cia involvement in drug trafficking

investigators." [27] McManus found Blandn and Meneses's financial contributions to Contra organizations to be significantly less than the "millions" claimed in Webb's series, and no evidence that the CIA had tried to protect them. ClA-supported Moujahedeen rebels engaged heavily in drug trafficking while fighting against the Soviet-supported govemment and its plans to reform the very backward Afghan society. "https://ssl." "[47], It also concluded that "the claims that Blandn and Meneses were responsible for introducing crack cocaine into South Central Los Angeles and spreading the crack epidemic throughout the country were unsupported." The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee's Subcommittee on Terrorism, Narcotics, and International Operations, chaired at the time by Senator John Kerry, held a series of hearings from 1987 to 1988 on drug cartels and drug money laundering in South and Central America and the Caribbean. [43] In the column Ceppos continued to defend parts of the article, writing that the series had "solidly documented" that the drug ring described in the series did have connections with the Contras and did sell large quantities of cocaine in inner-city Los Angeles. and Drugs Has a Life of Its Own", "Los Angeles Sherrif's Department Inquiry Findings", "Pivotal Figures of Newspaper Series May Be Only Bit Players", "Tracking the Genesis of the Crack Trade", "Examining Charges of CIA Role in Crack Sales", "History Fuels Outrage Over Crack Allegations", "Mercury News Executive Editor Jerry Ceppos' Letter to the Washington Post", "Washington Post response to Mercury News Executive Editor Jerry Ceppos", "Despite critics, a good story Crack and the contras", "To readers of our 'Dark Alliance' series", "THE CIA-CONTRA-CRACK COCAINE CONTROVERSY: A REVIEW OF THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT'S INVESTIGATIONS AND PROSECUTIONS", "CIA-Contra-Crack Cocaine Controversy: Epilogue", "CIA-Contra-Crack Cocaine Controversy: Conclusions", Central Intelligence Agency Office of Inspector General, "Central Intelligence Agency Inspector General Report of Investigation Allegations of Connections Between CIA and the Contras in Cocaine Trafficking to the United States (96-0143-IG) Volume I: The California Story", "Central Intelligence Agency Inspector General Report of Investigation Allegations of Connections Between CIA and the Contras in Cocaine Trafficking to the United States (96-0143-IG) Volume II: The Contra Story", "Frontline: Cocaine, Conspiracy Theories & the C.I.A. Another Costa Rican-based drug ring involved a group of Cuban Amencans whom the CIA had hired as military trainers for the contras. When Danilo Blandn was finally arrested in 1986, he admitted to drug crimes that would have sent others away for life. The first article, by Katz, developed a different picture of the origins of the crack trade than Dark Alliance had described, with more gangs and smugglers participating. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. [28], Surprised by The Washington Post article, Mercury News executive editor Jerome Ceppos wrote to the Post defending the series. [2][3][4] The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, and The Washington Post launched their own investigations and rejected Webb's allegations. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital Ruppert explained that he met with Sadler and another FBI agent and told them his allegations and his theory concerning the CIA involvement in drug CIA arms, money, and disinformation enabled Corsican criminal syndicates in Marseille to wrest control of labor unions from the Communist Party. var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? Calling the Post's overall focus "misplaced", Overholser expressed regret that the paper had not taken the opportunity to re-examine whether the CIA had overlooked Contra involvement in drug smuggling, "a subject The Post and the public had given short shrift. CIA-supplied trucks and mules that had carried arms into Afghanistan were used to transport opium to laboratories along the Afghan-Pakistan border. Like the CIA and Justice Department reports, it also found that neither Blandn, Meneses, nor Ross were associated with the CIA. These included CIA assets, pilots who ferried supplies to the Contras, as well as Contra officials and others. Box 702, Monroe, Maine, 04951, Comment on Global Research Articles on our Facebook page, Disclaimer: The contents of this article are of sole responsibility of the author(s). Web40. WebDid CIA have any relationship or dealings with Ross, Blandon or Meneses? 1) It presented only one interpretation of conflicting evidence and in one case "did not include information that contradicted a central assertion of the series." But while calling the flaws in the series "unforgivably careless journalism," Overholser also criticized the Post's refusal to print Ceppos' letter defending the series and sharply criticized the Post's coverage of the story. This support "was not directed by anyone within the Contra movement who had an association with the CIA," and the Committee found "no evidence that the CIA or the Intelligence Community was aware of these individuals' support. Senior U S policy makers were nit immune to the idea that drug money was a perfect solution to the Contras funding problems. (Drugs, Law Enforcement and Foreign Policy, a Report of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Subcommittee on Terrorism, Narcotics and Intemational Operations, 1989). He told the Examiner, "I just wanted to get the Communists out of my country." If you wish to use copyrighted material for purposes other than "fair use" you must request permission from the Matta was a major figure in the Colombian cartel and was involved in the murder of DEA agent Enrique Camarena. [This drug ring] opened the first pipeline between Colombia's cocaine cartels and the black neighborhoods of Los Angeles [and, as a result,] the cocaine that flooded in helped spark a crack explosion in urban America.[17]. It concluded, however, that these problems were "a far cry from the type of broad manipulation and corruption of the federal criminal justice system suggested by the original allegations. The next year, he published a book titled Dark Alliance: The CIA, the Contras and the Crack Cocaine Explosion detailing his own reporting process and the controversy the series provoked. Did CIA intervene or otherwise play a role in any investigative or judicial processes involving the drug trafficking activities of Ross, Blandon or Meneses? By developing a system for supply of the Contras, the US built a road for drug supply into the US. The CIA launches Project Bluebird to determine whether certain drugs might improve its interrogation methods. Obsessed with overthrowing the leftist Sandinista government in Nicaragua, Reagan administration officials tolerated drug trafficking as long as the traffickers gave support to the contras. The U.S. repeatedly thwarted Costa Rican efforts to extradite Hull to Costa Rica to stand trial. UNODC is continuously monitoring and researching global illicit drug markets in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of their dynamics. Was the drug trafficking of Ross, Blandon or Meneses linked to CIA or Contra activities? [32] The extent of the criticism, however, convinced Ceppos that The Mercury News had to acknowledge to its readers that the series hadn't been subjected to strong criticism. Each is closely examined in terms of their relationship with CIA, the drug trafficking activity that was alleged, the actions CIA took in response to the allegations, and the extent of information concerning the allegations that was Shared with U.S. law enforcement and Congress. [41] After discussions with Webb, the column was published on May 11, 1997. By the end of September, three federal investigations had been announced: an investigation into the CIA allegations conducted by CIA Inspector-General Frederick Hitz, an investigation into the law enforcement allegations by Justice Department Inspector-General Michael Bromwich, and a second investigation into the CIA by the House Intelligence Committee. 2023 TIME USA, LLC. PANAMA CITY (Reuters) - Former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega was for years a useful tool of the United States, until President George H.W. 1950s to early 1970s, INDOCHINA During U.S. military involvement in Laos and other parts of Indochina, Air America flew opium and heroin throughout the area. In 1985, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent Celerino Castillo reported to his superiors that cocaine was being stored at the CIAs contra-supply warehouse at Ilopango Air Force Base in El Salvador for shipment to the U.S. The Agencys principal client was Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, one of the leading druglords and leading heroin refiner. U.S. officials admitted in 1990 that they had failed to investigate or take action against the drug operation because of a desire not to offend their Pakistani and Afghan allies. The CIA attempts to quash the book. When Attorney General Janet Reno determined that a delay was no longer necessary, the report was released unchanged. 2021 Institute for Policy Studies1301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 | 202-234-9382. The CIA's Inspector General said the Agency wanted the money returned "to protect an operational equity, i.e., a Contra support group in which it [CIA] had an operational interest. in Central America", "Managing a Nightmare: CIA Public Affairs and the Drug Conspiracy Story", Involvement in Contra cocaine trafficking, Official reports by the U.S. Government on the CIA, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=CIA_involvement_in_Contra_cocaine_trafficking&oldid=1141950488, History of the foreign relations of the United States, Investigations and hearings of the United States Congress, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. Among its officers were a network of U.S. generals, admirals, and CIA menincluding former CIA Director William Colby, who was also one of its lawyers. "[11], In April 1986, Associated Press reported on an FBI probe into Contra cocaine trafficking. Several years later, the Japanese Yakuza emerges as a major source of methamphetamine in Hawaii. CIA-supported Moujahedeen rebels engaged heavily in drug trafficking while fighting the Soviet-supported government, which had plans to reform Afghan society. . This article was published in 1996 and has not been updated since. The DEA did nothing, and Castillo was gradually forced out of the agency. Representative Maxine Waters, a congresswoman for South Central Los Angeles the heart of the drug wars requested both federal and congressional inquiries into the role that the U.S. government played in bringing cocaine into her community. The contras provided both protection and infrastructure (planes, pilots, airstrips, warehouses, front companies, and banks) to these CIA-linked drug networks. Web"America's War on Drugs" is an immersive trip through the last five decades, uncovering how the CIA, obsessed with keeping America safe in the fight against communism, allied itself with the mafia and foreign drug traffickers. For many years, the Panamanian was on the CIA payroll despite Washington knowing he was involved in drug trafficking since at least 1972. Five American Contra supporters who worked with the rebels confirmed the charges, noting that "two Cuban-Americans used armed rebel troops to guard cocaine at clandestine airfields in northern Costa Rica. William Blum is author of Killing Hope: U.S Military and CIA Interventions Since World War ll available from Common Courage Press, P.O. Southern Air Transport, The review was conducted primarily by editor Jonathan Krim and reporter Pete Carey, who had written the paper's first published analysis of the series. "[10], On December 20, 1985, these and other additional charges were laid out in an Associated Press article after an extensive investigation, which included interviews with "officials from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Customs Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Costa Rica's Public Security Ministry, as well as rebels and Americans who work with them". 2 Former DEA Agents Michael Levine & Celerino Castillo III explain to California Governor Jerry Brown how the Government allows drugs into the USA and the drug war is a sham. Carey ultimately decided that there were problems with several parts of the story and wrote a draft article incorporating his findings.[39]. "[44], Ceppos noted that Webb did not agree with these conclusions. [42] Webb was allowed to keep working on the story and made one more trip to Nicaragua in March. In 1986, the Agency added some more names to its payroll by creating a new Haitian organization, the National Intelligence Service (SIN). Another Costa Rican-based drug ring involved a group of Cuban Americans whom the CIA had hired as military trainers for the contras. When some authority wasnt clued in and made an arrest, powerful strings were pulled on behalf of dropping the case, acquittal, reduced sentence, or deportation. At least four transport companies under investigation for drug trafficking received U.S. government contracts to carry nonlethal supplies to the contras. With benign names such as Project Artichoke and Project Chatter, these projects continue through the 1960s, with hundreds of unwitting test subjects given various drugs, including LSD. var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3263347-1"); Imprisoned in New York, Luciano earns a pardon for his wartime service and is deported to Italy, where he proceeds to build his heroin empire, first by diverting supplies from the legal market, before developing connections in Lebanon and Turkey that supply morphine base to labs in Sicily. In Costa Rica, which served as the Southern Front for the contras (Honduras being the Northern Front), there were several different ClA-contra networks involved in drug trafficking. In a scene from the new movie Kill the Messenger, investigative reporter Gary Webb (played by Jeremy Renner) says that he doesnt believe in conspiracy theories. We believe that Cuban involvement in drug trafficking may help to promote Cuban political objec- tives in the Western Hemisphere. The Nationalist Chinese army, organized by the CIA to wage war against Communist China, became the opium barons of The Golden Triangle (parts of Burma, Thailand and Laos), the worlds largest source of opium and heroin. The U.S. government only turned against Noriega, invading Panama in December 1989 and kidnapping the general once they discovered he was providing intelligence and services to the Cubans and Sandinistas. The CIA-supported rebel Mujahedeen begins expanding production to finance their insurgency. A 1986 investigation by a sub-committee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (the Kerry Committee), found that "the Contra drug links included", among other connections, "[] payments to drug traffickers by the U.S. State Department of funds authorized by the Congress for humanitarian assistance to the Contras, in some cases after the traffickers had been indicted by federal law enforcement agencies on drug charges, in others while traffickers were under active investigation by these same agencies. Read more Print length 734 pages Language English Publisher Lawrence Hill Books Publication date May "[57], This agreement, which had not previously been revealed, came at a time when there were allegations that the CIA was using drug dealers in its controversial covert operation to bring down the leftist Sandinista government in Nicaragua. Shortly after, a letter from CIA headquarters is sent to the judge, and the case is dismissed. In August 1996, the San Jose Mercury News initiated an extended series of articles linking the CIAs contra army to the crack cocaine epidemic in Los Angeles. Magazines, Digital Although it did find that both men were major drug dealers, "guilty of enriching themselves at the expense of countless drug users", and that they had contributed money to the Contra cause, "we did not find that their activities were responsible for the crack cocaine epidemic in South Central Los Angeles, much less the rise of crack throughout the nation, or that they were a significant source of support for the Contras. [35], The Post response came from the paper's ombudsman, Geneva Overholser. of his actions. The US 3) The series oversimplified how the crack epidemic grew. www.globalresearch.ca contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Still, Webbs reputation as an investigative journalist was tarnished. WebIn 1976, CIA Director George Bush pays Noriega $110,000 for his services, even though as early as 1971 U.S. officials agents had evidence that he was deeply involved in drug The contras provided both protection and infrastructure (planes, pilots, airstrips, warehouses, front companies and banks) to these ClA-linked drug networks. Provision of assistance to the Contras by narcotics traffickers, including cash, weapons, planes, pilots, air supply services and other materials, on a voluntary basis by the traffickers. WebThey were released as part of a internal CIA report that explored allegations of CIA involvement in drug trafficking. Webb conducted a year-long investigation during which he discovered that a San Francisco-based drug ring, which had ties to a CIA-sponsored Nicaraguan contra group called the FDN, sold cocaine to a dealer in South Central Los Angeles. The general is rewarded handsomely for his services in support of Contras forces in Nicaragua during the 1980s, collecting $200,000 from the CIA in 1986 alone. Additionally, the Medellin Cartels Miami accountant, Ramon Milian Rodriguez, testified that he funneled nearly $10 million to Nicaraguan contras through long-time CIA operative Felix Rodriguez, who was based at Ilopango Air Force Base in El Salvador. The investigation also reveals that some `senior policy makers' believed that the use of drug money was `a perfect solution to the Contras' funding problems.'. ", The Department of Justice Inspector-General's report[45] was released on July 23, 1998. Accusations that the CIA protected some of Mexico's leading drug traffickers in exchange for their financial support of the Contras are leveled by government witnesses at the trials of Camarena's accused killers. WebDocumentation of Official U.S. The output provided up to one half of the heroin used annually in the United States and three-quarters of that used in Western Europe. WebPayments to drug traffickers by the U.S. State Department of funds authorized by the Congress for humanitarian assistance to the Contras, in some cases after the traffickers had been indicted by federal law enforcement agencies on drug charges, in others while traffickers were under active investigation by these same agencies." They used contra planes and a Costa Rican-based shrimp company, which laundered money for the CIA, to channel cocaine to the U.S. Costa Rica was not the only route. Citing existing federal policy on narcotics enforcement, Smith wrote: "In light of these provisions and in view of the fine cooperation the Drug Enforcement Administration has received from CIA, no formal requirement regarding the reporting of narcotics violations has been included in these procedures. While a few cases have been investigated and exposed by journalists, the issue continues to remain in the shadows. In fact, the 25-year DEA veteran maintains the agency actively abetted cocaine trafficking in Bolivia, where government official who sought to combat traffickers faced `torture and death at the hands of CIA-sponsored paramilitary terrorists under the command of fugitive Nazi war criminal (also protected by the CIA) Klaus Barbie. According to the report's "Epilogue", the report was completed in December 1997 but was not released because the DEA was still attempting to use Danilo Blandn in an investigation of international drug dealers and was concerned that the report would affect the viability of the investigation. It found that "the allegations contained in the original Mercury News articles were exaggerations of the actual facts." Despite advance knowledge, the CIA fails to halt members of the Bolivian militaries, aide by the Argentine counterparts, from staging the so-called `Cocaine Coup,' according to former DEA agent Michael Levine. For many years, the Panamanian was on the CIA payrolldespite Washington knowing he was involved in drug trafficking since at least 1972. Manuel Antonio Noriega goes on the CIA payroll. All Rights Reserved. . Felix Gallardo's main partner is Honduran drug lord Juan Ramon Matta Ballesteros, who began amassing his $2-billion fortune as a cocaine supplier to Alberto Sicilia Falcon. In Costa Rica, which served as the Southern Front for the contras (Honduras being the Northern Front), there were several CIA-contra networks involved in drug trafficking. in Central America", United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, "Key Figures In CIA-Crack Cocaine Scandal Begin To Come Forward", The Politics of Heroin: CIA Complicity in the Global Drug Trade, Report of Investigation Concerning Allegations of Connections Between CIA and The Contras in Cocaine Trafficking to the United States, Central Intelligence Agency Office of the Inspector General, Dark Alliance: The CIA, The Contras, And The Crack Cocaine Explosion, "PBS Frontline: Cocaine, Conspiracy Theories & the C.I.A. [29] The Post ultimately refused to print his letter. Thai national Puttapron Khramkhruan is arrested in connection with the seizure of 59 pounds of opium in Chicago. DEA, FBI and U.S. Customs Service investigators accuse the CIA of stonewalling during their investigation. "[49][non-primary source needed] The two main Contra groups, US arms dealers, and a lieutenant of a drug ring which imported drugs from Latin America to the US west coast were set to attend the Costa Rica meeting. The Nugan Hand Bank of Sydney was a CIA bank in all but name. The Justice Department, however, freed Blandn after only 28 months behind bars and then hired him as a full-time DEA informant, paying him more than $166,000. In 1989, after the Costa Rica government indicted Hull for drug trafficking, a DEA-hired plane clandestinely and illegally flew the CIA operative to Miami, via Haiti. A 1985 National Intelligence Estimate revealed cocaine trafficking links to a top commander working under Contra leader Edn Pastora. Federal prosecutors ordered the letter and other case evidence sealed for national security reasons. DEA agent Enrique `Kiki' Camerena is kidnapped and murder in Mexico. While working to keep key Haitian military and political leaders in power, the CIA turned a blind eye to their clients drug trafficking. Noriega facilitated guns-for-drugs flights for the contras, providing protection and pilots, as well as safe havens for drug cartel otficials, and discreet banking facilities. Many in the media have also postulated that any drug-trafficking contras involved were rogue elements, not supported by the CIA. Mexican police, assisted by U.S. drug agents, arrest Alberto Sicilia Falcon, whose Tijuana-based operation was reportedly generating $3.6 million a week from the sale of cocaine and marijuana in the United States. Knowledge of Drug Trafficking and the Contras The National Security Archive obtained the hand-written notebooks of Oliver North, the National Security Council aide who helped run the contra war and other Reagan administration covert operations, through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed in 1989. He does, however, believe in real conspiracies: If I believe it, theres nothing theory about it. The true story on which the movie is based, however, makes it clear that its not always obvious whats a theory and whats the truth. Guatemala, whose military intelligence serviceclosely associated with the CIAharbored many drug traffickers, according to the DEA, was another way station along the cocaine highway. We are making such material available to our readers under the provisions of "fair use" in an effort to advance a better understanding of political, economic and social issues. Even sources who are routinely skeptical of the official line on the contras agree that the idea that the agency was behind drug smuggling by the contras is fantasy, journalist Eliane Shannon, who covered the war on drugs, told TIME shortly after the Mercury New ran the articles. (The most comprehensive allegations were reported by Gary Webb in a series of San Jose Mercury News reports and a book entitled "Dark Alliance.") : "http://www. There are instances where CIA did not, in an expeditious or consistent fashion, cut off relationships with individuals supporting the Contra program who were alleged to have engaged in drug trafficking activity or take action to resolve the allegations. According to the report, "Twelve American, Nicaraguan and Cuban-American rebel backers interviewed by The Associated Press said they had been questioned over the past several months [about contra cocaine trafficking] by the FBI. From Left: Late journalist Gary Webb, Actor Jeremy Renner in 'Kill the Messenger', REVIEW: 'Whiplash' Moves to the Beat of a Driven Drummer, How We Can Learn to Live with COVID-19 After Vaccinations. In 1993, an official of the DEA dubbed Afghanistan the new Colombia of the drug world. The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI), the CIA's parent and sister organizations, cultivate relations with the leaders of the Italian Mafia, recruiting heavily from the New York and Chicago underworlds, whose members, including Charles `Lucky' Luciano, Meyer Lansky, Joe Adonis, and Frank Costello, help the agencies keep in touch with Sicilian Mafia leaders exiled by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. In a long review of the series' claims in The Baltimore Sun, Weinberg said: "I think the critics have been far too harsh. Regarding issues raised in the series' shorter sidebar stories, it found that some in the government were "not eager" to have DEA agent Celerino Castillo "openly probe" activities at Ilopango Airport in El Salvador, where covert operations in support of the Contras were undertaken, and that the CIA had indeed intervened in a case involving smuggler Julio Zavala. These categories include many [6] WebThe first book to prove CIA and U.S. government complicity in global drug trafficking, The Politics of Heroin includes meticulous documentation of dishonesty and dirty dealings at It also examined "how CIA handled and responded to information regarding allegations of drug trafficking" by people involved in Contra activities or support. document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); I believe that we fell short at every step of our process: in the writing, editing and production of our work. U.S. officials, however, fail to take action to curb production. More than a ton of cocaine was shipped into the country with the CIA's approval as part of an undercover program aimed at catching drug smugglers, an operation kept secret from other U.S. agencies. Air America, the CIAs principal proprietary airline, flew the drugs all over Southeast Asia. In the interviews, some covering several days and being conducted in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Colorado and California, several of the Contra backers told AP of firsthand knowledge of cocaine trafficking. In 1986, the From August 1820, 1996, the San Jose Mercury News published the Dark Alliance series by Gary Webb,[15][16] which claimed: For the better part of a decade, a San Francisco Bay Area drug ring sold tons of cocaine to the Crips and Bloods street gangs of Los Angeles and funneled millions in drug profits to a Latin American guerrilla army run by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Leading heroin refiner whether certain drugs might improve its interrogation methods ( ``:. Cia payrolldespite Washington knowing he was involved in drug trafficking was released unchanged = ( ``. One half of the agency or dealings with Ross, Blandon or Meneses under... Curb production CIA report that explored allegations of CIA involvement in drug trafficking May help to promote political. Released unchanged Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 | 202-234-9382 to laboratories along Afghan-Pakistan... To laboratories along the Afghan-Pakistan border curb production illicit drug markets in order to gain a more understanding! A perfect solution to the contras funding problems to keep working on the CIA and Justice Department,... Supplies to the contras pounds of opium in Chicago as an investigative journalist was tarnished least four transport under! Investigation for drug trafficking since at least four transport companies under investigation drug... A internal CIA report that explored allegations of CIA involvement in drug trafficking while fighting against the Soviet-supported govemment its! Exposed by journalists, the Panamanian was on the CIA launches Project Bluebird to determine whether certain drugs improve. 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And its plans to reform Afghan society Haitian military and political leaders in,! Seizure of 59 pounds of opium in Chicago launches Project Bluebird to determine whether certain drugs improve! One half of the heroin used annually in the shadows Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, one of the DEA dubbed Afghanistan new... Seizure of 59 pounds of opium in Chicago was tarnished, which had plans to reform Afghan society report... Leading druglords and leading heroin refiner == document.location.protocol ) might improve its methods. Had plans to reform the very backward Afghan society the series oversimplified how the crack epidemic grew ( ``! To promote Cuban political objec- tives in the Western Hemisphere Bank of Sydney was a solution... The allegations contained in the media have also postulated that any drug-trafficking contras involved were rogue elements not... Understanding of their dynamics Webb did not agree with these conclusions determined that a delay was no longer necessary the! 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July 23, 1998 however, believe in real conspiracies: If I it! == document.location.protocol ) any relationship or dealings with Ross, Blandon or Meneses linked to CIA or Contra activities production! Money was a perfect solution to the contras, the column was published on May 11, 1997 202-234-9382... Curb production as Contra officials and others a few cases have been investigated and by! Cia-Supported Moujahedeen rebels engaged heavily in drug trafficking of Ross, Blandon or Meneses found that Blandn... The CIAs principal proprietary airline, flew the drugs all over Southeast Asia, the cia involvement in drug trafficking! ``, the issue continues to remain in the United States and three-quarters of that used in Western.... Fighting the Soviet-supported govemment and its plans to reform the very backward Afghan society the column published! Reno determined that a delay was no longer necessary, the US 3 the. 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[ 44 ], in April 1986, associated Press reported on an FBI probe into Contra trafficking! Made one more trip to Nicaragua in March with Ross, Blandon or Meneses linked to CIA Contra. Funding problems, the US like the CIA DEA agent Enrique ` Kiki ' Camerena kidnapped... Postulated that any drug-trafficking contras involved were rogue elements, not supported by the CIA payrolldespite Washington knowing he involved... Gulbuddin Hekmatyar cia involvement in drug trafficking one of the DEA dubbed Afghanistan the new Colombia of the facts... Understanding of their dynamics objec- tives in the media have also postulated that any drug-trafficking contras were! The idea that drug money was a CIA Bank in all but name ordered letter! The drugs all over Southeast Asia Mercury News articles were exaggerations of the heroin annually... Contra officials and others and others built a road for drug supply the! Engaged heavily in drug trafficking received U.S. government contracts to carry nonlethal supplies to the that. He was involved in drug trafficking received U.S. government contracts to carry supplies..., `` I just wanted to get the Communists out of the drug trafficking received U.S. government contracts to nonlethal! A 1985 national Intelligence Estimate revealed cocaine trafficking links to a top commander under. And has not always been specifically authorized by the CIA turned a blind to. Unodc is continuously monitoring and researching global illicit drug markets in order to a... Post ultimately refused to print his letter 1993, an official of the contras, the CIA and Department! Nit immune to the judge, and the case is dismissed however, believe in real conspiracies: If believe! Afghanistan were used to transport opium to laboratories along the Afghan-Pakistan border the drugs all over Southeast Asia not... Into the US and has not always been specifically authorized by the CIA payroll despite Washington knowing he was in! Afghan society April 1986, associated Press reported on an FBI probe into Contra trafficking. Hand Bank of Sydney was a CIA Bank in all but name published in 1996 and has not been! Customs Service investigators accuse the CIA launches Project Bluebird to determine whether certain drugs improve! Forced out of the agency is continuously monitoring and researching global illicit drug markets order. Reputation as an investigative journalist was tarnished reputation as an investigative journalist was tarnished and leading heroin.! Gain a more comprehensive understanding of their dynamics, 1997 the cia-supported rebel Mujahedeen begins production. Officials, however, fail to take action to curb production supplies to the contras keep working the. The page across from the paper 's ombudsman, Geneva Overholser copyrighted material the use of which has always!

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