cia involvement in drug trafficking

First recruited by the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency in 1959, Noriega becomes an invaluable asset for the CIA when he takes charge of Panama's intelligence service after the 1968 military coup, providing services for U.S. covert operations and facilitating the use of Panama as the center of U.S. intelligence gathering in Latin America. [49], According to the report, the Inspector-General's office (OIG) examined all information the agency had "relating to CIA knowledge of drug trafficking allegations in regard to any person directly or indirectly involved in Contra activities." The US Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); Cocaine-laden planes flew to Florida, Texas, Louisiana, and other locations, including several military bases. var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ?

. 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. The San Jose Mercury News series documents just one thread of the interwoven operations linking the CIA, the contras, and the cocaine cartels. After the Marxist Sandinista government came to power in 1979, Noriega was brought back into the CIA fold. 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. One of the Americans said "that in one ongoing operation, the cocaine is unloaded from planes at rebel airstrips and taken to an Atlantic coast port where it is concealed on shrimp boats that are later unloaded in the Miami area. Cuban intelligence officers have Attorneys' Offices. A 1985 National Intelligence Estimate revealed cocaine trafficking links to a top commander working under Contra leader Edn Pastora. While working to keep key Haitian military and political leaders in power, the CIA turned a blind eye to their clients' drug trafficking. 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. "); WebIn 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. Information about the smuggling to U.S knew that there was an arms-for-drugs shuttle and did nothing to stop.! He became de facto dictator of Panama in 1984, little changed: [ emailprotected ] as military trainers the. In protecting its assets, including top drug trafficker and kidnapping principal Miguel Angel Felix.! 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The CIA-supported rebel Mujahedeen begins expanding production to finance their insurgency. According to the series, Ross was a major drug dealer in Los Angeles, and Blandn and Meneses were Nicaraguans who smuggled drugs into the U.S. and supplied dealers like Ross. Another Costa Rican-based drug ring involved a group of Cuban Americans whom the CIA had hired as military trainers for the contras. U.S. authorities claim the CIA is more interested in protecting its assets, including top drug trafficker and kidnapping principal Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo. 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 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.'. They also note that neither Ross nor the gangs were the first or sole distributors of crack in L.A. Webb, however, did not claim this. 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. It only concluded that the State Department gave money to companies with the intent of helping the Contras that were involved in drug trafficking. An editorial in the Times, while criticizing the series for making "unsubstantiated charges," conceded that it did find "drug-smuggling and dealing by Nicaraguans with at least tentative connections to the Contras" and called for further investigation. And major mediathe New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Washington Posthave run long pieces refuting the Mercury News series. [52] Hitz stated that: Volume II will be devoted to a detailed treatment of what was known to CIA regarding dozens of people and a number of companies connected in some fashion to the Contra program or the Contra movement that were the subject of any sort of drug trafficking allegations. of his actions. And I know so because I was told by some of these pilots that in fact they had done that."[54]. In short, Webb accused the CIA of being complicit in getting thousands of poor African-Americans addicted to crack in order to fund rebels in Central America.

. Hull and other ClA-connected contra supporters and pilots teamed up with George Morales, a major Miami-based Colombian drug trafficker who later admitted to giving $3 million in cash and several planes to contra leaders. A laboratory built at CIA headquarters in northern Laos was used to refine heroin. It also examined "how CIA handled and responded to information regarding allegations of drug trafficking" by people involved in Contra activities or support. The Nugan Hand Bank of Sydney was a CIA bank in all but name. WebCIA has had a solid rule against being involved in drug trafficking. The CIA launches Project Bluebird to determine whether certain drugs might improve its interrogation methods. The CIA has a long history of being involved in global drug trade in all parts of the world under the control of the US or where it has considerable influence. Federal prosecutors ordered the letter and other case evidence sealed for national security reasons. "[44], Ceppos noted that Webb did not agree with these conclusions. After Ceppos' column, The Mercury News spent the next several months conducting an internal review of the story. The Cuban exile claims he was a CIA protege, trained as part of the agency's anti-Castro efforts, and in exchange for his help in moving weapons to certain groups in Central America, the CIA facilitated his movement of drugs. The Kerry inquest never concluded that the CIA sold drugs in the US. While a few cases have been investigated and exposed by journalists, the issue continues to remain in the shadows. It noted that Blandn and Meneses claimed to have donated money to Contra sympathizers in Los Angeles, but found no information to confirm that it was true or that the agency had heard of it. The CIAs history began in the 1980s. Ricky Ross claims to this day to have been provided with cocaine by the CIA, but is this true? The lieutenant trafficker was also a Contra, and the CIA knew that there was an arms-for-drugs shuttle and did nothing to stop it. WebRuppert told the OIG that he met with FBI special agent "Buck" Sadler about CIA involvement in drug trafficking and that Sadler had, according to Ruppert, verified Ruppert's suspicions. In 1986, the Agency added some more names to its payroll by creating a new Haitian organization, the National Intelligence Service (SIN). The Agencys principal client was Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, one of the leading druglords and leading heroin refiner. "[52], The report also stated that former DEA agent Celerino Castillo alleged that during the 1980s, Ilopango Airport in El Salvador was used by Contras for drug smuggling flights, and "his attempts to investigate Contra drug smuggling were stymied by DEA management, the U.S. Embassy in El Salvador, and the CIA". UNODC is continuously monitoring and researching global illicit drug markets in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of their dynamics. The Nugan Hand Bank of Sydney was a CIA bank in all but name.

WebLAPD Narcotics detective confronts CIA director over their involvement in the drug trade. A CIA informant on narcotics trafficking in northern Thailand, he claims that agency had full knowledge . (See Christopher Robbins, Air America, Avon Books, 1985, chapter 9). Still, Webbs reputation as an investigative journalist was tarnished. Free Books! "[7], On March 16, 1986, the San Francisco Examiner published a report on the "1983 seizure of 430 pounds (200kg) of cocaine from a Colombian freighter" in San Francisco; it said that a "cocaine ring in the San Francisco Bay area helped finance Nicaragua's Contra rebels." When he became de facto dictator of Panama in 1984, little changed. 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. Although the Carter administration suspends payments to Noriega, he returns to the U.S. payroll when President Reagan takes office in 1981. 2023 TIME USA, LLC.

As I said earlier, we have found no evidence in the course of this lengthy investigation of any conspiracy by CIA or its employees to bring drugs into the United States. When some authority wasnt apprised and made an arrest, powerful strings were pulled to result in dropping the case, acquittal, reduced sentence, or deportation. In addition to those servicing the Meneses-Blandon operation (detailed by the Mercury News) and Noriegas operation, there was CIA operative John Hull, whose farms along Costa Ricas border with Nicaragua were the main staging area for the contras. Subcommittee on Terrorism, Narcotics, and International Operations, drug money laundering in South and Central America, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Subcommittee on Terrorism, Narcotics, and International Communications and International Economic Policy, Trade, Oceans, and Environment of the Committee on Foreign Relations, United States Senate, "C.I.A. . In each case, one or another agency of the U.S. government had information regarding the involvement either while it was occurring, or immediately thereafter. [29] Carey's critique appeared in mid-October and went through several of the Post criticisms of the series, including the importance of Blandn's drug ring in spreading crack, questions about Blandn's testimony in court, and how specific series allegations about CIA involvement had been, giving Webb's responses. WebA 1998, a CIA inspector generals report denied any ties between the U.S. government and the drug dealers Webb named in his articles and book, but ultimately confirmed Webbs The Centre for Research on Globalization will not be responsible for any inaccurate or incorrect statement in this article. For publication of Global Research articles in print or other forms including commercial internet sites, contact: [emailprotected]. The Central Intelligence Agency Several also said they supplied information about the smuggling to U.S. 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. In 1986, the Agency added some more names to its payroll by creating a new Haitian organization, the National Intelligence Service (SIN). 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. The agency was aware of trafficking, and (in some cases) dissuaded the DEA and other agencies from investigating the Contra supply networks involved. Despite the CIA suppression of investigative reporting on the matter, many of the US government's own reports have confirmed significant involvement of the CIA with cocaine trafficking during the war.

The foregoing discussion should not be regarded as any kind of historical aberration inasmuch as the CIA has had a long and virtually continuous involvement with drug trafficking since the end of World War II. 4) The series "created impressions that were open to misinterpretation" through "imprecise language and graphics. The subject remains controversial. Their silence not only serves to maintain public support for the Mujahedeen, it also smooths relations with Pakistan, whose leaders, deeply implicated in the heroin trade, help channel CIA support to the Afghan rebels. 2021 Institute for Policy Studies1301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 | 202-234-9382. Ironically drug trafficking through Panama increased after the US invasion. WebIn August 1985, the CIA received information that Miranda was in Los Angeles and wanted to provide information on Sandinista arms and drug smuggling in return for assistance in settling in the United States. Deciding that he has outlived his usefulness to the Contra cause, the Reagan Administration approves an indictment of Noriega on drug charges. 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. A Russian man accused of trying to smuggle about 900 pounds of