This story was so fascinating they even made a movie out of it starring Tom Cruise, American Made. Barry Seal was one of the most renowned American dealers that smuggled weapons and drugs in the USA. Seal is proof the American Government was in bed with drug smuggling and flooding the streets with cocaine. Which not so coincidentally led to to crack epidemic. Lots of questions remain unanswered from the CIA and DEA.
Barry Seal became an aviator at only 16 years old, and as soon as he received his pilot licence, he started smuggling weapons. His tale of excess has led to books, movies, and a host of conspiracy theories.
He had strong relations with the Madellín Cartel, i.e. the Colombian drug cartel led by Pablo Escobar
Sources:
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1989/02/28/legacy-of-a-slain-drug-informer/41b5c1bf-ba53-48f4-87d8-afd6bcbc15ce/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Seal
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhG2-dz6LVc
- https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/mena-intermountain-municipal-airport-4070/
- https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2020/jul/19/activities-at-airport-in-mena-detailed/
- https://armoneyandpolitics.com/the-digs-of-the-deal-mena-intermountain-municipal-airport-tails-to-tell-economic-engine-to-drive/
- https://www.thestatesman.com/entertainment/who-was-barry-seal-1502485914.html
- https://heavy.com/entertainment/2017/09/american-made-true-story-barry-seal-death-wife-family-movie
- https://www.amazon.com/Kings-of-Cocaine-audiobook/dp/B07FTMDZ8R
- Leveritt, Mara. All Quiet at Mena: A Reporter’s Memoir of Buried Investigations. Little Rock: Bird Call Press, 202
- Bowden, Bill. “Activities at Airport in Mena Detailed.” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, July 19, 2020, pp. 1B, 5B
- http://www.walterlippmann.com/docs184.html
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