Changes

Louisiana. Seal was a [[DEA]] informant/operative who was deeply involved in [[Iran-Contra]] and Gov. [[Bill Clinton]]'s Mena, Arkansas drug smuggling and [[money laundering]] operation  through the [[Arkansas Development Finance Authority]] (ADFA).

Louisiana. Seal was a [[DEA]] informant/operative who was deeply involved in [[Iran-Contra]] and Gov. [[Bill Clinton]]'s Mena, Arkansas drug smuggling and [[money laundering]] operation  through the [[Arkansas Development Finance Authority]] (ADFA).

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]].

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 near [[Baton Rouge]].

==Turns government informant==

==Turns government informant==

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 Florida [[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 plea bargain 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 videotaped loading it with 750 kilos of cocaine.<ref>https://youtu.be/7yc3Zmz3z3M </ref> This video evidence was widely publicized in the US, until it became known that it 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 Florida [[DEA]], but they weren't interested. So, Seal flew to [[Washington, DC]] for a hearing before the National Narcotics Border Interdiction Task Force (NNBITF). The NNBITF was a Vice Presidential Task Force. They overruled the concerns of the [[Miami]] DEA office and made an plea bargain 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 videotaped loading it with 750 kilos of cocaine.<ref>https://youtu.be/7yc3Zmz3z3M </ref> This video evidence was widely publicized in the US, until it became known that it 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>

==Mena, Arkansas==

==Mena, Arkansas==

Staff writer Gary Webb for the ''San Jose Mercury News'' published a series of articles detailing that at the time Seal was operating a [[San Francisco]] Bay area drug ring sold tons of cocaine to [[Los Angeles]] street gangs and funneled profits to Contra groups affiliated with the Mena operation. According to Webb, the CIA had thwarted repeated attempts to prosecute the ring's kingpin possibly to cover-up ties between traffickers and Contra leaders.<ref>''Dark Alliance, the CIA, the Contras and the Crack Cocaine Explosion'', Seven Stories Press, New York, 1999. </ref>

Staff writer Gary Webb for the ''San Jose Mercury News'' published a series of articles detailing that at the time Seal was operating a [[San Francisco]] Bay area drug ring sold tons of cocaine to [[Los Angeles]] street gangs and funneled profits to Contra groups affiliated with the Mena operation. According to Webb, the CIA had thwarted repeated attempts to prosecute the ring's kingpin possibly to cover-up ties between traffickers and Contra leaders.<ref>''Dark Alliance, the CIA, the Contras and the Crack Cocaine Explosion'', Seven Stories Press, New York, 1999. </ref>

A later CIA inspector general's declassified report<ref>November 1996</ref> admitted the CIA had been at Mena for routine aviation related services, and that L.D. Brown, an Arkansas state policeman assigned to security at the governor mansion and Governor [[Bill Clinton]]'s driver, had been a candidate for CIA employment in 1984 at the suggestion of Bill Clinton. The report also stated the CIA installed cameras on his plane had limited contact with Seal. The camaras had been used for an anti-Sandinista [[propaganda]] video widely circulated in the United States.

A later CIA inspector general's declassified report<ref>November 1996</ref> admitted the CIA had been at Mena for routine aviation related services, and that L.D. Brown, an Arkansas state policeman assigned to security at the governor mansion and Governor [[Bill Clinton]]'s driver, had been a candidate for CIA employment in 1984 at the suggestion of Bill Clinton. The report also stated the CIA installed cameras on Seal's plane had limited contact with Seal. The camaras had been used for an anti-Sandinista [[propaganda]] video widely circulated in the United States.

Brown noticed an ad in the paper for CIA employment and discussed it with Bill Clinton who encouraged him to apply. As part of the interview process, Brown was asked to write an essay. Bill Clinton even suggested the topic of the essay, drug smuggling in Central America, and edited the essay for him. An individual at the CIA headquarters in [[Dallas]] interviewed Brown then told Brown he would be getting a phone call from someone he needed to meet. The call came  from Barry Seal who invited him to Mena. Seal then invited Brown to take an airplane flight to Central America on a C-123 in 1984 which he did. On this flight some [[Hispanic]]s kicked some containers out of the plane. At the flight's end they loaded duffel bags and flew them back to Mena. Seal showed Brown cocaine in the duffel bags.<ref>L.D. Brown, ''Cross-fire: Witness in the Clinton Investigation'', Black Forest Press, San Diego, California 1999 </ref>

Brown noticed an ad in the paper for CIA employment and discussed it with Bill Clinton who encouraged him to apply. As part of the interview process, Brown was asked to write an essay. Bill Clinton even suggested the topic of the essay, drug smuggling in Central America, and edited the essay for him. An individual at the CIA headquarters in [[Dallas]] interviewed Brown then told Brown he would be getting a phone call from someone he needed to meet. The call came  from Barry Seal who invited him to Mena. Seal then invited Brown to take an airplane flight to Central America on a C-123 in 1984 which he did. On this flight some [[Hispanic]]s kicked some containers out of the plane. At the flight's end they loaded duffel bags and flew them back to Mena. Seal showed Brown cocaine in the duffel bags.<ref>L.D. Brown, ''Cross-fire: Witness in the Clinton Investigation'', Black Forest Press, San Diego, California 1999 </ref>

Arkansas state police investigator Russell Welch supplied US Attorney Asa Hutchinson with a list of 20 witnesses that included Barry Seal and officers of Rich Mountain Aviation in Mena, but Hutchinson only subpoenaed two of the 20 witnesses to the [[grand jury]] and they complained that Hutchinson asked nothing about the crime.  

Arkansas state police investigator Russell Welch supplied US Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas [[Asa Hutchinson]] with a list of 20 witnesses that included Barry Seal and officers of Rich Mountain Aviation in Mena, but Hutchinson only subpoenaed two of the 20 witnesses to the [[grand jury]], and they complained that Hutchinson asked nothing about the crime. (Hutchinson was later elected Governor of Arkansas.)

[[Internal Revenue Service]] agent Bill Duncan was asked by Hutchinson to look for evidence of [[money laundering]], which Duncan found. Duncan reported that Seal had a Learjet, [[helicopter]]s, military cargo planes, several smaller planes, and two ships with  navigational equipment, one of which had a helipad.  

[[Internal Revenue Service]] agent Bill Duncan was asked by Hutchinson to look for evidence of [[money laundering]], which Duncan found. Duncan reported that Seal had a Learjet, [[helicopter]]s, military cargo planes, several smaller planes, and two ships with  navigational equipment, one of which had a helipad.