A newly declassified trove of U.S. government documents on the assassination of former President John F. Kennedy has shed light on the CIA’s extensive surveillance network, revealing previously undisclosed field bases in the Caribbean and Latin America.
The files, released by the Trump administration via the National Archives on Tuesday, provide new insight into the CIA’s operations across the region.
“In accordance with President Donald Trump’s directive of March 17, 2025, all records previously withheld for classification that are part of the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection are released,” the National Archives noted on its website.
Among the Caribbean cities named in the documents are Kingston (Jamaica), Georgetown (Guyana), Port-au-Prince (Haiti), Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), and Santiago de los Caballeros (Dominican Republic)—all of which were identified as CIA field sites under the agency’s “WH DIVISION,” which oversaw operations in Latin America. The list also includes Panama City and Guatemala City, two key locations historically linked to U.S. intelligence activity.
In Jamaica, long-standing rumors of CIA involvement—particularly in the politically turbulent 1970s and 1980s—now appear to be corroborated. The rivalry between the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the People’s National Party (PNP) often led to accusations of foreign interference. Some accounts suggest the CIA sought to undermine the PNP-led government due to its socialist policies and ties to Cuba. While these claims have circulated for decades, the newly released documents may offer fresh insights into the extent of U.S. intelligence operations on the island.
The release is part of a broader declassification effort that was originally mandated for completion in 2017. However, delays kept many files classified until now, with some portions still redacted for national security reasons.
CIA surveillance in the Caribbean
While much of the information had been suspected or partially disclosed in earlier document releases, the newly available records provide further confirmation of U.S. intelligence activities in the Caribbean. The region was a key battleground for Cold War maneuvering, particularly after the 1959 Cuban Revolution, which intensified U.S. surveillance of communist movements throughout the hemisphere.
One document details the CIA’s tracking of a Cuban national, codenamed AMFUANA-1, who was sent to Cuba in 1961 and later built a network of at least 20 informants, compiling over 50 intelligence reports. Though this case was focused on Cuba, it underscores the scope of U.S. intelligence-gathering efforts throughout the Caribbean.
The files also raise fresh questions about U.S. involvement in shaping political developments in the region. The Cold War era saw numerous covert interventions—including coups, propaganda campaigns, and financial support to aligned political factions—which had long-term implications for Caribbean nations.
For Caribbean countries, these revelations provide a deeper understanding of how the CIA operated within their borders during a period of intense geopolitical tension. While many governments were U.S. allies, others—particularly those perceived to have socialist leanings—found themselves under heavy surveillance or targeted for covert action.
