Current Address: ZGFJ N 18th St, Phoenix, AZ. He later claimed to have made as much as $50 million running 1,000 pounds of cocaine a month from Colombia. Brown? Email Address: v EVIO @gmail.com +2 emails. Hadaway said an informant told him a "narcotic smuggling operation" was headquartered out of the Mena airport and that a man named Barry from Baton Rouge was in charge of it. "I trusted him so I didn't ask questions," says Debbie. So last month, we filed a lawsuit seeking a long-hidden report by the CIA inspector general into events at Mena. He had been arrested in 1972 by the U.S. Customs Service for trying to fly 1,350 pounds of plastic explosives to anti-Castro Cubans via Mexico. The narcotics runner, Barry Seal, allegedly paid off then-Governor Clintons protg, L. D. Brown, and one Dan Lasater, a Clinton contributor. In its review of the 2017 movie "American Made" -- about Seal -- the New York Times called it the Conspiratorial Industrial Complex. Liman has referred to the film as "a fun lie based on a true story" (TIME). He said parts of it could have been provided to people under previous information requests. Subsequently, Brown says, Seal called him at home, and set up a meeting at Cajuns Wharf, a popular Little Rock watering hole. Hagan said he didn't know how many pages of material on Seal have yet to be made public by the FBI. Asa Hutchinson was U.S. attorney for Arkansas' Western District in the early 1980s. It's certainly possible and it's what the movie proposes. Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. His cooperation led to many convictions, as well as indictments against Pablo Escobar and Jorge Ochoa, two of the founding members of the Medelln Cartel. Brown still has books that Clinton gave him, one being a bar exam study book in which the politician had made some ironic under-linings. That didnt happen. In real life, his first encounter with the Medelln Cartel happened less dramatically. Seal became a federal informant in March 1984. Cocainea lot of itflowed in. Seal's mysterious activities have spawned books, movies and a cornucopia of conspiracy theories. Mena is a good setting for a mystery, I wrote at the time. Judicial Watch Sues Air Force Academy for Records about Critical Race Theor DOJ & FBI Target Biden Political Opponents, Judicial Watch Warns: Critical Race Theory Rising. ", Copyright 2023, Northwest Arkansas Newspapers LLC. Fact-checking American Made immediately revealed that Tom Cruise looks nothing like the real Barry Seal, who weighed around 280lbs and was nicknamed "El Gordo" (The Fat Man) by his bosses. He also referred to Clinton, familiarly, as the guv. He says he feared he was being set up made a conspirator in an operation he despised. Hadaway. The movie's loose interpretation of the true story is echoed in the trailer when a voice-over by Tom Cruise as Barry Seal tells us that only "some of this sh*t really happened." Approximately 30 minutes later, Brown says, the C-123K landed in what he later learned what Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Not by the United States government. Yes. Although, the truth, as it happened has never been revealed to the public. According to a 1988 Senate Foreign Relations Committee report, Seal's associates at the Mena airport were also being investigated. In her suit, Lisa, who is not depicted in the movie, also claimed that there were factual inaccuracies in the script, including the fact that Barry had five children, not three, and that the movie falsely suggests he was an alcoholic and a reckless pilot. "The apparent reason was that the prosecution might have revealed national security information, even though all of the crimes which were the focus of the investigation occurred before Seal became a federal informant.". The CIA stonewalled the release of information now sought by Judicial Watch on the Mena Airport controversy, said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. Gov. Seal was a DEA informant/operative who was deeply involved in Iran-Contra and Gov. "The information indicates that Seal was an informant for DEA at the time but also working as an operative of the CIA. commission charbonneau liste de noms. I understand that Fred Hitz or someone from his staff, along with other CIA officers will brief Congressman Leach on Friday 21 July in an attempt to address his concerns about these and other allegations. Reply HELP for help, STOP to end. BARRY SEAL: He imported drugs and laundered money while working for the federal government. The book was to be called, The Mena File: Barry Seals Ties to Drug Lords and U.S. Officials. Leveritt knew the story well and had researched it earlier, writing about Seals murder and other related events. I didnt make the connection then, but it seems significant now: if youre going to secretly run arms to controversial U.S. allies, youll likely want some military support. "I resigned from the office in November of 1985, and my successor took over the investigation. How could that be? Connor Hagan, a spokesman for the FBI in Little Rock, said the release of so much information into the FBI's public "vault" doesn't mean that the documents haven't previously been made public. It must be noted now that Clintons efforts to distance himself from Mena have persisted for years. Frankly, it will never be revealed. In an effort to reduce or altogether avoid his 10-year prison sentence, Seal first tried to make a deal with a U.S. attorney, volunteering to give up information on the Ochoa family, but the deal was rejected. Evidence emerged suggesting that the CIA was operating in the area in the early 1980s; that a major cocaine and gun smuggler was based at the airfield; and that the U.S. military was somehow involved. Leveritt was reluctant at first, but soon warmed to the task and got to work. No. See Rafael L Mena's age, phone number, house address, email address, social media accounts, public records, and check for criminal records on Spokeo. The mysteries of Mena revolve around a drug-smuggling pilot named Barry Seal. individuals, He suspected a CIA involvement, although his brother did not confirm it. In the film, his abductors take him to a secret airstrip in the Colombian jungle where three businessmen, including Pablo Escobar, make him an offer he can't pass up. The memorable scene never happened in real life. The Louisiana attorney general would tell the Justice Department that Seal had "smuggled between $3 billion and $5 billion in drugs into the U.S." (323) 771-9819. info@arcadiainc.com. Bill Clintons favorite bodyguard, but also a close friend. As Barry opened the driver's side door to get out of the car, the gunman rushed from behind the drop box and fired a .45 caliber Mac-10 machine gun, hitting Barry in the head and body several times. Owing to a case that Brown was then working on that could have implicated Tucker, Brown believes the demotion was illegal. After a barrage of requests from different people and media outlets under the federal Freedom of Information Act, on Wednesday the FBI released more than 1,000 pages of its file on Seal: vault.fbi.gov/recently-added. The AP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing. JB is fictional. Doug Liman had previously modeled Chris Cooper's villain in The Bourne Identity after North, which reveals Liman's feelings about the controversial figure North. The American Made true story confirms that the real Barry Seal and his wife Debbie had three children (Aaron, Dean and Christina). He says that Clinton arrived in a Beech aircraft, and was still there when he left for the day. Set in the year 1978, Barry Seal (Tom Cruise) works as a pilot for Trans World Airlines. . "You know, we're not making a biopic," said director Doug Liman. Were taking other steps, tooFreedom of Information actions against the DEA, FBI, and Arkansas state institutions. He said the money had been brought back from Tegucigalpa. At a press conference in October 1994, for instance, he was asked a rambling question about the remote air strip, and gave an equally rambling answer. Three Colombians eventually were arrested and convicted of the murder. -Daily Mail Online. -Court DocumentsThe 2016 Bryan Cranston movie The Infiltrator also depicts Barry Seal's assassination, but it is historically inaccurate. var sc_security="740aa5bc". In the movie, Lucy's brother JB (Caleb Landry Jones) steals money from Barry (Tom Cruise). One mission involved a C-123K cargo plane that was outfitted at the Mena airport. It was dark almost black, and had only the minimal tail markings necessary for civilian operation. Were suing the CIA for the full inspector general report and we want documents from other agencies as well. Past Addresses: See available information. Exclusive: Tom Cruise's portrayal of drug-smuggler-turned-government-informant Barry Seal is a fast-paced visit back to the Reagan era's shadowy world of the CIA, cocaine and secret wars . Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. "I can state absolutely that Oliver North had nothing to do with my story as far as I knew, or as far as I know today," said Jacoby. The CIA does not talk about these things, and so Browns exact relationship with the agency may never be known. He said parts of it could have been provided to people under previous information requests. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. He hands wads of cash to a kid on a bike, telling the boy, "You never saw me." The explosives were supposedly going to anti-Castro Cuban fighters. Mena is the small town in Arkansas where Barry Seal, who was born in Baton Rouge, conducted operations. Like in the movie, the American Made true story reveals that Barry made a living as a commercial airline pilot for several years. Also, view a news story about Barry Seal's death. Yes. I started it and pursued it but was unable to complete it because I left the office. The is the latest repackaging of allegations previously made by the Wall Street Journal. He was not only Gov. Too many secrets have been kept for too long, she wrote, too much important history has been hidden, lost or destroyed. "We're talking about one of the largest drug smugglers in America, and these agents loved him." Frigon, who says she administers Seal's estate, contends the estate did not consent. When Brown returned to the Governors mansion, he recalls, Clinton greeted him jovially, You having any fun yet? he asked. Brown says Seal told him theres good money to be had. But Brown, says he was out of that game for good. In the American Made movie, Barry Seal (Tom Cruise) crash lands a plane in a suburban neighborhood in an effort to escape the DEA who ordered him to land. "One day Barry came in and said there was a contract on him - half a million dead, a million alive," says widow Debbie Seal. An entry in Browns daybook indicates that the flight with Seal took place on October 23, 1984. Browns break with Clinton came after Brown made what he says was his second flight from Mena to Central America. Thats when he said, You having any fun yet.. A 1983 document in the recently released trove referred to a telephone conversation between the FBI and Polk County Sheriff A.L. White Kendall, approached ABC, As Time reported, Kendall was working very, very hard to keep Whitewater out of the headlines. Meanwhile, Betsey Wright, a Clinton political fixer, told ABC that Brown was a pathological liar, even though his personnel file in Arkansas abounded with recommendations some from Clinton, and even one from Dr. Joycelyn Elders. However, when a drug shipment was seized by the DEA, the Medellin Cartel blamed Seal for the loss. Clinton had been asking him a similar question for months, ever since, with Clintons encouragement, he had applied for a job with the CIA. By 1983, his earnings totaled $60 million, making him one of the wealthiest people in America. "He thought we had more time. Copyright 2023, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Well take it from here. forgave the taxes on hundreds of millions in known drug and gun profits over the ensuing two-year period when Seal was officially admitted to be employed by the government. He also says he told Seal he wanted no part of what was happening; then he left. jewish british actresses; how old is meryl lipstein When asked how, he replied, "Oh, Barry stole an airplane from me. Then, he says, they regained altitude, by then they descended again, and thats when these two crazy bastards got these palettes and roll them out on casters. Parachutes opened from the palettes. One mission involved a C-123K cargo plane that was outfitted at the Mena airport. For a portion of this time, the alleged ringleader of the drug smuggling, Seal, appeared to have been working with the CIA and the Drug Enforcement Agency. Jacoby mentioned Seal's mission as evidence, which effectively outed Seal as a government agent. Clinton appeared to have pressured Hale, the head of an Arkansas lending agency, into making loans to Susan McDougal, the Clintons Whitewater real estate partner. In 1981, Seal set up shop at Mena. Ultimately, we may find out, as Brown tells us that he has been repeatedly questioned by lawyers working for the Whitewater independent counsel about Clintons association with Lasater at a time when illicit drugs allegedly were flowing into Mena airport. The real Barry Seal never had a brother-in-law who was killed by a car bomb. The second is the article they reference. A Baton Rouge, Louisiana native, Barry Seal was eventually forced to move his drug smuggling operation after he drew the attention of Louisiana authorities. FITTON: #TwitterFiles EXPOSE FBI & CIA Election Interference! Wouldn't it be fun if they were fooling around in a plane and the plane went into the same kind of parabolic arc and they got pinned against the ceiling?" In 1994, Brown told Daniel Wattenberg of The American Spectator that Jim Guy Tucker, then the Arkansas governor had asked him and trooper Larry Patterson for compromising information on Clintons private life in 1990, when Tucker was contemplating a race for governor. Mena, Arkansas, as a staging point for weapons supply flights. Bill Clinton? he replied: Yes, sir. In 1981, Seal set up shop at Mena. For their efforts, their careers were crushed. That film finds Seal (portrayed by Michael Par) being assassinated in a motorcycle drive-by shooting while he is driving and Robert Mazur (Cranston) is his passenger. In the autumn of 1984, Brown found himself seated on a bench inside a cavernous C-123K cargo plane roaring over a Central American jungle. In the least, his exploits with the CIA and agent Monty Schafer in the movie are largely fictional and based on speculation. However, some still allege the opposite, that the government turned a blind eye to Seal's drug running in order to use him to deliver weapons to the Nicaraguan rebels. Trooper Bobby Walker has told me that sometime in the mid-1980s he was at Mena with Clinton. Executing secret missions for the government in the movie might add a sort of patriotism and redeeming quality to his character, but in real life Barry Seal was a drug smuggler first and foremost. Alexander said he has been meeting weekly with the GAO investigating team and has been in touch with the House and Senate subcommittees . Ochoa was arrested in Spain on a U.S. warrant, but due to pressure from the cartel was never extradited to the U.S. -Court Documents (STATE of Louisiana v. Miguel VELEZ, Bernardo Vasquez, and Luis Carlos Quintero-Cruz), Yes. Working very, very hard to keep Whitewater out of that game for good a drug was. 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