</s>FD-36(Rev. 12-15750) FBI Date: 5-2-68 Transmit the following in CODE (Type in plain text or code) CABLE PRIORITY Via (Priority or Method of Mailing) NO 214 PRIORITY (Priorities or Method) BUFILE FOUR DASH THREE EIGHT EIGHT SIX SIX ONE. MURKIN. REMYCAB AND BUCAB MAY ONE LAST. RE EXTENT OF PUBLICITY COVERAGE: FOLLOWING POLICE AGENCIES IN MEXICO CITY HAVE RECEIVED VOLUME DISTRIBUTION OF WANTED FLYERS IN SPANISH AND IDENTIFICATION ORDERS: METROPOLITAN POLICE OF MEXICAN CITY; FEDERAL JUDICIAL POLICE OF MEXICO; Federal FISCAL POLICE; Federal SECURITY POLICE; MEXICON IMMIGRATION. LAST FISCIAL POLICE: FEDERIAL POLICY; FEGERAL SECURITY RESPONSIBILITIES AND REPRESENTATIVES IN ALL PARTS HAVE NATION WIDE TO WHICH DISSEMINATION MADE. IN ADDITION, SEPARATE PHOTOGRAPHS WITH DESCRIPTIVE MATERIAL FURNISHED TO AGENCES AND SOURCES AND SOURCEES AND, ON APRIL TWO TWO LAST, FORWARDED BY CONSULAR CIRCULAR TO ALL U.S. CONSULTANS IN MIXICO, INCLUDING CONSULATE AT MERIDA, YUCATAN, WHICH COVERS ENTRE PENINSULA ON GULF OF MÉXICO, INCLUDING CAMPCHE, CAMPCHEC, CAMPECHE, CIRCULAR PREPARED IMMEDIATELY UPON RECEIPT OF PHOTOGRAFICS FOLLOWING IDENIFICATION OF GALT AS RAY BY BUREAU. IDENTIFICATION ORDERS, FLYER AND ADDITIONAL PICTURES TAKEN TO MERIDA AND CAMPCHC BY AGENT ARRIVING THERE MAY TWO INSTANT FOR CONCENTRATED DISSENSATION TO POLICE 173-1 JFF-W (2/2) Approved: Special Agent in Charge Sent 10:05PM Pot 173-A1-13/ 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI investigative efforts in Mexico during May 1968 related to tracking individuals associated with the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK). Key focus areas include monitoring Eric Galt (later identified as James Earl Ray), Bernard Halfant, and other suspects linked to potential criminal activities. Investigations involved coordination with Mexican authorities, including distribution of wanted flyers in Spanish, surveillance of bus routes between Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Sonora, and verification of leads from informants such as Alejandro Rivera and Roberto Murguia. The FBI sought assistance from legal attaches in Mexico to disseminate information and track suspects, while also requesting additional resources like Spanish-language identification orders. Specific attention was given to bus passenger manifests, ticket sales, and movements of individuals described as "look-alikes" or with suspicious behavior, including the sale of firearms. Administrative notes on unrelated U.S. Savings Bonds promotions were also included in some records.  

Key People  
- **Eric Galt** (later identified as James Earl Ray) – Subject of FBI tracking efforts following MLK’s assassination.  
- **Alejandro Rivera** – Informant who claimed to have encountered the assassin in Mazatlan, Sonora.  
- **Bernard Halfant** – Suspect linked to Dallas, Texas, and reported as a guest at the Maria Cristina Hotel during April 1968.  
- **Roberto Murguia** – Mexican citizen who provided information about an American attempting to sell a car and rifle under suspicious circumstances.  
- **Nathan L. Ferris** – U.S. Legal Attache in Mexico City, coordinated with Mexican authorities on investigative procedures.  
- **Jesse C. Parker** – FBI Special Agent overseeing operations in Mexico and managing leads related to suspects.  
- **John Page** – FBI agent stationed in Campeche, Merida, and Guadalajara, conducted surveillance and reported on suspect activities.  
- **SA James Wilson** – Resident Agent in Brownsville, Texas; reported lack of records on Mateo Lopez Garcia.  
- **SA Jack Page** – Conducted inquiries in Campeche and Hermosillo, noted absence of Ray’s presence.  
- **SA Kaiser** – Compiled bus schedules and investigated potential connections to San Diego and Guaymas.  
- **James E. Girod** – Suspect with a criminal record for check fraud; linked to a car sale inquiry in Los Angeles.  

Key Locations  
- **Mazatlan, Sonora** – Site of informant reports on Galt’s alleged sightings.  
- **Mexico City** – Center for FBI coordination with Mexican authorities and distribution of wanted flyers.  
- **Guadalajara, Jalisco** – Location of an anonymous tip about a suspect (Matthew Rich) leaving the city by bus.  
- **Campeche, Yucatan** – Hub for U.S. investigative operations, including hotel surveillance and police coordination.  
- **Dallas, Texas** – Halfant’s reported residence and hotel stay during April 1968.  
- **Sonora, Mexico** – Area where bus passengers were monitored for potential connections to the investigation.  
- **Brownsville, Texas** – Initial inquiries on Mateo Lopez Garcia.  
- **Cd. Obregon, San Luis Rio Colorado** – Ticket purchase inquiry linked to suspect movements.  
- **Los Angeles, California** – Inquiries into James E. Girod’s activities.  

Key Events  
- **Distribution of wanted flyers and identification orders**: FBI sought assistance from Mexican authorities and legal attaches to track suspects like Galt and Halfant.  
- **Surveillance of Bernard Halfant**: FBI requested verification of his connection to MLK’s assassination through Dallas-based investigations.  
- **Bus route analysis**: SA Kaiser compiled schedules for buses from Cd. Obregon to Mexico City, focusing on specific dates (April 24–25, 1968).  
- **Informant reports**: Alejandro Rivera claimed to have encountered the assassin in Mazatlan; Roberto Murguia reported an American attempting to sell a car and rifle.  
- **Coordination with Mexican authorities**: U.S. agents worked with local police in Campeche, including Chief MENA of the Campfire Police, to monitor American activity.  
- **Investigation into James E. Girod**: Los Angeles office confirmed his criminal record and potential travel to Mexico.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted cross-border inquiries, coordinated with U.S. consulates, and managed investigative leads.  
- **Mexican Federal Police** – Collaborated with FBI agents to monitor suspects and track American activity in the region.  
- **U.S. Consulates in Mexico** (e.g., Merida, Ciudad Obregon): Provided logistical support and intelligence coordination for operations in Mexico.  
- **Legal Attaché Office, Mexico**: Facilitated communication between U.S. and Mexican authorities on investigative procedures.  
- **U.S. Savings Bonds promotion**: Administrative note on public financial campaigns, unrelated to the investigation.

MLK Declassified Files

173-mx-1_sec_001_ser_1-150-part_6_of_6.pdf

Document Summary

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