[1]180-10113-10119 | 2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992 |
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[33]HW 50955 Docld: 32264993
[35]JFK Assassination System
[36]Identification Form
[38]Agency Information
[40]HSCA
[41]180-10113-10119
[43]NUMBERED FILES
[44]003362
[46]Document Information
[48]-HSCA
[50]ORR, PATRICIA
[52]08/05/1977
[53]7
[55]CIA
[56]MEXICO CITY
[57]HUNT, E. HOWARD
[59]MEMORANDUM
[60]Unclassified
[62]1A; 1B
[64]Redact.
[65]01/01/2003
[67]CIA 77-4. Box 77,
[69]Page 1
[71]Date:
[73]10/1/201
[75]MEMORANDUM
[77]8/5/77
[78]TO: JH, KK | @g2362
[79]FROM: PMO
[81]RE: CIA Station in Mexico City
[83]Attached find a list of individuals known to have been
[84]connected with the CIA station in Mexico City during
[86]Lee Harvey Oswald's visit.
[88]This information has been gleaned mainly from the
[90]executive session testimony of David Phillips, ex-CIA >
[91]agent who had been in charge of Cuban Affairs for the |
[92]CIA in Mexico City. Other information comes from staff
[93]interviews with a witness, Boris Tarasoff, formerly
[95]with the intercept unit of the CIA station.
[97]It has been suggested that E. Howard Hunt may have been
[98]involved in CIA activities in Mexico City and specifically
[99]with the visit of Lee Harvey Oswald. Many. critics
[101]cite the fact that the CIA Station Chief has never been
[103]identified publicly.as a basis for speculation that Hunt 3
[105]"possibly held that position. This, however, would,
[107]conflict with information from Phillips that the Station
[109]Chief: was named Winston Scott, now deceased.
[111]This does not preclude the possibility that Hunt held
[114]HW 50955 Docld: 32264993 Page 2
[116]MEMO 8/5/77 pg. 2
[118]another position at the station, but Tarasoff
[119]was shown photographs of E. Howard Hunt which he could
[121]not identify.nor did he recognize the name.from CIA-Mexico City.
[123]I will also be forwarding an organizational chart of
[124]: the CIA station as best I can make it out with the
[126]information known presently.
[130]HW 50955 Docld:32264993 Page 3
[134]MEXICO CITY -- CIA
[136]A review of notes taken from interviews with David
[137]Phillips indicates that there are a several areas
[138]which our witness may be questioned about.
[140]Organization & Personnel
[141]Personnel in Mexico City Station:
[143]David Phillips:
[144]In 1963 Phillips was in charge of Cuban affairs
[145]for the CIA in Mexico City. As such, he was
[146]responsible for the monitoring of the Cuban
[147]Embassy.
[149]He was in Mexico City from September 1961
[150]to early 1965, succeeding Tom Hazlett.
[152]He originally comes from Ft. Worth and joined the
[153]CIA in 1950.
[155]He recalls the Oswald tape as an ‘intercept: between
[156]the Soviet and Cuban embassies. Herbert Manel, head
[157]of Russian affairs at Mexico City Station would
[158]have been primarily responsible for information
[159]derived from this intercept.
[161]Phillips was never in the intercept unit, which
[162]was staffed mainly by Mexican nationals.
[164]His immediate superior was Warren Dean, but he
[165]answered to Winston Scott.
[167]Winston Scott:
[168]Station Chief for the Mexico City CIA Station in 1963.
[169]Supervisor for Phillips in practice, although the
[170]deputy Chief of Station would normally have been
[171]the person to whom Phillips was to report.
[173]Scott was known for his almost photographic memory
[175]and a strong personality. He did not like to delegate “oO.
[176]authority. —
[177]Scott was the person who made final determination
[179]as to whether information coming in over an
[181]intercept was to be forwarded to Washington or not.
[183]Scott is now deceased. He died of a heart attack
[184]around 1972. His name was not previously known publicly.
[186]Warren Dean:
[187]Deputy Station Chief under Scott in Mexico City.
[188]Phillips was not sure whether it was Dean or Allen
[189]White who held this office at the time of Oswald's
[190]visit, but he feels fairly positive that it was
[191]Dean.
[193]HY 50955 Docld:32264993 Page 4
[195]MEXICO CITY -- CIA
[197]Dean (cont'd):
[198]Phillips reported -to’ Scott .even -though Dean was
[199]next man up the hierarchy.
[201]Phillips believes he is retired and lives in ‘the
[202]Washington area.
[204]Allen White: ’
[205]Succeeded Dean as Deputy Stattion Chief; Phillips
[206]worked under him for a time.
[208]Phillips believes he is retired and resides in
[209]the Washington area.
[211]Joe Picolo:
[212]CIA officer under Phillips.
[214]Robert Shaw:
[215]CIA officer under Philips.
[217]Eventually Shaw and Phillips had the’ "whole assignment"
[218]in Mexico City.
[220]Two CIA operatives working inside the Cuban Embassy
[221]reported to Shaw. One worked for: the administrative
[222]area: one worked in the diplomatic area.
[224]Phillips believed Shaw is living in the Washington
[225]area and is still with the CIA.
[227]George Monroe:
[228]Phillips named him as the senior man in charge
[229]of the interception of telephone conversations
[230]of the Cuban Embassy's offices.
[232]He would have been responsible for "dozen" or: so
[233]involved in the intercept unit outside CIA head-
[234]. quarters.
[236]Monroe came to the CIA from the FBI and had been with
[237]the CIA for 3 or 4. years at the time of the Oswald
[238]visit.
[240]Phillips believes Monroe is still in Mexico today.
[242]Ann Goodpasture:
[243]Phillips mentions her as the person responsible
[244]for transporting the tapes from the intercept
[245]unit to CIA offices and back again.
[247]Tt':is unclear whether she brought back tapes or
[248]transcripts of the conversations from the Russian
[249]Embassy. It appears that she brought back transcripts
[251]ra
[253]HY 50955 Docld:32264993 Page 5
[255]MEXICO CITY -- CIA
[257]Goodpasture (cont'd):
[258]in Spanish, ie. translations were done at the intercept
[259]unit when the language was Spanish. The tapes
[260]that were in Russian were brought back to CIA head-
[261]quarters in all likelihood. (From Phillips' testimony,
[262]it appears that the Russian translator for the CIA
[263]was based in the Embassy where CIA headquarters were.)
[264]Goodpasture transported the tapes’ and transcripts in
[265]suitcases. She was notified if tape:wasiinteresting “or not.
[267]Phillips believes that Goodpasture is retired and
[268]residing in Dallas, Texas.
[270]Raymond Swider:
[271]Also assigned to Phillips, replacing Joe Picolo.
[273]Phillips believed Swider presently works in the
[274]Washington headquarters of the CIA.
[276]George Misco: (phonetic)
[277]Although Phillips was somewhat shakey about facts
[278]with respect to Misco, he was able to tell us that
[279]Misco was the Russian translator for the CIA. and
[280]that his office was most likely in CIA headquarters
[281]rather than the Soviet intercept unit outside.
[283]Phillips claims that Misco was not in Mexico City
[284]at the time of Oswald's visit.
[286]Herbert Manel:
[287]CiA officer in charge of the assignment.for Russian
[288]affairs, and as such was Phillips’ counterpart at
[289]CIA station.
[291]Manel worked with his wife, Babara, on this assignment.
[293]Manel and his wife later worked with Phillips when
[294]they were all assigned to Caracas, Venezuela.
[296]Phillips maintained that it would have been Manel's _
[298]7 “Fesponsibility ‘to decide where the inforation _
[299]contained in the Oswald intercept was to go and whether:
[300]the intercept should be kept for any reason. Win
[302]Scott, though, would have ultimate responsibility.
[304]Phillips did no know of the Manel's whereabouts
[305]today. ‘
[307]Clark Anderson:
[308]Local FBI agent in Mexico City, who would routinely
[309]receive petinent’ information from the CIA.
[311]His title was Legal Attache at the American Embassy.
[313]He is identified in the Church report only as "Legat"
[315]Since he was the highest ranking BI official in Mexico,
[316]HW 50055 pocta: 32264099: SRGeipvestigation there was under his direction.
[319]~ MEXICO CITY -- CIA wu od ae
[321]Anderson (cont'd):
[322]Anderson worked with Phillips in the Dominican
[323]Republic in 1965.
[325]He is presently retired and residing in San Antonio,
[326]Texas. ;
[328]Desmond Fitzgerald:
[329]Chief of CIA operations in Washington CIA headquarters,
[330]who originally recommended ’.Phillips to: the Mexico City Job.
[332](Fitzgerald is mentioned in the Church report as
[334]one of the CIA agents involved with plots against
[335]Catro's life. The.Church report names him as "the
[336]senior CIA officer charged with responsibility for
[337]Cuban affairs." He had a meeting with AMLASH on
[338]October 29, 1963 for.a. policy discussion, informing
[339]AMLASH that the U.S. was prepared to provide support
[340]for a Cuban uprising only after a real coup had.
[342]; been effected.)
[344]Fitzgerald is now deceased.
[346]Barabara Manel:
[347]Wife of Herbert Manel; worked ‘with him at Soviet
[348]Affairs desk, assisting him in the work. She would
[349]prepare the reports to headquarters, etc. and he
[350]would sign them.
[352]- She had previously resigned from another staff
[353]employee position at the CIA, but was hired again
[354]on apart-time basis for her knowledge or Russian
[355]and her experience in.Soviet matters.
[357]Benjamin Pepper:
[358]Worked under Herbert Manel.
[360]Concerned with other matters related to Soviet
[361]affairs, such as Eastern European affairs.
[363]HY 50955 Docld: 32264993 Page 7
[365]of aL
[366]- MEXICO CITY -- CIA
[368]Personnel:
[370]From.other sources, namely, through information garnered
[371]by our own investigation, we are also aware of others
[372]involved with CIA Mexico City Station.in 1963.
[374]Mr. and Mrs. Boris Tarasoff:
[375]As one of the CIA's husband-and-wife teams, the
[376]Tarasoff's, had the job of translating and transcribing
[377]conversations in the Russian language going in
[378]and out of the Soviet Embassy by telephone.
[380]They were experts in voice identification using such
[381]aids as newspaper clippings and other miscellaneous
[382]informations about different individuals to help
[383]determine geographic origins, etc. about persons
[384]whose conversations were being tapped.
[386]The Tarasoffs were directly involed in the translation
[387]and transcription of the Oswald conversation, although
[388]the specifics have become dim in Mr. Tarasoff's
[389]memory.
[391]Tarasof£ succeeded George Misko.
[393]Tarasoff was never questioned by any investigative
[394]agency about the Oswald conversations.
[396]Boris Tarasoff thought the conversation was most
[397]likely between Kanstaninov and Oswald and did not
[398]involve Kostikov or Yatskov. Tarasoff knew no one
[399]by the name of Kostin. |
[400]Tarasoff presently resides in Guadalajara, Mexico.
[401]William Bright:
[402]Identified by Tarasoff as CIA "contact" between
[403]the station and the translators. ..It is not clear
[404]whether Tarasoff was in the station or in a separate
[405]intercepting unit, but it appears that he was
[406]puobably outside the station.
[408]Bright seemed especially interested when the second
[409]call between Oswald and the Soviet Embassy was
[410]intercepted and Oswald identified.
[412]Robert Zambernardi:
[413]Identified by Tarasoff as the photographic expert
[414]at the Mexico City station.at..least from September
[415]1963 to November 1963.
[417]Charles Flick:
[419]HW 50955 Docld:32264993 Page @
[421]q
[422]EG6PICGE PLIGG ccée0g ane
[424]6 sheg
[428]CHIEF OF, OPERA'TIONS
[429]SPECIAL ‘AFFAIRS ="
[431]‘(Desmond Fitzgerald)
[433]Joe. Picdlo’- assisted
[434]Phillips; rieplaced
[435]by Ray Swidier
[437]Robert Shaw ~} oversaw
[438]Cuban opera:tives
[440]CUBAN EMBASSY
[442]MEXICO CITY -- CIA
[444]ORGANIZATION
[446]' a
[448]The CIA Station was housed at the U.S. Embassy. We have been -
[450]able to identify several CEA positions from various |
[451]descriptions. May I suggest the following skeletal
[452]framework as‘a possible picture of the CIA's organizational
[453]chart for September-October 1963.
[454], MEXICO
[456]STATION CHIEF
[457](Winston Scott)
[459]Overall responsibility
[460]for CIA activities in
[461]Mexico.
[463]DEPUTY
[464]STATION CHIEF
[465](Warren Déan,
[466]later Allen White)
[468]RUSSTAN AFFAIRS _
[469](Herbert Manel):” 1
[471]CUBAN AFFAIRS . REPORTS OFFICER
[473](David Phillips) ; &
[474]| ASSISTANT
[476]INTERCEPT UNIT
[478]_ LMCONTACT
[479](George Monroe) a
[481]CONTACT
[483]: 7 | Ann Goodpasture, _ | Bill Bright
[484]2 CIA operatives: on'e _
[486]in the diplomatic section,
[488]one in the administrative
[489]section.
[492]Mrs... Tarasoff
[494]Robert: Zambernardi
[495](photo expert)
[497]aa George Misko (before 10/63
[499]ORR 8/5/77 7
[500]AMERICAN EMBASSY
[502]- AMBASSADOR
[504]~-_LEGAL ATTACHE
[506](Clark Anderson) FBI
[507]Te Legat"
[509]Barabara Manel - Soviet
[511]. ‘vaffairs;sassists H. Manel
[512]Benjamin Pepper - Eastern
[515](Russian translations, transcriptions)