USSR double agent - Edvīns Ozoliņš nicknamed "Pilot"
The Cold War intelligence and counterintelligence battles between the West and the USSR involved agents from both sides and double agents. Since the 1920s, the Soviet security services had developed a completely new means of protecting the regime: disinformation. A term that was previously unknown in the West.
Edvīns Ozoliņš (nickname “Herberts”, for communication with US government institutions “Herberts Okolo”, cryptonym CAMUSO/2). Ozoliņš was born in Riga in 1914. During World War II, he served in the Latvian aviation unit as a mechanic. He ended up in Germany with the unit. At the moment of capitulation, he managed to escape to Sweden. It is difficult to understand why the Americans liked Ozoliņš, because he was a completely untalented and useless radio operator. Perhaps the Americans liked Ozoliņš’s wide American smile, and it was precisely the smile that attracted the Americans.
French intelligence had warned the Americans as early as February 7, 1950, that Ozolinis was considered a Soviet agent and had requested all available information about him. The CIA, in turn, estimated that they had at least 75 Ozolinis cards and were unable to determine which Ozolinis they were talking about. But the French were right.
In Lukašēvičs' synopsis of the operational game "Meteor":
“In 1951 (7V) the State Security organs became aware that the CIA was preparing a group of spies for illegal sending to Latvia. This was reported by the Latvian emigrant Edvīns Ozoliņš [..], who at that time lived in Stockholm and wanted to return to his homeland. [sic!]” [2]
As follows from both Lukašēvičs' notes and the textbook "History of Soviet State Security Organs" written for the KGB Higher School, Ozoliņš was recruited under the nickname "Pilot". However, it is also known that agent "Pilot" was at that time connected with the residences of the 1st Main Directorate (foreign intelligence) of the USSR and no one at the KGB level of the Latvian SSR had any idea about him.
https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/dzive--stils/vesture/kgb-slepenie-arhivi.-spiegu-speles-latvija-cia-agenti-psrs-dienesta.a261845/
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Alfred Riekstins Memorial Stone
On September 11, 1952, tragic events took place in Dreimani farm. USSR security forces knew that on 30th of August 1952, Alfreds Riekstins and two other men had landed in Kurzeme as part of a mission led by USA Intelligence Services, and on September 11, they were followed and surrounded in the barn of Dreimani farm. A capsule of poison took the life of Alfreds Riekstins.
Aina Pupola is the granddaughter of Alfreds Riekstins' stepmother, and in 1952, she was 18 years old. She recalls:
"When Uncle Alfreds came to my grandmother's and mother's house, he said that he has come to help liberate Latvia and that it cannot remain under Russian occupation forever. Alfreds was like a father to me, and he used to call me Buddy. We found out that the whole neighborhood was surrounded. We saw large army trucks near the Kretuli farm. It was hard to imagine that all of this had been brought for only two people. There was no shooting. Alfreds came out and collapsed by the barn. Cheka operatives carried him here, near the well, and covered him with some fabric."
My parents were taken away to Vorkuta. My mother died there, longing in vain to come back to her motherland. I was not allowed to return to Dreimani farm for three months. A Cheka lieutenant, Krumins, followed my every step. He even followed me to my school in Sabile. They were waiting and trying to capture the third man for about three months.
They completely demolished our house and even knocked over all of the beehives. Cheka took all of our and Uncle Alfreds' photos and gave an order to the local collective farm known as Kolkhoz to take all of our belongings. Several Sabile teachers helped me. This was a horrible time.
Exhibition in the KGB Building "History of KGB Operations in Latvia"
The former USSR State Security Committee (commonly known as Cheka) building is open for visitors. Here chekists imprisoned, interrogated and murdered Latvian citizens who were considered opponents by the occupation regime. There is also an exhibit from the Latvian Occupation Museum on the activities of Cheka in Latvia. Guided tours of the prison cells, corridors, basement and courtyard are available. The house was built in 1911 and it is one of the most beautiful buildings in Riga. Called the ‘Corner House’ by the people, it was the scariest symbol of the Soviet occupation regime in Latvia, and also one of the pillars of power of the USSR. Cheka operated from the Corner House during the occupation from 1940 to 1941 and then again from 1945 to 1991. Tens of thousands of Latvians were affected by direct political persecution. The fight against enemies of Soviet rule continued also after World War II. Cheka’s approach towards its operation slightly changed after Stalin’s death. Physical torture was replaced by psychological terror. The majority of Cheka agents were Latvians (52%). Russians were the second largest group – 23.7%. 60.3% of the agents were not members of the Communist Party. 26.9% of the agents had higher education. The system was designed in a way to involve local people and thus have greater control over the society. Staff documents and service records are located in Russia. And these materials have not been made available to Latvian authorities and researchers.
