US CIA operations in Latvia IV Soviet occupation
US CIA program REDSOX operations on the territory of Latvia
At the beginning of the fifties of the 20th century, the US intelligence service CIA began to play an increasing role in intelligence operations against the USSR, which initially coordinated its activities with the British MI-6. At that time, the British positioned themselves as experts in activities on the territory of the USSR, having both infiltrated agents and information. They also shared general information about the USSR with the Americans. It is now clear that all of this information actually turns out to be Soviet counter-intelligence disinformation.
In 1949, the Soviet Russia (SR) branch of the CIA launched the REDSOX program with the aim of sending illegal agents into the territory of the USSR. Within the framework of REDSOX, six illegal agent deployment operations were carried out - in Latvia (projects AECOB / ZRLYNCH), Lithuania (projects AEGEAN / AECHAMP), Estonia (projects AEROOT / AEBASIN), Ukraine (project AERODYNAMIC), Belarus (project AEQUOR) and Russia (projects AESAURUS / AENOBLE). AE was the territory of the USSR. Accordingly, the cryptonyms of all agents sent to the territory of the USSR also began with the letters AE.
In total, at least 85 CIA agents were sent to the territory of the USSR, of which only three returned, one of whom was suspected by the CIA as a double agent.
The REDSOX program continued until 1954.
In fact, these were suicide missions, as there was no real possibility of return for these agents.
More information sources
https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/dzive--stils/vesture/kgb-slepenie-arhivi.-spiegu-speles-latvija-cia-agenti-psrs-dienesta.a261845/
Zigmārs Turčinskis is a researcher at the Institute of Latvian History of the University of Latvia. The material prepared by him is offered for publication under the author's title "Soviet counter-intelligence disinformation in the archives of the US Central Intelligence Agency" with the subtitle "Scientific comment on the lsm.lv publication "Mežabrāli in CIA secret archives"".
In his text, the author uses abbreviations in the original languages - KGB, CIA, etc.
Related timeline
Related objects
Memorial stone of Alfred Riekstiņš
Memorial stone to Latvian Legion lieutenant and national partisan Alfred Riekstiņš, who died near the "Dreimaņi" house on September 11, 1952
On September 11, 1952, Alfred Riekstiņš, a lieutenant of the 19th SS Grenadier Division (Latvian No. 2) of the Latvian Legion and a Knight of the Iron Cross, died in the yard of the "Dreimaņi" house. On May 9, 1945, Alfred Riekstiņš from Pāvilosta arrived in Sweden with one of the last boats. On August 30, 1952, Alfrēds Riekstiņš, together with two former Latvian soldiers, landed in Kurzeme on behalf of the US intelligence services. The security services of the USSR knew about the operation and surrounded the intelligence officers in the shed of the "Dreimaņi" house, where Alfred Riekstiņš committed suicide by biting a poison ampoule.
Related stories
The legacy of the legionnaire Andrej Apsīš in the Remte forest
Evidence of the Second World War is found in the forests of Kurzeme from time to time, because lovers of war relics and historical antiques visit the forests and fields of Kurzeme with metal detectors very often. At the beginning of 2021, various documents were found in an ammunition box buried in the forest on the Remte side of Saldus county, which proved belonging to the 19th division of the Latvian Legion, as well as the soldier's personal belongings. They had been lying in the ground for 76 years.
Alfred Riekstiņš with the nickname "Imants" dies as a result of the betrayal of a double agent of the USSR
Alfrēds Riekstiņš, a Latvian legionnaire, was recruited for cooperation with the US intelligence service CIA after World War II.
USSR double agent - Edvīns Ozoliņš with the nickname "Pilot"
Cold War intelligence and counterintelligence battles between the West and the USSR involved agents from both sides and double agents. Since the twenties of the 20th century, the Soviet security services had developed a completely new measure - disinformation - for the purpose of protecting the regime. A term which until then was not known at all in the West.
Landed Leonid Zariņš - the check turns out to be useless for recruitment
Leonid Zariņš was recruited as a CIA agent in the USA and in 1953 he crossed the border of the USSR on a plane from Germany and landed with a parachute near Auce. Unfortunately, one of the contacts he was supposed to be in touch with had turned out to be a double agent, and Leonidas was soon arrested. He refused to cooperate with the Chekists and was shot without trial in 1954.