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Cryptonym: LIJERSEY

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Definition:
Physical surveillance team operating in Mexico City. Renamed LIRICE in 1962.
Status:
Documented
Discussion:
A review of Project LIEMPTY in April of 1964 stated that the LIJERSEY team had put Rafael Tischler Guzman (201-64372), a Guatemalan Communist, under surveillance from November 1959 to April 1960. There was later an unsuccessful attempt to recruit Tischler.

Pericles Franco Ornes (201-64546), a Dominican of interest to Mexico City station, was also targeted by the LIJERSEY team. They devoted portions of five months, January to May 1960, to collecting information on Franco through physical surveillance.
Sources:

104-10413-10029: CRYPTS: RUSS HOLMES WORK FILE:

Undated CIA document: "CRYPTS:....LIJERSEY: Surveillance Team..."

104-10052-10101: PROJECT RENEWAL REQUEST

11/31/61: CIA document: Review of Project LIEMPTY (For the Purpose of Project Renewal): Page 4: ....."II. CHANGES: There have been no changes in the LIEMPTY Project during the past project year except that SCANTLING relinquished control of the LIRICE (formerly LIJERSEY) surveillance team in July 1961 in accordance with previous plans."

104-10054-10051: PROJECT RENEWAL REQUEST

04/30/64, CIA document: Review of Project LIEMPTY (For the Purpose of Project Renewal): Page 6: ..."C. Simon D. CLACKETT Segment (discussed in relation to project objectives): 1. 'To collect operational information and to identify operational leads pertaining to the LIMERICK target and Station targets of opportunity.' During this project year the LIJERSEY surveillance team under the direction of CLACKETT began contributing to the Station's support efforts through pretext investigations and physical surveillances. Some examples of the team's work are listed below: a. Rafael TISCHLER Guzman (201-64372) is a Guatemalan Communist which the team had under surveillance from November 1959 to April 1960. The surveillance, together with information acquired from other sources, eventually resulted in an unsuccessful recruitment attempt on TISCHLER. b. Pericles FRANCO Ornes (201-64546) - FRANCO is a Dominican of interest to the Station. The LIJERSEY team devoted portions of five months, January to May 1960, collecting information on subject through physical surveillance. c. Jose Maria 'Chema' LOPEZ Valdizon (201-) was the subject of a physical surveillance during May and June 1960. LOPEZ was later deported from Mexico through the efforts of LITEMPO-2 (Gustavo Diaz Ordaz). d. CLACKETT and the LIJERSEY team performed numerous pretext investigations on Station targets of opportunity and on three separate occasions during the project year served as a counter-surveillance escort for Station officers in other operations..." - - - 2022 release, page 10: https://documents2.theblackvault.com/documents/jfkfiles/jfk2022/104-10054-10051.pdf

104-10414-10124: MEXICO CITY STATION HISTORY, EXCERPTS

11/16/78, CIA document from Anne Goodpasture: Page 419: ..."The budget for the first project year (1961) was $55,353 which supported four employees of the Ministry of Interior ($9,000), a five-man surveillance team of agents under LIPSTICK/LIJERSEY ($10,000), salary and allowance for BENADUM (George Frederick Munro) ($21,0000), and some $15,000 for operational expenses. The project suffered constantly from lack of effective management. The surveillance team reports were of little or no value because the agents did not receive proper direction. They were removed from the LITEMPO (operation support and security backstopping for the Mexico City operations, commencing in 1960. Involved a liaison relationship with the Mexican government) Project and placed under LIRICE in 1962. BENADUM and LITEMPO-1 (Emilio Bolanos) were so occupied with station requests for operational support and security backstopping in connection with the JMNET (probably routing indicator for the Latin American Division. It may refer to Miami) operation that all other activities were neglected..." - - - 2022 release, page 190: https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/2022/104-10414-10124.pdf

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