## Page 1

180-10113-10119

2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992

JFK Assassination System

Identification Form

Agency Information

AGENCY:

HSCA

RECORD NUMBER :

180-10113-10119

RECORD SERIES:

NUMBERED FILES

AGENCY FILE NUMBER : 003362

Document Information

ORIGINATOR: HSCA

FROM:

TO :

TITLE :

ORR, PATRICIA

DATE: 08/05/1977

PAGES:

7

SUBJECTS :

CIA

MEXICO CITY

HUNT, E. HOWARD

DOCUMENT TYPE: MEMORANDUM

CLASSIFICATION: Unclassified

RESTRICTIONS: 1A; 1B

CURRENT STATUS: Redact

DATE OF LAST REVIEW: 01/01/2003

OPENING CRITERIA :

COMMENTS: CIA 77-4. Box 77.

v9.1

50955

DocId: 32264993

Page

---

## Page 2

:..

SENSITIVE

MEMORANDUM

8/5/77

TO: JH, KK

FROM:

PMO

RE: CIA Station

in Mexico City

003362

Attached find a list of individuals known to have been

connected with the CIA station in Mexico City during

Lee Harvey Oswald's

visit.

This information has been gleaned mainly from the

executive session testimony of David Phillips, ex-CIA

agent who had been in charge of Cuban Affairs for the

CIA in Mexico City. Other information comes from staff

interviews with a witness, Boris Tarasoff, formerly

with the intercept unit of the CIA station.

It has been suggested that E. Howard Hunt may have been

involved in CIA activities in Mexico City and specifically

with the visit of Lee Harvey Oswald. Many critics

cite the fact that the CIA Station Chief has never been

identified publicly:as a basis for speculation that Hunt

possibly held that position.

This, however, would,

conflict with information from Phillips that the Station

Chief was named Winston Scott, now deceased.

This does not preclude the possibility that Hunt held

H7 50955 DocId: 32264993

Page 2

---

## Page 3

MEMO

8/5/77

pg. 2

SENSITIVE

another position at the station, but Tarasoff

was

shown photographs of E. Howard Hunt which he could

not identify.nor did he recognize the name. from CIA-Mexico City.

I will also be forwarding an organizational chart of

the CIA station as best I can make it out with the

information known presently.

50955

DocId: 32264993

Page 3

---

## Page 4

-1-

MEXICO CITY -- CIA

SENSITIVE

A review of notes taken from interviews with David

Phillips indicates that there are a several areas

which our witness may be questioned about.

Organization & Personnel

Personnel in Mexico City Station:

David Phillips:

In 1963 Phillips

was in charge of Cuban affairs

for the CIA in Mexico City.

As such, he was

responsible for the monitoring of the Cuban

Embassy.

He was in Mexico City from September 1961

to early 1965, succeeding Tom Hazlett.

He originally comes from Ft. Worth and joined the

CIA in 1950.

He recalls the Oswald tape as an intercept between

the Soviet and Cuban embassies. Herbert Manel, head

of Russian affairs at Mexico City Station would

have been primarily responsible for information

derived from this intercept.

Phillips was never in the intercept unit, which

was staffed mainly by Mexican nationals.

His

immediate

superior was Warren Dean, but he

answered to Winston Scott.

Winston Scott:

Station Chief for the Mexico City CIA Station in 1963.

Supervisor for Phillips in practice, although the

deputy Chief of Station would normally have been

the person to whom Phillips was to report.

Scott was known for his almost photographic memory

and a strong personality. He did not like to delegate

authority.

Scott was

the person who made final determination

as to whether information coming in over an

intercept was to be forwarded to Washington or not.

Scott is now deceased.

He died of a heart attack

around 1972. His name was not previously known publicly.

Warren Dean:

Deputy Station Chief under Scott in Mexico City.

Phillips was not sure whether it was Dean or Allen

White who held this office at the time of Oswald's

visit, but he feels fairly positive that it was

Dean.

NH 60955 D001d: 32264993 Page 4

---

## Page 5

-2-

SENSITIVE

MEXICO CITY -- CIA

Dean

(cont' d) :

Phillips reported to Scott even though Dean was

next man up the hierarchy.

Phillips believes he is retired and lives in the

Washington area.

Allen White:

Succeeded Dean as Deputy Stattion Chief; Phillips

worked under him for

a time.

Phillips believes he is retired and resides in

the Washington area.

Joe Picolo:

CIA officer under Phillips.

Robert Shaw:

CIA officer under Philips.

Eventually Shaw and Phillips had the "whole assignment"

in Mexico City•

Two CIA operatives working inside the Cuban Embassy

reported to Shaw.

One worked for the administrative

area; one worked

in the diplomatic area.

Phillips believed Shaw is living in the Washington

area and is still with the CIA.

George Monroe:

Phillips named him as the senior man in charge

of the interception of telephone conversations

of the Cuban Embassy's offices.

He would have been responsible for "dozen" or so

involved

• in the intercept unit outside CIA head-

quarters.

Monroe came to the CIA from the FBI and had been with

the CIA for 3 or 4 years at the time of the swald

visit.

Phillips believes Monroe is still in Mexico today.

Ann Goodpasture:

Phillips mentions her as the person responsible

for transporting the tapes from the intercept

unit to CIA offices and back again.

It:is unclear whether she brought back tapes or

transcripts of the conversations from the Russian

Embassy:

It appears that she brought back transcripts

NH 60955 Do0Id:32264993 Page 5

---

## Page 6

-3-

MEXICO CITY -- CIA

SENSITIVE

Goodpasture (cont'd) :

in Spanish, ie. translations were done at the intercept

unit when

the language was Spanish.

The tapes

that were in Russian were brought back to CIA head-

quarters in all likelihood. (From Phillips' testimony,

it appears that the Russian translator for the CIA

was based in the Embassy where CIA headquarters were.)

Goodpasture transported the tapes and transcripts in

suitcases. She was notified if tapejwas.interesting.or not.

Phillips believes that Goodpasture is retired and

residing in Dallas, Texas.

Raymond Swider:

Also assigned to Phillips, replacing Joe Picolo.

Phillips believed Swider presently works in the

Washington headquarters of the CIA.

George Misco: (phonetic)

Although Phillips was somewhat shakey about facts

with respect to Misco, he was able to tell us that

Misco was the Russian

translator for the CIA. and

that his office was

most likely in CIA headguarters

rather than the Soviet intercept unit outside.

Phillips claims that Misco was not in Mexico City

at the time of Oswald's visit.

Herbert Manel:

CIA officer in charge of the assignment for Russian

affairs, and as such was Phillips' counterpart at

CIA station.

Manel worked with his wife, Babara, on this assignment.

Manel and his wife later worked with Phillips when

they

were all assigned to Caracas, Venezuela.

Phillips maintained that it would have been Manel's.

responsibility to decide where the inforation

contained in the Oswald intercept was to go and whether:

the intercept should be kept for any reason.

Win

Scott, though, would have ultimate responsibility.

Phillips did no know of the Manel's whereabouts

today.

Clark Anderson:

Local FBI agent in Mexico City, who would routinely

receive petinent information from the CIA.

His title was Legal Attache at the American Embassy.

He is identified in the Church report only as "Legat"

Since he was the highest ranking BI Official in Mexico,

MH 50955 DocId: 322645b9. Eage investigation there was under his direction.

---

## Page 7

-4-

SENSITIVE

MEXICO CITY - CIA

Anderson

(cont' d) :

Anderson worked with Phillips in the Dominican

Republic in 1965.

He is presently retired and residing in San Antonio,

Texas.

Desmond Fitzgerald:

Chief of CIA operations in Washington CIA headquarters,

who originally recommended Phillips to the Mexico City

job.

(Fitzgerald is mentioned in the Church report as

one of the CIA agents involved with plots against

Catro's life.

The Church report names him as "the

senior CIA officer charged with responsibility for

Cuban affairs."

He had a meeting with AMLASH on

October 29, 1963 for. a policy discussion, informing

AMLASH that the U.s. was prepared to provide support

for a Cuban uprising only after a real coup had..

been effected.)

Fitzgerald is now deceased.

Barabara Manel:

Wife of Herbert Manel; worked with him at Soviet

Affairs desk, assisting him in the work. She would

prepare the reports

to headquarters, etc. and he

would sign them.

She had previously resigned from another staff

employee position at the CIA, but was hired again

on apart-time basis

for her knowledge or Russian

and her experience in Soviet matters.

Benjamin Pepper:

Worked under Herbert Manel.

Concerned with other matters related to Soviet

affairs,

such

as Eastern European affairs.

50955

DooId:32264993 Page 7

---

## Page 8

- 5-

SENSTIVE

MEXICO CITY

—= CIA

Personnel:

From other sources, namely, through information garnered

by our own investigation, we are also aware of others

involved with CIA Mexico City Station. in 1963.

Mr. and Mrs. Boris Tarasoff:

As one of the CIA's husband-and-wife teams, the

conversations in the Russian language going in

and out of the Soviet Embassy by telephone.

They were experts in voice identification using such

aids as newspaper clippings and other miscellaneous

informations about different individuals to help

determine geographic origins, etc. about persons

whose conversations were being tapped.

The Tarasoffs were directly involed in the translation

and transcription of the Oswald conversation,

although

the specifics have become dim in Mr. Tarasoff's

memory

Tarasoff succeeded George Misko.

Tarasoff was never questioned by any investigative

agency about the Oswald conversations.

Boris Tarasoff thought the conversation was most

likely between Kanstaninov and Oswald and did not

involve Kostikov or Yatskov. Tarasoff knew no one

by the name of Kostin.

Tarasoff presently resides in Guadalajara, Mexico.

William Bright:

Identified by Tarasoff as CIA "contact" between

the station and the translators.

It is not clear

whether Tarasoff was in the station or in a separate

intercepting unit, but it appears that he was

probably outside the station.

Bright seemed especially interested when the second

call between Oswald and

the Soviet Embassy was

intercepted and Oswald identified.

Robert Zambernardi:

Identified by Tarasoff as the photographic expert

at the Mexico City station at. least from September

1963 to November 1963.

Charles Flick:

H# 50955 DocId: 32264993 Page 8

---

## Page 9

50

55

DooId: 32264993

Page

ORR 8/5/77

MEXICO CITY

-- CIA

ORGANIZATION

The CIA Station was housed at the U.S. Embassy. We have beer

able to identify several CIA positions from various

descriptions.

ing exetea have been

chart for September-October 1963.

MEXICO

WASHINGTON.

CHIEF OF OPERATIONS

SPECIAL 'AFFAIRS"

(Desmond

Fitzgerald)

STATION CHIEF

(Winston Scott)

Overall responsibility

for CIA activities in

Mexico.

AMERICAN EMBASSY

- AMBASSADOR

- LEGAL ATTACHE

(Clark Anderson) FBI

"Legat"

DEPUTY

STATION CHIEF

larren Dear

ater Allen White

Joe: Picolo - assisted

Phillips; replaced

by Ray Swider

Robert Shaw

-' oversaw

Cuban operatives

CUBAN EMBASSY

2 CIA operatives: on'e

in the diplomatic

section,

one in

the

administrative

section.

CUBAN AFFAIRS

(David Phillips)

REPORTS OFFICER

ASSISTANT

CONTACT

Ann Goodpasture.

Robert: Zambernardi

(photo expert)

INTERCEPT UNIT

(George Monroe)

RUSSIAN AFFAIRS

(Herbert Manel i

Barabara Manel - Soviet

affairs; assists H.

Manel

Benjamin

Pepper

- Eastern

European affairs

*CONTACT

Bill Bright

Boris Tarasoff

Irs. Tarasoff

George Misko (before 10/63)

(Russian translations, transcriptions)

---