The cia continues trafficking drugs from afghanistan rawa. Rivers in southern campeche drain into the immense terminos lagoon, the entrance to which is protected by a. Mexico the world factbook central intelligence agency. How the cia fuels americas drug problem to fund covert. The cia continues trafficking drugs from afghanistan. In return for his services, sherzai received the contract to build the first us military base in afghanistan, along with a major drug franchise. In 1949, two of chiang kaisheks defeated generals, li wen huan and tuan shi wen, marched their third and fifth route armies. It is very clear that the cia has been very much involved with drug dealings, paul said. Caught between the schizophrenic nature of us foreign policy with one arm of the executive branch, the cia, engaged in the secret trafficking of drugs for arms whilst the other, the dea, is engaged in stopping it, barry seal who helped build the drug cartels for the cia became a.
The office of public affairs opa is the single point of contact for all inquiries about the central intelligence agency cia. In addition to shackley and colby, cia officers and key cia assets paul helliwell. The drug corruption of the afghan government must be attributed at least in. The book basically connects the cia to drug trafficking in both the gold triangle of southeast asia and the taliban triangle in afghanistan and pakistan. Often, the cia worked with groups which it knew were involved in drug trafficking, so that these groups would provide them with useful intelligence and material support, in exchange for. In short, lavrov was essentially deconstructing the cia when he said that they have been spreading corruption throughout the. Trafficking in persons central intelligence agency. Deep politics, the cia global drug connection, and the road to afghanistan war and peace library peter dale scott on. Afghanistans opium economy is a multibillion dollar operation which feeds the surge of the us heroin market which is currently the object of debate and public concern. The cia has been one of the worlds biggest illegal drug trafficking organizations in the world for decades, a leading american analyst has warned. Inspectorgeneral hitz outlined his offices report which finds no evidence of any links between the cia and drug traffickers. The cia supported various afghan rebel commanders, such as mujahideen leader gulbuddin hekmatyar, who were fighting against the government of afghanistan and the forces of the soviet union which. Cia is worlds biggest drug trafficking organization. From opium to marijuana to cocaine, a variety of substances have been illegally imported, sold and distributed throughout u.
Can the us triumph in the drugaddicted war in afghanistan. Afghanistan and the cia heroin ratline sputnik international. The cia, the contras, and the crack cocaine explosion. The world drug report has stated that pakistan is the main transit country for narcotics, heroin and opium in particular, produced in the neighbouring afghanistan. War, and also the cocaine out of south america, and the heroin out of afghanistan. The ongoing relationship between drug trafficking and the cia has been fairly common knowledge for the past 45 years and was well documented by alfred mccoys, a phd candidate in southeast asian history at yale university, book, the politics of heroin in southeast asia published in 1972. The central intelligence agency s involvement in drug trafficking is back in the media spotlight after a spokesman for the violenceplagued mexican state of chihuahua became the latest high.
One of its senior members an assistant deputy director of intelligence addi is suspected of being involved in drug trafficking. With branches in saudi arabia, europe, southeast asia, south america and the u. Drug trafficking in afghanistan the new york times. I guess that the us was broke after world war ii so we stooped to funding our intelligence operations with drug money. In any case, pushing for full drug legalization and regulation is as viable a route as trying to educate people about ciasanctioned drug trafficking and how the cia built up the french connection, the golden triangle opium lords, the afghan heroin market, and the colombian cocaine cartels. Drug trafficking is a gold mine for people who want to raise money in the underground government in order to finance projects that they cant get legitimately. He said he gave us army intelligence and the cia reports on the afghan heroin trade that us military convoys from the ports of pakistan were being used to ship the heroin out of afghanistan much of it was raw opium for distribution as their backhaul.
Trafficking in persons is modernday slavery, involving victims who are forced, defrauded, or coerced into labor or sexual exploitation. Perhaps the best example of such cia influence via drug traffickers today is in afghanistan itself, where those accused of drug trafficking include president karzais brother, ahmed wali karzai an active cia asset, and abdul rashid dostum a former cia asset. Among its officers were a network of us generals, admirals and cia men, including fommer cia director william colby, who was also one of its lawyers. The cia arranged for its afghan drug warlords to be exempted from dea lists. Drug trafficking in the united states dates back to the 19th century. I first made my mark with a 1972 book that the cia tried to suppress on the heroin trade in. Mainstream media finally exposes cia drug trafficking conspiracy in explosive history channel series. Deep politics, the cia global drug connection, and the road to. Afghanistan is another country with a complicated history of involvement in the opium and heroin industries, much of which implicates the cia. Most recently, john abbotsford an excia analyst and war veteran who fought in afghanistan confessed that cia had a role in drug smuggling operations. Peter dale scott has published a book of stunning richness. This is a great book if you dont mind a real life trip down the rabbit hole. All of these areas are once again central to the concerns of an.
We read every letter or email we receive, and we will convey your comments to cia officials outside opa as appropriate. Perhaps the best example of such cia influence via drug traffickers today is in afghanistan itself, where those accused of drug trafficking. Cia complicity in the global drug trade, afghanistan, southeast asia, central. Mainstream media finally exposes cia drug trafficking. Webb later published a book based on the series, dark alliance. It should be noted that the relationship between the surge in afghanistans opium. This is the second part of the interview granted by friba, rawas representative. In part 1 we will look at afghanistans complex relationship with opium and the united. Despite the much broader sounding title, it covers almost exactly the. Cia transnational anticrime and antidrug activities. Maintaining a global perspective, this groundbreaking study details the mechanics of drug trafficking in asia, europe, the middle east, and south. The assistant inspector general of the cia cannot use his own staff to investigate out of fear that the addi will be alerted.
The office of transnational issues applies unique functional expertise to assess existing and emerging threats to us national security and provides the most. How the heroin trade explains the usuk failure in afghanistan. A dea agent, edwrad follis, stated that the cia turned a blind eye to the drug trade in afghanistan. Maintaining a global perspective, this groundbreaking study details the mechanics of drug trafficking in asia, europe, the middle east, and south and central america. Unravelling the american drug cartel in afghanistan real. News about drug trafficking in afghanistan, including commentary and archival articles published in the new york times. Mr mccoys book alleged that the cia had been complicit in the rise of the heroin trade in the golden triangle of laos, thailand and burma. According to a june 2016 article on veterans today vt website, the cia not only supports the afghanistan drug trafficking, but also designed the afghan narcotics economy. Drug trafficking from the book the cias greatest hits by. Fonseca is the uncle of former juarez cartel leader, amado carrillo fuentes. Mccoy produced enough evidence which indicated that the cia used tribal mercenaries in places like laos in order to maintain their criminal and drug trafficking business. How the ciaoperated a drug smuggling airline for heroin. Opinion the cia drug connectionis as old as the agency.
Masterminding a coup in chile, the cia set up the brutal rule of general pinochet, who later founded an international assassination program called operation condor with other latin american intelligence chiefs. The united states central intelligence agency cia has been accused of involvement in drug trafficking. Drug trafficking from the book the cias greatest hits by mark zepezauer even before the cia was officially founded, it was intertwined with major drugtrafficking organizationsits parent organization, the oss, cooperated with the mafia during world war ii. However, with limited staff and resources, we simply cannot respond to all who write to us. Cias shady history of drug trafficking posted on january 3, 2014 by abby even though presentday afghanistan flies under the news radar, it remains to be the longest military quagmire in us history. Fonseca carrillo was involved with drug trafficking since the early 1970s, primarily in ecuador, but later with the cias assistance and allegedly under their direction moved his operations to mexico. Central intelligence agency related to transnational crime, including the illicit drug trade. Cia ties to international drug trafficking date to the korean war. Books and investigations on the subject that have received general notice include works by historian alfred mccoy. Shackley, who around the same time was also fingered as a cia drug trafficker by burmese opium kingpin khun sa, was reported to be involved in the bank. Is afghan drug trafficking directly linked to the us backed afghan leadership and even to the cia itself. Secrets of americas war on drugs new history channel series explores the dark corners of. Special reports cocaine, conspiracy theories and the cia. The cia was very much involved in the irancontra scandals.
In addition to allegations of cia drug trafficking, cia and contras cocaine trafficking in the us, and the kerry committee report, there is still another related article. Colby, as the lawyer to one of the founders, certainly was. Cia complicity in the global drug trade mccoy, alfred w. The united states central intelligence agency cia has been involved in several drug trafficking operations.