Should subject decide to return to Latvia, the damage of revelations to the Soviets would be extensive: not only is he knowledgeable in great detail of Latvian REDSOX activities during 1951-1954, but he is also well-informed of our involvement with black radio broadcasts beamed to Latvia over the Spanish Government-owned Radio Madrid. Our role in those broadcasts is not known. The Spanish Government and Soviet revelations to that effect could prove to be very embarrassing.
The draft memorandum was re-worked, and on January 29, 1965, David E. Murphy, Chief, SR Division, sent a memorandum to ADDP, in which this summary paragraph was included:
The Latvian REDSOX operations in which Subject was involved in 1952-54 were fully exposed to the Soviets when all of the agents were either killed or captured, and the Soviets later made propaganda use of some of the facts. Thus, Subject would provide primarily confirmatory information on these operations if he were to repatriate to Latvia. He knew a number of SR case officers, but as far as we can determine, only one of them was in his true name. He assisted in anti-Soviet Latvian broadcasts from Radio Madrid as a CIA agent could be somewhat embarrassing if the Soviets were to publicize this facet of his activities. While the extent of potential damage involved in Subject's repatriation is not excessive, we believe it appropriate nevertheless to take reasonable measures to prevent or at least delay his repatriation.
For years afterward, Launags traveled around the United States searching for permanent employment but was unsuccessful in his attempts. In 1967, one internal CIA memorandum included this comment:
At first, we attempted to monitor and control Subject's activities indirectly through his former friend, who is still employed by the Agency on contract. We also furnished Subject modest amounts of money, which ostensibly were hand-outs given him by his friend.
Despite the efforts of the CIA and many of his friends to assist him financially and help him find suitable employment, he has not been able to hold a job for more than a few weeks. He has turned most of his former friends against him for his irrational behavior.
In 1965, Launags wrote a threatening letter to President Johnson if he did not liberate Latvia. CIA contacted the U.S: Secret Service: "[W[e notified the Secret Service and other appropriate agencies at the end of 1965 that we considered Subject a possible threat to the President. The Secret Service interviewed Subject shortly after that and found him rational at that time. Since then, we have kept the Service and the other appropriate agencies advised of any outstanding incidents concerning Subject."
Launags visited the Soviet Mission at the United Nations in New York at least three times, seeking a visa to visit Latvia as a journalist to report on conditions in Latvia for émigré publications in the West. These visits resulted in a Riga Radio broadcast on June 26, 1967, about Launags. This was followed up in an article in the official newspaper of Latvia "Cina" on July 1, 1967, "Why a Visa was not issued to him." This article was republished in newspapers in the Latvia SSR and in the West. CIA determined the original article was accurate in Launags's biography. He was accused of being a Nazi war criminal and CIA agent involved in sending other CIA agents into Latvia.
The CIA was not concerned about these articles because, "If he discussed his CIA activities with the Soviets or should disclose them in the future, he could provide no current operational information. The only historical item he could provide which still retains some degree of sensitivity is that CIA was behind the black broadcasts to Latvia which were made by the Spanish Government Radio from 1957-1961."
Another relevant episode in his troubled life took place in December 1968, when Launags was arrested in Olympia, Washington, on the charges of vagrancy/ trespassing.
He called CIA's Portland Resident Agent (name unknown) collect and told him about the arrest and was in the Thurston County jail. The FBI was notified and sent an agent to arrange Launags' release from jail and give him travel expenses. The FBI agent gave the police $13.05 ($3.05 for a bus ticket to Portland and $10.00 for living expenses) to give Launags upon his release from jail; he was released on December 18, 1968. Although the County Deputy Prosecutor wanted to press trespassing charges against Launags, the Sheriff requested that he did not do so, and the charge was dropped. Launags then worked in Oregon in various low-skilled jobs; the last known ones were in tree reforestation projects in 1969.
During subsequent years, Launags apparently received some of the necessary medical and/or psychological treatment or gained stability in his life because he was later positively referred to as a writer, poet, and member of the Latvian resistance in Latvian émigré and other publications. In 1986, Launags was the editor of the weekly newspaper Brīvā Latvija (Free Latvia), published in Münster, Germany.
Freds Launags eventually returned to the United States. Still, it is unknown when and what he did afterward, except he visited Latvia in 1991, sometime before his death in Los Angeles on November 22, 1991.
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