CIA involvement in Contra cocaine trafficking

For the related broader allegations of drug trafficking by the CIA, see Allegations of CIA drug trafficking.

A number of writers have alleged that the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was involved in the Nicaraguan Contras' cocaine trafficking operations during the 1980s Nicaraguan civil war. These claims have led to investigations by the United States government, including hearings and reports by the United States House of Representatives, Senate, Department of Justice, and the CIA's Office of the Inspector General which ultimately concluded the allegations were unsupported. The subject remains controversial.

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."[1]

The charges of CIA involvement in Contra cocaine trafficking were revived in 1996, when a newspaper series by reporter Gary Webb in the San Jose Mercury News claimed that the trafficking had played an important role in the creation of the crack cocaine drug problem in the United States. Webb's series led to three federal investigations, all of which concluded there was no evidence of a conspiracy by CIA officials or its employees to bring drugs into the United States.[2][3][4] The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, and The Washington Post launched their own investigations and rejected Webb's allegations.[5] However, an internal report issued by the CIA would admit that the agency was at least aware of Contra involvement in drug trafficking, and in some cases dissuaded the DEA and other agencies from investigating the Contra supply networks involved.[6]

  1. ^ Subcommittee on Terrorism, Narcotics, and International Communications and International Economic Policy, Trade, Oceans, and Environment of the Committee on Foreign Relations, United States Senate (1989). Drugs, law enforcement, and foreign policy : A report. S. PRT.;100-165. Washington, DC, US: United States Government Publishing Office (USGPO).
  2. ^ Weiner, Tim (December 19, 1997). "C.I.A. Says It Has Found No Link Between Itself and Crack Trade". The New York Times. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  3. ^ Daunt, Tina (March 16, 2005). "Written in Pain". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California, US. Archived from the original on January 29, 2015. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  4. ^ Schou 2006, p. 167,169-170,184.
  5. ^ Daunt, Tina (March 16, 2005). "Written in Pain". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California, US. Archived from the original on January 29, 2015. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  6. ^ Aiken, Jonathan. "CIA admits it overlooked Contras' links to drugs". CNN. CNN. Retrieved February 4, 2022.