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104-10110-10242 2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992

SECRET

18 July 1963

MEMORANDUM FOR: Chief, Support Branch

FROM : Mr. Ramon R. Hart

SUBJECT : Manuel F. ARTIME Buesa

210 838

  1. The first phase of the audio surveillance of the Subject at the SAS safehouse in Bethesda has been completed. The Subject left Washington, D. C., on 13 July 1963. The owner of the listening post, Mr. Fred CHROMASTKA, moved out of his house, bag, baggage, and furniture, on 12 July 1963 enroute to an overseas PCS assignment.

  2. Mr. Charles MATT, the case officer in this case, has advised that the Subject, along with a Cuban companion, Mr. Rafael Aurelio QUINTERO Ibarbia (#252 529), will return to Washington, D. C., to be billeted in the Bethesda safehouse on Monday, 29 July 1963. Mr. MATT has fervently requested audio coverage of the downstairs bar and telephone and the main floor living room at this house in order to monitor the Subject's conversations with QUINTERO during the absence of SAS case officers.

  3. The case was assigned to the District Field Office, and Special Agent Cond 6. SEFISIER was designated as responsible agent. It is Agent TITTER plan to place microphones in the downstairs bar and the main floor living room and a tap on the telephone and string all the wires to a crawl space over the garage. In that latter space, which will be kept locked, he will set up two regular AC-operated tape recorders to be actuated by the two VOR's obtained from Franconia and paid for by SAS. Un- beknown to the Subject and his companion, a case officer will have to service this equipment whenever an opportunity presents itself.

SECRET GROUP 1 Excluded from automatic downgrading and declassification

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210 838

SECRET

  1. The cover story to be used by Agent STER during the installation is that he is working on the house at the request of the leasor, Washington real estate agent, Mr. Cuando DEEREST (38867). Mr. Sh supposedly maintains the house for a New York lawyer in order to billet the latter's transient clients. Case Officer MATT has engaged a maid to clean up the house Mondays and Thursdays; however, she can be told to stay away if Agent WSTER needs to do work there on those days. It was also discreetly requested by the undersigned of Case Officer MATT not to kibbitz too much while the techni- cians are making the installation.

  2. It is expected that the audio results of this type of coverage will be superior to the results of the previous "radio" phase. The only complication will be in servicing the recorders on a timely basis.

Ramon R. Hart

cc: #252 529

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SECRET