Cryptonym: LAROB
"The purpose of this letter is to request permission to add Mexico City, D.F., Mexico, air mail to the survey in Los Angeles...In the LAROB case in 1957 the Soviet principal asked MEX 87 to act as a mail drop for him and furnished the informant with certain indicators to denote the mail was to be handed on without opening to the Soviet. Subsequently in 1959 MEX 87's brother LA-4199-S also agreed to act as a mail drop to forward to Mexico City any mail received which bore the indicators...LA 4199-S resides in Los Angeles and has agreed to act as a mail drop between the United States and Mexico City upon specific request of the Soviet..." This was within a larger study known as the "Sam Survey", discontinued in Los Angeles in early 1963 (see p. 3).
104-10215-10015: BAKULIN, VALENTIN VASILYEVICH (201-261813)
"LAROB: (Bakulin) was CO (case officer)for (FBI) LCIMPROVE op, May 63." Note that LAROB may have been an FBI cryptonym, but it was adopted by CIA.
104-10215-10019: ODENVY INITIATED MEET WITH MEXI
6/13/63 memo from Mexico City to Director, filed and reviewed by Bill Bright (see signature top left): "Local (FBI) said had no HQs permission to discuss DA op (double agent operation, however later did say...agent (LAROB) is a sales rep for American Airlines, based here but travels Oklahoma, Kansas. From what (FBI) said, appears case fairly unproductive particularly now with Bakulin handling." Also said that the FBI brought Bakulin together with LAROB and was successful in enticing Bakulin to recruit him.
104-10215-10260: CABLE: PARA ONE REF. SINCE 1957 REPEAT 1957
8/20/63 cable, MEXI-5827, referring to DIR 61880, contains marginalia regarding 201-729524, a Soviet agent that provides flight manifest information from within Mexico City. This Soviet agent appears to be the American Airlines agent LAROB.
1994.06.17.11:31:18:030005 Reel 47, Folder G - DIR 72329 - 76578 CABLES.
On October 2, a memo went out from CIA headquarters discussing the danger that the FBI's field office in Mexico City had been penetrated. "Re coordination of FBI (oper?)ations in MEXI, -__ in liaison with ODENVY (note: FBI) is still delicate matter which ___ AMDEAD at HDQS 0-- directives foresee that certain types of operations may be coordinated at HDQS rather than in the field. on the whole our relations with FBI on world-wide and PBPRIME and CE (note: US and counter-espionage) matters are extremely productive and still improving and we do not wish at present time to raise new issues in Mexico...FBI has agreed and has instructed its MEXI rep to discuss with you pertinent details of such Russian CE ops as LAROB case. FBI has agreed and has instructed its mexi rep to discuss with you pertinent details of such russian CE ops as LAROB case, see HMMW 11863 (note: partially illegible), so that you can profitably exchange timely info on Soviet officers, modus operandi, etc. Pls initiate discussions and cable first results." Page 52 identifies this DIR 73144 with a PBRAMPART/staybehind operation slugline. Another copy of these two pages can be found at 104-10100-10121, marginally more legible.
104-10092-10297: CROSS REFERENCE CABLE
On October 5, the Mexico City station reported that “HQs was deferring discussion of the high level of penetration, but would take it up after hearing results of closer liaison between (the Mexico City station and the FBI) in Mexico City."
104-10215-10258: DISPATCH: OPERATIONAL/
On October 7, twenty sets of reports about double agent LAROB were sent from the FBI to the Mexico City station and Headquarters: Memo from Win Scott to Western Hemisphere chief J. C. King. James Angleton and the Chief of the Soviet Union division David Murphy also received copies.
10/25/63 FBI memo states that in espionage matters, "Due to a presence of a large Soviet diplomatic establishment in Mexico City, as well as several satellite diplomatic establishments, this is considered one of the most important phases of our work here. It has been clearly established through such cases as OXBLOOD, LAROB, OVERLAND, TUMBLEWEED, and most recently the GREASER case, that the Soviets are carrying on a large scale third country operation against the United States from Mexico....(at p. 15) appears to be getting any good, hard intelligence concerning the Cuban internal situation on a current basis. He instructed me that the Mexico City office should intensify its coverage on Cuban matters, and this is being done. At the present time three agents in the headquarters city spend about one-half of their time on Cuban matters...The third agent handling Cuban matters in addition handles the major portion of the espionage investigations in the office, including the very important LAROB and OXBLOOD double agent cases, and follows the activities of Soviet and satellite diplomatic establishments in Mexico City."
104-10215-10252: DOCUMENT TRANSFER AND C.ROSS REFERENCE: RE MEETING WITH. GRU OFFICER SUBJ WITH SUBJ
4/22/65 document transfer card refers to the meeting between Bakulin and 201-729524 during October 1963.