In October 1963, just weeks before the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, a mysterious telegram arrived at the U.S. State Department. This secret message from the CIA would set off a chain of events that still puzzles researchers today. At the center of it all was Lee Harvey Oswald, the man who would soon become infamous as Kennedy’s assassin. But what exactly did Oswald do at the Soviet Embassy in Mexico City, and why was it important enough for the CIA to send a secret telegram about it?
The Telegram That Started It All
On October 22, 1963, a telegram marked “Secret” arrived at the State Department’s Passport Office. The message came from the CIA and contained shocking information: Lee Harvey Oswald had been spotted at the Soviet Embassy in Mexico City earlier that month.
This wasn’t just any visit. Oswald was already known to U.S. officials as the American who had tried to defect to the Soviet Union in 1959. Now, he was back on their radar, contacting Soviet officials in Mexico.
Oswald’s Mysterious Mexico Trip
The Bus Ride South
We need to go back a few weeks to understand what Oswald was doing in Mexico. On September 26, 1963, Oswald boarded a bus in Houston, Texas, bound for Mexico City. He wasn’t traveling alone—the bus was filled with international passengers, including some English-speaking tourists.
Two Australian women, Patricia Winston and Pamela Mumford, noticed Oswald on the bus. They described him as a young Texan wearing casual clothes and a dark, charcoal gray wool sweater. Interestingly, Oswald didn’t speak Spanish, even though he was heading to Mexico.
Arrival in Mexico City
After a long journey, Oswald arrived in Mexico City on September 27. The Australian women last saw him standing alone in the bus station, waiting to collect his luggage. What happened next would become the subject of intense scrutiny and speculation.
The Soviet Embassy Visit
What We Know
According to the CIA telegram, Oswald made contact with the Soviet Embassy in Mexico City in early October 1963. But what exactly did he do there? Unfortunately, the details are scarce and often conflicting.
Possible Reasons for the Visit
- Visa Application: One possibility is that Oswald was trying to get a visa to return to the Soviet Union. He had lived there from 1959 to 1962 and had a Russian wife.
- Passing Information: Given Oswald’s history of attempting to defect, there were concerns that he might be trying to pass sensitive information to the Soviets.
- Seeking Help: Oswald might have sought assistance or support from the Soviet government, though the nature of this help is unclear.
The State Department’s Reaction
When the CIA telegram arrived at the State Department, it set off alarm bells. Officials quickly pulled Oswald’s passport file and began reviewing his history.
A Troubling Past
The file revealed Oswald’s 1959 attempt to defect to the Soviet Union. Even more concerning, there were indications that he had offered to share radar information with the Soviets if they granted him citizenship.
To Revoke or Not to Revoke
State Department officials considered whether they should revoke Oswald’s passport based on this new information. However, they ultimately decided not to take any action. This decision would later be scrutinized in the wake of Kennedy’s assassination.
The Bigger Picture: Cold War Tensions
To understand why Oswald’s visit to the Soviet Embassy was so significant, we must consider the Cold War’s broader context.
A History of Defections
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, defections between East and West were a major source of propaganda for both sides. The Soviets were particularly eager to counter the negative publicity from Eastern Bloc citizens defecting to the West.
The U.S. Exhibition of 1959
Interestingly, Oswald’s original defection attempt in 1959 occurred around the same time as a major U.S. exhibition in Moscow. Some speculated that the Soviets wanted American defectors to offset the exhibition’s positive impact.
The Human Side of the Story
While government officials were concerned with the political implications of Oswald’s actions, this story also has a human side.
Priscilla Johnson’s Interview
In November 1959, shortly after Oswald’s initial defection attempt, American journalist Priscilla Johnson interviewed him in Moscow. She found him to be somewhat paranoid, assuming that the U.S. Embassy was saying “nasty things” about him.
Johnson tried to subtly warn Oswald that he might be trapped in the Soviet Union, but she felt she had failed to connect with him on the level of economic theory that interested him most.
A Missed Opportunity?
Looking back, Johnson wondered if she could have done more to help Oswald or make him reconsider his actions. She felt that if she had been better versed in economic theory, she might have been able to build a rapport with him and potentially influence his decisions.
The Aftermath: Questions and Conspiracies
Oswald’s visit to the Soviet Embassy in Mexico City remains mysterious. After Kennedy’s assassination, this episode became a focal point for conspiracy theories and investigations.
Unanswered Questions
- What exactly did Oswald discuss with Soviet officials in Mexico City?
- Was he acting alone, or was he part of a larger plot?
- Could U.S. officials have prevented the assassination if they had taken different actions after receiving the CIA telegram?
The Warren Commission
The official investigation into Kennedy’s assassination, known as the Warren Commission, looked into Oswald’s Mexico City trip. However, many felt that the full story was never uncovered.
A Lingering Mystery: What Really Happened?
Decades later, the true nature of Oswald’s visit to the Soviet Embassy in Mexico City remains unclear. The secret CIA telegram opened up a Pandora’s box of questions that continue to intrigue historians and researchers.
Was Oswald a troubled loner seeking to return to the Soviet Union? A would-be spy offering information to a foreign power? Or was he caught up in something much larger and more complex?
As we look back on this pivotal moment in history, we’re left to wonder: What if things had gone differently? What if someone had connected with Oswald and changed his path? And most importantly, what really happened during those fateful days in Mexico City?
The secret CIA telegram about Oswald’s visit to the Soviet Embassy remains a tantalizing piece of a much larger puzzle – one that continues to captivate our imagination and challenge our understanding of a pivotal moment in American history.
