around 1957 the department of state for security, headed by general arturo espaillat was dissolved, replaced by sim and its sister agency, the servicio central de inteligencia (sci). under the leadership of johnny abbes garcía, sim employed thousands of people and was involved in immigration, passports, censorship, supervision of aliens, and undercover work. at the palace of communications some fifty people intercepted and recorded domestic and foreign phone conversations. its secret activities used murder, kidnapping, extorsion and terror to achieve its goals. money was spent to lobby american legislators.