60 Years Ago Today - FBI Interest in Oswald's Continuing Support for Cuba

Part 39

As a matter of normal procedure, CIA/Mexico City advised CIA Headquarters that an American named Lee Oswald had met with the Cuban Embassy there as well as with Soviet KGB officer Valery Vladimirovich Kostikov. CIA Headquarters duly informed FBI Headquarters which in turn informed FBI/New Orleans. FBI/New Orleans learned that Oswald had departed New Orleans but was forwarding his mail to Ruth Paine’s address in Irving, Texas. Lead action on the Oswald case was therefore transferred back to FBI/Dallas Special Agent James Hosty. On 29 October, Hosty learned from Ruth’s next door neighbor that Oswald’s wife, Marina, was staying with Ruth but that Oswald himself only appeared from time to time.

On Friday, 1 November, three weeks before the assassination of the President, Hosty went back out to Irving to interview Ruth herself. She noted that Oswald would be arriving shortly from Dallas to spend the weekend with them and suggested that Hosty stay to meet him. Hosty claimed that he had other business elsewhere but in fact, FBI regulations prohibited him from conducting what might become an adversarial interview without another FBI agent present as a witness.

Marina was bathing but heard the ongoing conversation. After drying her hair, she joined Ruth and Special Agent Hosty. With Ruth acting as interpreter, Hosty asked Marina if Oswald was doing anything in support of Cuba as he had been doing in New Orleans. Marina nervously dismissed the idea saying, “He’s just young. He doesn’t know what he is doing. He won’t do anything like that here.”

Earlier that day, however, Oswald had opened post office box #6225 at the Terminal Annex Post Office just across Dealey Plaza from the Texas School Book Depository. On the application form, Oswald stated that the purpose of the post office box was to receive mail on behalf of the Fair Play for Cuba Committee/Dallas Chapter. Oswald used his true name in opening this post office box but provided a false address as his residence.

We do not know why Oswald wanted to receive mail on behalf of the non-existent Fair Play for Cuba Committee/Dallas Chapter. It is evidence, however, that Oswald’s interactions with the Cuban Embassy in Mexico City had not soured his support for Fidel Castro’s Cuba.