| Founder | Willard Houltin |
|---|---|
| Founding location | Columbus, New Mexico |
| Years active | early 1960s - October 1973 |
| Territory | Southeastern United States[1] |
| Ethnicity | White Southerners |
| Activities | drug trafficking, customs avoidance [2] |
| Allies |
The Columbus Air Force was the nickname for a group of pilots involved in smuggling marijuana to the U.S. in the 1960s and early 1970s. The group was based out of Columbus, New Mexico, a village next to the Mexican border. The group were reportedly the first pilots to transport drugs across the border by small aircraft. They were headed by Martin Willard Houltin, who served as a World War II B-29 bomber pilot in the United States Army Air Corps.[3] The other members of the Columbus Air Force were Robert Burke, Tim Morrison, Michael Francis, Kenneth Croucher, and Curly Phillips.