More than 60 years after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, newly declassified documents are casting serious doubt on the lone gunman theory—and placing the CIA squarely in the line of fire.
According to over 80,000 pages of records released by order of former President Donald Trump, accused assassin Lee Harvey Oswald had significant connections to the Central Intelligence Agency before the Nov. 22, 1963, shooting in Dallas. The trove includes detailed surveillance reports, agency memos, and witness accounts suggesting Oswald was more than just a troubled ex-Marine with a rifle.
CIA knew Oswald’s every move
The files reveal that at least 47 CIA operatives were tracking, reporting on, or interacting with Oswald in the months leading up to the assassination. This surveillance intensified in the summer of 1963, when Oswald was in New Orleans distributing pro-Cuba leaflets for the Fair Play for Cuba Committee. Documents show the agency’s counterintelligence chief, James Jesus Angleton, had a 180-page dossier on Oswald on his desk just one week before Kennedy’s trip to Dallas.
This detail has alarmed experts like Jefferson Morley, a veteran journalist and JFK researcher. He raised the question of whether the CIA was simply incompetent—or whether it had been running Oswald as part of a broader covert operation.
Links to Cuba and secret agents
The newly surfaced documents also point to Oswald’s involvement with Cuban student activists. These individuals were associated with the Directorio Revolucionario Estudiantil, a group reportedly funded through the CIA’s Miami station. Lawyer Larry Schnapf, who previously filed a lawsuit for the release of these files, said the agency was receiving regular updates about Oswald and his contacts with the Cuban activists.
Oswald, who defected to the Soviet Union in 1959 and returned to the United States in 1962, married a Russian woman named Marina and settled in Dallas. He worked at the Texas School Book Depository, the same location from which he allegedly fired the fatal shots at JFK.
In Filipino, one source said the CIA had all the tools to stop Oswald but did nothing. Another added that they believed the agency was hiding its real role in the events of 1963.
Calls for new investigation mount
While the Warren Commission concluded in 1964 that Oswald acted alone, critics argue these new records challenge the very core of that finding. With mounting evidence of a possible CIA operation, many are now demanding a renewed investigation into one of America’s darkest days.
Though Oswald was shot dead by nightclub owner Jack Ruby two days after Kennedy’s death, the mystery surrounding his true role only deepens with each new revelation.
Jaja has a degree in journalism and took classes in international law and business communication. Her career spans roles at prominent international media outlets, including International Business Times, Celebeat and Delightful Philippines. As a news editor, Jaja covered a wide range of beats, including legal, business, economy, cryptocurrency, personal finance, gaming, technology, and entertainment.