The CIA’s Hide-and-Seek: How the Agency Kept JFK Files Under Wraps
On March 18, 2025, the National Archives unleashed 80,000 JFK assassination files, pulling back the curtain on a decades-long game of hide-and-seek by the CIA. These records, paired with revelations from past probes like the Church Committee and Iran-Contra hearings, reveal a playbook of tricks the agency used to stash files away—sometimes claiming they were lost, only to “find” them later. The official story says Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone on November 22, 1963, but as of March 22, 2025, the way the CIA buried these files makes you wonder: what were they hiding, and does it poke holes in the lone gunman tale? Let’s crack open their secrets and see how they kept the truth out of sight.
Locked Boxes Within Locked Boxes
The CIA’s filing system is a maze by design. File 104-10332-10023 spills the beans: each department—Operations, Intelligence, you name it—keeps its own records, split by mission and locked down with a “need to know” rule. Even within one database, files are chopped up by office, so finding anything means scouring every corner with the right key. Back in the ‘70s, when they switched to computers, most JFK stuff was still on paper, stuck in a “sequestered collection” from 1978. Digging through it? A slog requiring insiders who know the system cold.
It’s a shocker how split-up it all is—even inside one database, you’re hunting through silos 104-10332-10023. It’s not just security—it’s a wall to keep files hidden, even from Congress or the Assassination Records Review Board.
The “Don’t Write It Down” Trick
Here’s a doozy from the 1987 Iran-Contra mess, noted in 104-10337-10001: Oliver North admitted he used a “do not log” trick to keep his chats with John Poindexter off the books. No index, no trace—poof, gone from the system. The CIA played this game too, splitting “official” from “informal” records, a habit they owned up to during those hearings. Back in ‘75, the Church Committee got told drug-test files were burned in ‘73—then, surprise, more popped up in financial records by ‘78 104-10337-10001.
That “do not log” move is a gut-punch 104-10337-10001. It’s a built-in way to make stuff vanish—imagine if they did that with Oswald’s files in ‘63. Those missing Mexico City tapes from his ‘63 visit? “Recycled,” they say, but 185 others from the same time stuck around [104-10332-10023](https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/2025/0318/104-10332-10023.pdf]. Suspicious much?
A Mess That Hides the Goods
The CIA’s assassination files are a dumpster fire of disorganization, and that’s no accident. File 104-10337-10001 has CIA boss Robert Gates in ‘92 calling them a “hodgepodge”—newspaper scraps mixed with spy gold, no index, no order. Surveying them took forever, and Gates couldn’t explain why random junk like fitness reports and credit checks clogged up the pile. It’s 63 boxes of paper and 72 microfilm reels, a mess that buries the good stuff in plain sight 104-10337-10014.
Why toss in an agent’s gym scores with assassination intel 104-10337-10001? It’s either a colossal flub—or a genius way to drown investigators in noise so they miss the signal, like Oswald’s pre-‘63 files.
“Lost” Today, Found Tomorrow
The CIA loves a good “lost and found” routine. Church Committee, ‘75: “Sorry, drug files burned in ‘73.” Then, ‘78: “Oh, look, more in the financials!” 104-10337-10001. Fast forward to Oswald’s Mexico City tapes in ‘63—gone, “recycled” after transcription, they say 104-10332-10023. But 185 other tapes from then survived—why not his? It’s a pattern: say it’s gone, stash it somewhere weird, pull it out if the heat’s on. Hides files ‘til the storm passes.
The Mexico City tape thing is a stunner—185 survivors, but Oswald’s vanish? [104-10332-10023](https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/2025/0318/104-10332-10023.pdf]. That’s not random—it’s a neon sign something’s off, maybe about what he said to Soviet or Cuban folks.
Burying Needles in Haystacks
Post-HSCA, the CIA’s “segregated collection” is a masterclass in overkill—63 boxes, 72 microfilm reels, stuffed with an agent’s whole life story when only a page might matter 104-10337-10014. The Review Board tagged tons as “Not Believed Relevant” and tossed ‘em, but the sheer pile of junk keeps the gems buried. It’s like hiding a diamond in a landfill—good luck finding it.
Reels of an agent’s career when we just need ‘63? That’s nuts [104-10337-10014](https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/2025/0318/104-10337-10014.pdf]. It’s a wall of noise to tire out anyone digging for truth.
What Past Probes Add
The Church Committee (’75-76) and Iran-Contra (‘87) peel back more. Church caught the CIA “losing” files, then finding ‘em when cornered [104-10337-10001](https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/2025/0318/104-10337-10001.pdf]. Iran-Contra’s “do not log” confession shows they could wipe records clean [104-10337-10001](https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/2025/0318/104-10337-10001.pdf]. Together with the ‘25 files, it’s a pattern: split ‘em, don’t log ‘em, mess ‘em up, lose ‘em—then maybe find ‘em if you have to. It’s not sloppy—it’s slick.
Cracking the Lone Gunman Shell
Oswald, solo, no help—that’s the line. But this hiding game says:
Oswald’s Invisible Trail: He was on CIA radar since ‘59 104-10332-10023]. If they used these tricks then, his Mexico City chats or exile ties could’ve been logged out of existence—leaving us with “lone nut.”
Bigger Fish?: A mess of files and “lost” tapes might hide CIA screw-ups—or worse, hands in the pot [104-10337-10001](https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/2025/0318/104-10337-10001.pdf]. The lone gunman’s cleaner if no one sees the strings.
Hiding in Plain Sight
As of March 22, 2025, these files and past hearings show the CIA’s a pro at stashing secrets—split systems, “do not log,” chaos, fake losses, and too much junk. It’s not just about safety; it’s about keeping eyes off the prize. Oswald’s story stays lone ‘cause the files that might say otherwise are ghosts—buried deep or gone. The official tale holds, but these tricks whisper: what didn’t we find, and why’s it still hiding?