Cryptonym: MKTRAP
104-10414-10363: DISPATCH-CONFUSION IN USE OF CRYPTONYMS
The technical nomenclature of a hot-mike telephone installation. Beginning in 1962, such a device was installed at the Cuban embassy in Mexico City. It was referred to as MKTRAP until 1964, when Headquarters decided that an operational device should have a different name...On 2/5/62, Harvey Mulford at MKCHARITY received the request for MKTRAP. After a month of construction and some trial and error, MKTRAP was initially functional inside the Cuban embassy on 3/14/62. It subsequently became inactive "most of the time". It was reactuated during November 1963. 4/1/64 memo.
LIERODE/MKTRAP report: "The effort took place between February and June 1962. The technical work was performed by Harvey C. Mulford and Joseph Rescigno supported by the LIFEAT project personnel...it falls short of that (effectiveness) expected because the target person (ambassador) moved to different offices in the establishment after the instrument was placed...The Cuban embassy compound contains three buildings. They are the ambassador's residence, the chancery with offices and the main office building.
CABLE- HOT-MIKE TELEPHONE CONTAINING NEW THREE STAGE AMPLIFIER
3/16/62 memo from Mexico City to Director: "Operation is smooth and audio is of extremely high intelligibility. No audible line noise or RF interference. System deactivated pending installation full LP (listening post) and Mulford return from Rio."
104-10189-10032: TECH ACTIVITY REPORT
March 1962-November 1963: "The LIERODE/MKTRAP installation was made using LIFEAT assets and was actuated from the LIFEAT VI Base during March 1962. During November 1963, the LIERODE/MKTRAP installation was reactivated from a second LIFEAT basehouse (Basehouse Charlie)."
LIFEAT records that would include MKTRAP from December 1962-December 3, 1963 are missing. Note from 1977 to "Chris", presumably Latin American Division chief Chris Hopkins, asks: "What is going on?"
104-10189-10034: CABLE- REACTIVATED 30 NOV FROM TESTS CONDUCTED 30 NOV AND 2 DEC APPEARS ADEQUATE
12/3/63 memo from Mexico City to Director, MEXI 7222: LIFEAT/MKTRAP reactivated. Target is Raul Aparicio Nogales, cultural attache.
104-10100-10082: CABLE:IN PARA TWO REF SYLVIA DURAN STATES THAT APARICIO HAS TELEPHONE AND
Early Jan 1964?: Cable DIR 89366 from Director to Mexico City, ref MEXI-7025: "In para two (MEXI-7025) Silvia Duran says Aparicio has a telephone and its number is 141299. For our analysis of this case, can Mexi shed light on who Aparicio is, whether he has that number, and what this might have to do with our case. We guess it might merely have been a side remark to some bystander in the consulate. Advise. Please have monitors make every effort to identify voices of various Soviets to whom Oswald spoke on the telephone or who dealt with his case with Sylvia Duran."
104-10185-10267: 201 FILE OF PROTECTABLE SOURCE.
1/20/64, Lawrence F. Barker contact report with LITAMIL-9: "The MKTRAP phone is still in Aparicio's old office. The Commercial section is expected to move into this area shortly - at this time the office is not in use. Aparicio might go back in there himself."
EcuRed website - Raul Aparicio Nogales https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=https://www.ecured.cu/Ra%25C3%25BAl_Aparicio_Nogales&prev=search
Raúl Aparicio Nogales was born in the municipality of Cruces on May 29, 1913 . His first studies were in the city of Cienfuegos , later enrolled in the institute of second education in the city of Santa Clara where he finished high school..Later, and by economic efforts of his relatives and his own, he holds a PhD in Public Law and Social, Political and Economic Sciences, also obtains a Bachelor's Degree in Diplomatic Law, at the University of Havana . Since long before, and in full swing of his adolescence, he founded together with Carlos Rafael Rodríguez , Osvaldo Dorticós Torrado , Raúl Dorticós Torrado , Juan David , Juan Olaíz , Edith García Buchaca , among other outstanding intellectuals the "Ariel" group, linked to the political and literary problems of the moment, whose articles and essays transcended the villareños borders from the pages of the cultural magazine “Segur” where it was always clarified that the intention of that group was to deepen the socio-political, economic and cultural concerns of the difficult time that the country was living, (he was a) teacher, diplomat, journalist and narrator. After graduating he worked as a professor of history, literature and grammar in private schools. Then, in 1944 he traveled to the United States of America where he remained as an advertising agent until 1946. Upon his return to Havana, in 1955, he married...Raquel Abreu who would accompany him until the final days. ...He did diplomatic work in countries such as Brazil , Canada , Czechoslovakia and Mexico . He also served as a member of the board and management councils of "La Gaceta de Cuba" from 1966 until his death, which occurred on January 3, 1970..After the Triumph of the Revolution, Raúl begins publishing in the following organs: "Bohemia", "Granma Magazine", "Olive Green", "The Bearded Cayman", "The World", and Rebel Youth. His collaborations were stories, essays, articles, critical reviews about poets or narrators and philosophical notes."
David Phillips, The Night Watch, New York: Atheneum (1977), pp. 136-137
Circa 1962-1964: "...let me relate one story that happened in Mexico, fuzzing and fictionalizing a bit. John and I suddenly found ourselves with the opportunity to have access for a few hours to an armchair which we knew was to be delivered to a Communist embassy...we decided to bug the chair on the long-shot chance such a luxurious item would be for the Ambassador's personal use...we needed some credit because of the residue of egg still on our vests after the bungled Earle Perez Friman defection case. The armchair was large enough that we were able to insert in its interior not only a microphone, but a battery of sufficient power to guarantee an operating life of several months. John and I were up all night doing the carpenter work...We listened to the Ambassador that morning. And for many, many mornings after. But only, of course, to his really important conversations."