with Flick for routine supervision

of the listening

post, picking up transcripts and tapes. Goodpasture had no

dealingswith the Mexicans except when Scott was ill of cut of town. Generally,

all decisions were made by Scott. This was about late 1961.

3. My memory is a little vague about the origins of the Cuban Embassy but I

think the staff first developed from 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 61 with. Iom Hazlitt producing voluminous reports on

their

activities

and recruitirg agents

right and left anong Cuban nationals in

Mexico City.

4. Personnel

assignments.

Of interest to us now is who was in Mexico during

the period prior to Oswald's visit and the subsequent investigation by the

Warren Conmission. To deternine who was there and what they were doing I

have grouped persons torether chronologically with areas of their assignment

as the

covering from 1950 to 1969 so that israther names pop up, one can tell what

Withat

period they were in Mexico

their assignments at the time.

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'?!:

8/56-6/69 COS

DCOS

Winston 11. Scott (deceased)

7/56-7/58

Alfonso Rodriguez (retired)

10/58 - 12/62 Warren Dean (retired)

6/63-9/65

Alan White (retired)-

10/65 - 1969 Stanley Watson (retired in Mexico)

COVERT ACTION

Prior to 1954

12/54-7/58

12,56 - 9/61

Howard Hunt (retired)

williard hall (resigned)

Stannard Short (retired)

Chief

9/61

- 3/64

David Phillips C/ (retired) ~

8/62-9/64

Gunnar Beckman Asst

2/64 - 6/65

James Flannery C/ (retired) -

9/64 - 11/66

Harold Dalghren Asst

10/65 - 1967 Stanley Watson C/ (retired)

68

Don Heath

68 - 71

Joseph SmithC (retired in Mexico)

CUBA OPERATIONS

56 - 4/62

Thomas Hazlitt Chief

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

4/63 - 4/65 Bob Shaw Chief -

9/63 - 7/65 Ray Swider -

10/63 - 5/65 Lorna Packay (retired) m

8/63 - 6/65

Davia Phillips Chief (ratiad) -

9/65 - 10/68 Joseph Piccolo

10,55 - 12/67 Peggy Maggard

-111----1

SOVIET TARGET

0/57 - 10/59 Louise Lyon (atarse)

9/59- 8/65 Herbert Manell Chief-

9/59 - 8/65 Barbara Manell -

5/64 - 7/66 Willian Bright

4/65 - 11/67 Cynthia Hausmann

6/65 - 7/67 Alice Pittinger

1/65-4/69 Paul Dillon Chief

SOVIET TRANSCRIDIRS

6/56 - 8/55 Morris Gordon (resigned)

6/58 - 6/63 George Misko -

6/63 - 70

Boris Tarasoff (retired in Mexico) -

6/62 - 1/67 Prentice Marheine (ps)

(retired ?)

Outside CO

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ISTORET

SUPPORT ASSETS

Unilateral phono taps

1949

- 1961

Charles Anderson III Chief

5/55 - 4/60

Peggy Maggard Asst

4/50 - 1,62

Frank Estancona Chief

2/60 - 10/64 Thomas Keenan

9/64 - 12/67 Michael

Farmer

49-71 : Outside CO

David WILSTED (ps)

retired in Mexico

Unilateral photo

Cubans

6/39 - 4/04 Robert Zambernardi (reszoned koxico)

7/59-6/82

Richard Spathar TSD (retired)

Unilateral photo Soviets

3154-4/59

Harry 'I. Mahoney

5/57-8/64

(retired Chicago)

A. Goodpasture (alternate CD -

and internal routing)

6/58-6/63

Louis D. Puckett (retired)

6/63 - 10/5.4 Thomas Keenan Robert M.

• Feldmann

65 -

Willian Bright

5463-

6/68

Chirama

50 - 68 Outside Agent

Ramon Alvarez (resigned in Mexico)

Liaison phone taps

1959 - 1969

Winston Scott (deceased)

1959 - 1960 Alfonso Spera (retired)

1959 - 1960 Turner Smith (outside, now retirca)

1959 - 1960

John

(Training rept resigned)

1960- 1961

John Brady (retired)

1962 - 1968

A. Goodpasture

1961 - 1971 Charles Flick (outside TSD Staff Agent - retired)-

Liaison - purveillance

Prior 1954 Robert Kelberg (retired)

3/54 - 4/58 Harry lehoney (retired)

4/59 - 1961 Thomas Hazlitt

12/62 - 9/67 Robert Feldnann

TSD Outside init

4/55 - 12/63 Glen Widden (retired) -

5459-4/544

Joseph i. Resigno (ps) Unit blown and closed

djun

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About nid 1962 (check date) LÍmoy outside Mexi rept asked

for the telephone numbers of the Soviet, Cuban, and Satellite Embassies.

With this forewarning, LIFEAT (unilateral coverage) was disconnected. However,

as I recall, the Mexicans connected 5 Cuban lines, 5 Soviet lines, 3 Czech,

2 Polish, and 1 Yugoslav line. The basehouse listening post had a live

monitor who made short

sunnaries of interesting conversations for a daily

resume which was received each day around 8 a.m. (passed by Flick to Goodpasture

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

full transcripts were typed and passed to the station in the same way, however,

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

Russian

or another language besides Spanish or English vent out of the listening

post the day

after the transcript (of other conversations on the reel)was

typed. These reels were taken to another location where they were translated

and typed. In the case of the Russian translations, Boris Tarasoff usually ran

about a week behind the date of the conversation because of the volume of

Russian conversations among the embers of the Soviet Embassy. 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 or they may

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

it to Herbert Manell to take to Boris. Herbert Manall and his wife Barbara

handled all of the processig of Soviet transcripts. My job involved screening

the photographs as soon as we learned that the man calling himself Oswald was

probably an Anerican.

However, here again there was a backlag because the

photos were ricked up three times a week but the ones picked up were usually

for dates

a few

days previously because the doctor processed the film on a

night time basis.

Photographs were made usually until one roll was used but

later we got it changed to one day coverage on each roll - in other words the

tir

operators:

cleared the canera each day whether there was any fikmaxys a full

roll of film exposed. Instructions vere to cover office hours, photograph each

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new Soviet and family, all foreigners and foreign lisense plates. Human

error did occur but generally the agents were conscientious.

The Cuban

embassy coverage had more

sophisticated equipment (a pulse canera) but it

frequently developed rechanical difficulties. Bob Zambarnardi and Spathar

(I think) handled this film - pick up and delivery. Lorna lackay screened

the

film

inside the

station.

I am certain that the Oswald call came to our attention from the

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

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

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

transcripts every made in languages other than Spanish or English because Win

Scott could read only those two languages and he personally screened the

transcripts for operational leads he wanted pursued.

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