</s>104-10095-10276 2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992 S-E-C-R-E.T. 20 September 1960 MEMORANDUM FOR: DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE SUBJECT Summary of STESCALADE . Audio Operation Against the New China News Agency in Havana 1. In May 1959, the New Chinese News Agency (NCNA) opened. an office in Havana in El Mexico Building which is occupied partly by business concerns and partly used for residential apart- mente. Shortly thereafter, the Havana Station obtained the con- currency by Ambassador Bonsal and Miss Carolyn O. Stacey, an Embassy employee, to mount an audio operation against NCNA through the wall of the adjacent apartment in which Miss Stacy lived. In November 1959, to the PE Division sent one Miss Officer on one TSAD recorder was completed in the installation of a microphone and tape receiver was completed by Miss Stacy's apartment on 27 November 1959. 2. By June 1960, it had become evident that two other rooms occupied by NCNA possibly housed communication equipment and were used by conferences, and at that time Bryan Mills, FE Division case officer, went to Havana and explored the possibility of improving the operation. He managed to lease a apartment directly over the NCNA office, went for a stay-behind agent to occupy this space. 3. In August 1960, a team of three TSAD technicians who were in Havana on a separate S Division operation agreed to install the additional equipment required for the NCNA operation. A second FE Division case officer, Robert Neet, came down to Havana, and he, together with the technicians, installed a probe microphone and Tape reorder in the apartment obtained by Mills over the NCNIA office. About this time the equipment was removed from Miss Stacy'a apartment, with the exception of the plastic probe which was left in the wall and plastered over.

Summary  
This document details a U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) audio surveillance operation conducted in Havana, Cuba, targeting the New China News Agency (NCNA). The operation involved installing microphones and tape recorders to monitor communications from an apartment adjacent to the NCNA office. Key personnel included Bryan Mills (FE Division case officer), Robert Neet (FE Division case officer), and TSD technicians. The operation faced challenges due to security measures by Cuban authorities, leading to the arrest of three technicians in September 1960. Two agents were released and debriefed in Washington, while one remained in custody. The document also outlines contingency plans for their release and transport, including coordination with law firms and cover companies to manage public inquiries.  

Key People  
- Bryan Mills: FE Division case officer who leased an apartment over the NCNA office.  
- Robert Neet: FE Division case officer involved in equipment installation.  
- TSD Technicians: Three individuals (identified by aliases) arrested during the operation.  
- Mrs. Marjorie Lanox: Embassy secretary whose apartment was used as a safe haven.  
- Rudolph E. Gomez: Director of Central Intelligence (DCI).  
- Richard I. Skinner: Distribution officer for operational plans.  

Key Locations  
- Havana, Cuba: Site of the NCNA office and surveillance operation.  
- El Mexico Building: Havana building housing the NCNA office and adjacent apartments.  
- Andrews Air Force Base: Mentioned as a potential destination for detainees.  
- Washington, D.C.: Location of debriefings for released agents.  

Key Events  
- May 1959: NCNA opened an office in Havana; CIA initiated audio surveillance.  
- November 1959: Microphone and tape recorder installed in Miss Stacy's apartment.  
- June 1960: Expansion of operation to lease an apartment over the NCNA office.  
- September 1960: Arrest of three TSD technicians by Cuban authorities; some released and debriefed.  
- Contingency planning for transport and public relations management post-arrest.  

Key Organizations  
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA): Conducted the surveillance operation.  
- FE Division: CIA division involved in case officer activities.  
- TSD (Technical Surveillance Division): Responsible for equipment installation.  
- Air Support Division: Coordinated contingency plans for transport and logistics.

JFK Declassified Files

104-10095-10276.pdf

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