| | '''Barry Seal''' was a Green Beret in the [[Vietnam war]] and later a pilot for TWA. In 1972 he was indicted but aquitted on charges of conspiring to ship explosives to anti-[[Castro]][[Cuba]]ns in [[Mexico]]. From 1973 to 1982 he ran a no questions asked aiplane dealership, which included as customers the [[CIA]]. During this period he also flew [[marijuana]], and later [[cocaine]] from [[Colombia]] to his private airstrip in [[Baton Rouge]], [[Louisiana]]. | | '''Barry Seal''' was a Green Beret in the [[Vietnam war]] and later a pilot for TWA. In 1972 he was indicted but aquitted on charges of conspiring to ship explosives to anti-[[Castro]][[Cuba]]ns in [[Mexico]]. From 1973 to 1982 he ran a no questions asked aiplane dealership, which included as customers the [[CIA]]. During this period he also flew [[marijuana]], and later [[cocaine]] from [[Colombia]] to his private airstrip in [[Baton Rouge]], [[Louisiana]]. |
| − | In 1982 he was arrested in Ft. Lauderdale, [[Florida]] for possession with intent to deliver quaaludes. He faced a 10-year sentence. He tried to cut a deal with the [[DEA]], but they weren't interested. So, Seal flew on a Lear jet to [[Washington, DC]] for a hearing before the National Narcotics Border Interdiction Task Force. The NNBITF was a Vice Presidential Task Force. They overruled the concerns of the [[Miami]] DEA office and made an arrangement with Seal.<ref>https://www.mail-archive.com/ctrl@listserv.aol.com/msg31127.html </ref> He was put to work in Operation Screamer, which included the largest drug bust in Nevada history. Later, [[Oliver North]]'s network had Seal work undercover to discredit the [[Sandinista]] government. Seal agreed to fly his C-130 transport plane to a site where Sandinista soldiers would be photographed loading it with 750 kilos of cocaine.<ref>https://youtu.be/7yc3Zmz3z3M </ref> This photo evidence was widely publicized in the US, until it became known that they had been faked. That cleared Seal of the DEA. North then recruited the ex-Green Beret to help manage and fly missions to [[Central America]]. That took him to Mena, Arkansas.<ref>http://www.idfiles.com/menacoverup.htm </ref> | + | In 1982 he was arrested in Ft. Lauderdale, [[Florida]] for possession with intent to deliver quaaludes. He faced a 10-year sentence. He tried to cut a deal with the [[DEA]], but they weren't interested. So, Seal flew to [[Washington, DC]] for a hearing before the National Narcotics Border Interdiction Task Force. The NNBITF was a Vice Presidential Task Force. They overruled the concerns of the [[Miami]] DEA office and made an arrangement with Seal.<ref>https://www.mail-archive.com/ctrl@listserv.aol.com/msg31127.html </ref> He was put to work in Operation Screamer, which included the largest drug bust in Nevada history. Later, [[Oliver North]]'s network had Seal work undercover to discredit the [[Sandinista]] government. Seal agreed to fly his C-130 transport plane to a site where Sandinista soldiers would be photographed loading it with 750 kilos of cocaine.<ref>https://youtu.be/7yc3Zmz3z3M </ref> This photo evidence was widely publicized in the US, until it became known that they had been faked. That cleared Seal of the DEA. North then recruited the ex-Green Beret to help manage and fly missions to [[Central America]]. That took him to Mena, Arkansas.<ref>http://www.idfiles.com/menacoverup.htm </ref> |
| | Seal first made contact with the Medellin cartel's Miami contacts, Fillix Dixon Bates and Carlos Bustmante. Medellin was headed at time by the Ochoa brothers: Juan, Jorge and Flavio Ochoa. Soon he was in Colombia contracting with the Ochoas to deliver their cocaine to customers in Miami and the West Coast. | | Seal first made contact with the Medellin cartel's Miami contacts, Fillix Dixon Bates and Carlos Bustmante. Medellin was headed at time by the Ochoa brothers: Juan, Jorge and Flavio Ochoa. Soon he was in Colombia contracting with the Ochoas to deliver their cocaine to customers in Miami and the West Coast. |