10. Paper Prepared in the National Security Council1
ESPIONAGE CASE AT EMBASSY MOSCOW
On December 14 a Marine security guard assigned to Embassy Vienna voluntarily confessed to espionage [less than 1 line not declassified].
While stationed at Embassy Moscow he had been recruited by the “uncle” of a female Soviet employee of the embassy with whom he had a sexual relationship.
The Soviets apparently continued to meet him clandestinely in Vienna following Moscow tour.
Marine allegedly provided over 100 classified documents, largely taken from burn bags, and may have assisted in planting listening devices in the ambassador’s office in Vienna.
[less than 1 line not declassified] observed a meeting between the Soviet and marine, and have been able to identify Soviet, who may also be handling another US citizen spy (no further details).
Marine identified as Clayton Lonetree, an American Indian with a drinking problem. Has not yet successfully passed a polygraph so the full extent of the damage is unknown.
Lonetree returns to the US today and will be court martialed by the Navy vice Justice prosecution.
- Source: Reagan Library, Keel Files, Subject Files, [President/NSC Chron] 12/25/1986–01/01/1987. Top Secret; Sensitive. No drafting information appears on the paper. Acting President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs Keel sent the paper to Reagan the same day under cover of a handwritten memorandum: “Attached is a brief summary report indicating that a Marine security guard at the U.S. embassy in Moscow has confessed to espionage. This has not been made public yet, but may leak as we brief House and Senate intelligence committee’s today.” Reagan initialed the top right-hand corner of the paper. On January 10, 1987, the Associated Press reported that Sgt. Clayton Lonetree had been taken into custody on December 31, 1986. (“Marine Who Served in Moscow Embassy Held in Spy Inquiry,” New York Times, January 11, 1987, p. A15)↩