Agency: FBI
Originator: CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
From: CIA
To: HQ
Document date: 07/17/1961
Document type: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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Released under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 (44 USC 2107 Note).

DATE: 11-14-2017

JFK Assassination System

Date:

4/17/201

Identification Form

Agency Information

AGENCY:

FBI

RECORD NUMBER: 124-90138-10036

RECORD SERIES: HQ

AGENCY FILE NUMBER: CR 62-106214-441

Document Information

ORIGINATOR: CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY

FROM: CIA

TO: HQ

TITLE:

DATE: 07/17/1961

PAGES:

4

SUBJECTS :

BERNON FERGUSON MITCHELL

CIA LIAISON MATERIAL

DOCUMENT TYPE: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

CLASSIFICATION : Secret

RESTRICTIONS: 1B; 1C

CURRENT STATUS : Redact

DATE OF LAST REVIEW : 09/28/1998

OPENING CRITERIA: INDEFINITE

COMMENTS :

MEMO

v9.1

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Released under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 741 USC 2107

Ho

DATE: 11-14-2017

SEGRET

CENTRAL INPELLIGENCE

NCE AGENCY

WASHINGTON 25, D.C.

FROM

RECEIVED

17 July 1961

JUL 2 0 1961

MEMORANDUM FOR:

Federal Bureau of Investigation

158 mo

Nestlade

letter

ther

ce

12-20";

F'BE infeclassified

Osclassify

211326

SUBJECT:

Bernon Ferguson MITCHELL,

William Hamilton MARTINDiA HAS NO OBJECTION, T

Espionage - R.

DECLASSIRCATION AND

RELEASE OF CIA

HUN

IN THIS DOCUMENT RP 5-12-98

1. Reference is made to the following communications, which

contain information pertinent to the new information reported in suc-

ceding paragraphs:

a. Memorandum of 14 June 1961 from this Agency addressed

to the National Security Agency, a copy of which was forwarded to your

Bureau, captioned as above.

b. Bureau letter of 22 June 1961, addressed to the Director,

National security Agency,

with copy to this. Agency, captioned: "Bernon

Ferguson MITCHELL,

William Hamilton MARTIN; MISCELLANEOUS -

INFORMATION CONCERNING".

Casasus

c. Department of Immigration Name Check Request Form,

File A-z, dated 28 June 1961 addressed to your Bureau with copy to

his Agency, in the name of fusto SIERRA, born 12 July 1914, Mexico,

D. F•2 who entered the United States at New Orleans, Louisiana n

13"June 1961 with destination address of Mexican Embassy: (5)

Washington,

D.C. (Not sent information addressee)

d

Various earlier Department of Immigration Name Check

Requests on Justo SIERRA covering his previous trips to this country.

(Not to. NSA)

e.

Our memorandum of 29 December 1960, addressed to

your Bureau, our reference CSCI-2/769, 270 with enclosure, Subject:

SIERRA, Justo; Visa - Mexican," and earlier communications forward

ing name trace results on this individual. (Not to NSA) 2 -06

5214-441

EX. - 137

REC- 53

E AUG 8 1961

FBI INFO

let to CHAT.

8-3-bl

Laws path

SEGRET

NOTORN CONTINUED CONTROL

DECLASSIFY CN: 25X

(JFK)

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f. Teletyped Information Report from this Agency, dated

9. April 1959, Report No. TDCS-3/639, 947, Subject: "Contacts Between

Fidel CASTRO Ruz and Lazaro CARDENAS"'.

g. Intelligence Report of this Agency dated 7 September 1956,

Report No. CS-102629, Subject: "Marxist Indoctrination of the Partido

Popular"'.

h. Bureau Report dated 17 June 1954, prepared at Washington,

D. C. by Special Agent Boyd D. Adsit, captioned:

"Soviet Cultivation of

Latin American Diplomats - Internal Security - Rant Bureau letter of U

21 August 1954, addressed to this Agency, forwarding as Enclosure

Washington Field Office Report of 16 August 1954, prepared by Special

Agent William C. Cregar on the same subject, Bureau File Reference: (8)U)

4)S 405-22386 [INot to NSA(95 -(U

aba NicolastDansascou

2. Since the writing of our memorandum of 14 June 1961, (cf. ;

insteal,a

para l:a. above), the following supplementary information has been

or mer

developed concerning Nicolas reorges

Metico

who is a contact and client of Justo SIERRA

communications referenced in paragraphs 1. c. through h. above:

mentioned in the Seva

a. Nicolas Georges DAMASCUS reportedly is officially

Listed in egypt under the name of Nicolas George

DAMASCON

born

10 March.

1931 at Alexandria, the son of George

DAMASCOU and

Angelika

57 Heliopolis Street in Alexandria. Representatives of this Agency in

Alexandria advise that local available records indicate that as of May

1959, Nicolas DAMASCOU resided at 6 Birtley Place, Elizabeth' Bay,

Sydney, Australia, and that he listed his occupation as that of "Clerk."

Our field records indicate that as of May 1959, the United States Con-.

Sulate in Sydney had some interest in him, and it is suggested that the

indices of the Department of State may contain further information con-

cerning this individual.

b. Anastasie (or Anastasia) Georg

DAMAS CUS aka

DAMASCOU, Sistet of Nicolas DAMASCUS: above, was born March 1933.

place of birth not indicated but presumably Egypt, was identified by our

representatives in Alexandria as having filed application for a United U.J,9

States Visa at London, England in July 1956, listing her occupation as

SELE

that of "entertainer." It is suggested that the Visa Files of the Depart-Metree

ment of State may contain additional information on this individual.

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c. Further inquiries in Mexico by our officials there revealed

that Nicolas DAMASCUS had been ordered to leave Mexico in October

1960 solely because of the expiration of his tourist card, which had been

once extended. Mexican Records fail to show that he returned to Mexico,

following his entry into the United States at Brownsville, Texas, from

Matamoros, Tamaulipas on 24 October 1960g

Upon arrival in Mexico on

22 June 1960, he indicated that the purpose of his visit was to attend the

wedding of his sister,

Anastasie, identified in preceding paragraph,

however, as of 21 June 1961, there was no record of Anastasie

DAMASCUS aka DAMASCOU in official Mexican Files, and there was

as yet no identification of the individual she was alleged to have been

scheduled to marry. From the same source it was learned that for the

period 22 June through 6 September 1960, the only address listed in.

official indices for Nicolas DAMASCUS is c/o Justo SIERRA, Reforma

95-407, Mexico City, which is the law office maintained by Justo SIERRA(S)

Casasus, former Counselor of the Mexican Embassy in Washington, D. C. (S

and who is further identified in the documents cited in paragraph 1. c.

through h. above. DAMASCUS reportedly used SIERRA to attempt to (5)

obtain an extension of his tourist permit, although the details of his con-

tacts with and knowledge of SIERRA himself are not known at this timeS

Veither has it been possible as of this date to verify the reported con-

tact between Nicolas DAMASCUS and Subjects at the Hotel New Yorker,

as reported by Mr. Thomas DONLON. Investigation efforts abroad by

this Agency are continuing, however, and any further information

developed will be forwarded as soon as available.

3. In light of the escape route used by the two NSA defectors,

transitting Mexico and presumably Cuba enroute to the USSR, your

particular attention is invited to the information concerning the contacts

and views of Justo SIERRA Casasus furnished in the reports cited in(3Rasvia

paragraph 1. e., f.

and g. above.

It is noted Justo SIERRA Casasus 1S

is identical with the Senor Don Justo SIERRA, First Secretary at the

embassy of Mexico, mentioned in Bureau Reports-cited in paragraph h.(S

above as a contact of Boris A

KAZANTSEV, First Secretary of the

Soviet Embassy in Washington from 1952-54. It is further noted that

Boris KAZANTSEY, alter returning to Moscow in 1954 and assuming Authfis

"the post of First Secretary in the Latin American Division of the USSR

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was next assigned from 1955 to 1957 as

R.G. B

First Secretary and subsequently Counselor of the Soviet Embassy in

Mexico City, and that as of 1960 he was assigned to the Soviet Embassy

in Havana, Cuba, in the position of Counselor, departing Havana for ,

Mexico, in company of his wife and daughter, on 30 June 1961, and

then proceeding to Canada on 2 July 1961.

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4. The records of this Agency indicate that Boris A. KAZANTSEV

is a known Soviet Intelligence Officer, most probably representing

Soviet State Security (KGB). It is requested that any further information

which may be reflected in the indices of your Bureau, or those of infor-

mation addressee, reflecting uponthe relationship of Nicolas Georges

DAMASCUS aka DAMASCOU and his sister Anastasia Georges DAMASCUS

aka DAMASCOU with Justo SIERRA Casasus,] on the latter's contacts.

with representatives of agents of the CASTRO government in Cuba, or

on SIERRA's continued contacts with KAZANIStV or other suspect S

Soviet officials or agents in this country or elsewhere be forwarded to

this Agency as quickly as possible. A request along the same lines has

already been forwarded to our representatives in Mexico City, and you

will be kept advised of any further information which may be developed

in this regard.

FOR THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR (PLANS):

Willian Warney

WILLIAM K. HARVEY

2 cc: National Security Agency

4

"SECRET.

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