The CIA and FBI involvement in JFK assassination has been a subject of intense debate for decades. When President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963, the Warren Commission concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. However, newly declassified files suggest that the CIA and FBI had prior knowledge of Oswald and may have played a role in withholding key intelligence.
CIA’s Connection to Oswald: A Suspicious Relationship
One of the most intriguing aspects of the CIA and FBI involvement in JFK assassination is the agency’s relationship with Lee Harvey Oswald. Oswald was under surveillance after his 1959 defection to the Soviet Union and remained a person of interest.
In September 1963, just two months before Kennedy’s assassination, Oswald allegedly visited Cuban and Soviet embassies in Mexico City. The CIA had active surveillance on these locations, yet no clear photographic or audio evidence confirms his presence. Some researchers believe this suggests an Oswald impostor or intentional intelligence manipulation.
Additionally, declassified files indicate that high-ranking CIA officials knew about Oswald’s activities before the assassination but chose not to share this information. Whether this was due to negligence or a deeper cover-up remains an open question.
Read declassified JFK files here: JFK Files: Key Highlights and Revelations
FBI’s Role: Ignoring Warnings and Destroying Evidence
The FBI was also closely watching Oswald before the assassination. Reports indicate that the agency received multiple warnings about a potential threat to Kennedy, but these alerts were either ignored or buried.
After the assassination, the FBI’s actions became even more questionable. Reports suggest that J. Edgar Hoover, then-FBI director, ordered key documents altered or destroyed. Witness testimonies were also allegedly manipulated to support the official lone gunman narrative.
The CIA and FBI involvement in JFK assassination raises significant questions about whether these agencies were merely negligent or actively covering up the truth.
Cover-Up or Intelligence Failure?
The declassified files do not prove that the CIA or FBI orchestrated JFK’s assassination, but they do suggest that both agencies may have engaged in a cover-up—whether to protect intelligence operations, hide failures, or prevent public distrust.
One theory is that Oswald was not acting alone but was instead a pawn in a larger conspiracy involving rogue intelligence officials, anti-Castro groups, or even elements of the Mafia. The fact that Oswald was murdered by Jack Ruby just two days after his arrest only deepens the mystery.
Explore conspiracy theories about JFK’s assassination: https://www.archives.gov/research/jfk/release-2025
Conclusion: The Mystery Remains
The CIA and FBI involvement in JFK assassination continues to spark speculation. While some files have been declassified, many remain hidden, fueling suspicions that the full truth has yet to be uncovered. Whether it was a failure of intelligence or a more sinister plot, the assassination of John F. Kennedy remains one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in American history.