[1]21 MAY
[2]US/82/71
[4]Dear. Anthony,
[5]° Regarding your letter 6/705 of 10 May 1982, our
[7]"records indicate~that. Valeriy Viadimixovich Kostikey
[9]traveled to Mexico, France, Spain, the U.S. and Cuba
[11]during the period 1959-61. In 1961, he was assigned
[13]permanently to Mexico City as a consular officer and
[15]served there until August 1965. He was varigusly
[17]described as a translator, vice-consul, and attache.
[19]During this tour he attempted to cultivate a U.S.
[21]Government employee assigned to our embassy in Mexico
[23]City. >
[25]Role -
[27]In September/October 1963, Lee Harvey Oswala~
[29]approached the Soviet Embassy in Mexico City in an attempt
[31]to get a visa allowing him to return to the USSR.
[33]Kostikov, as a consular officer, handled this visa
[35]request. We have no information which indicates ‘any
[37]relationship between these individuals other than for the
[39]purpose of Oswald's making his visa request.
[41]Kostikov returned to Mexico City for a second tour of
[42]duty in July 1968. During this tour he was again assigned
[43]to the consular section and was a second secretary. It
[44]appeared that he was tasked with following the activities
[45]of the Central American communist parties.-dnd left-wing
[46]groups, and he met often with members of these groups,
[47]reportedly providing them with funds and technical
[48]guidance. In July/August 1969, Kostikov made an unusual
[49]TDY trip to Moscow lasting three weeks. (His family
[50]remained in Mexico.) In July 1970 he made a four-day trip
[51]to Havana.
[53]Kostikov's tour in Mexico ended unexpectedly in
[54]September 1971. Our information indicated that he was
[55]not due to leave for another three to four months, and at
[56]the time of his departure, there was some speculation that
[57]the suddenness of his departure was due to the fact that = ot
[59]he was known to Lyalin. Ygo- @P— ve ST
[61]CROSS FILE COPY FOR
[63]DO NOT DESTROY
[65]D26/- 30505 2
[68]While in Mexico he was considered by some to be the
[69]mont effective and dangerous of intelligence officers in
[70]Mexico. He has been described as being without morals,
[71]education, and manners. . Shortly after his arrival in
[72]Mexico in 1968, he was arrested in front of a house of
[73]prostitution after becoming involved in a fist fight with
[74]some locals. It appears this incident did not affect his
[75]position in Mexico City, despite the fact that it
[76]received a good deal of press coverage.
[78]We are aware only that Kostikov arrived in Beirut in
[79]June 1978. We are unable to confirm his presence there
[80]now.
[82]Although our file indicates that Kostikev may have
[83]been a member of Department 13 (Executive Action)
[84](Department V's predecessor), we have been unable to
[85]confirm this. Also, to the best of our knowledge the KGB
[86]has not engaged in such executive action since 1959.
[88]Sincerely,
[90]) /s/ David ,
[91]David H. Blee
[93]Mr. Anthony C. M. DeVere a —_——
[95]FAO1S AT ACHE
[97]DDO/CI/RA/Joan Paxson (21 May 1982)
[99]DISTRIBUTION:
[100]Orig & 1 - Adse
[101]1 - CI/RA Chrono
[102]- 1 - 100-2-95
[103]1 - Reading Board
[104]1 - Paxson
[106]{O00 - 2-95