San francisco agent thought she was onto something big meneses trail was getting warm when her superiors took her off the case. Even if a major investigation into the allegations is done, it is unlikely to quell the certainty among many african americans that the government played a role in bringing the crack epidemic. The probes were triggered in august by stories in the san jose mercury news that purported to trace the origins of the u. The allegations were sparked in august by articles in the san jose mercury news that purported to trace the origins of the u. Newspapers, magazines and television networks regularly carried lurid stories about a new epidemic or plague of drug use, especially of crack cocaine. The cia and the cocainecrack epidemic unknown binding january 1, 1993 4. How one journalist linked the cia to the crack epidemic. The cia, the drug dealers, and the tragedy of gary webb. For the post, this means its time to argue once again that webb got the story wrong. The newspaper articles suggested that the united states government had protected blandon and meneses from prosecution and either knowingly permitted them to peddle massive quantities of cocaine to the black residents. For example, on december 20, 1985, an associated press article claimed that three contra groups engaged in cocaine trafficking, in part to help finance their war. Webbs report showed that a major crack dealer in california was working with suppliers linked to the ciabacked contras, who were waging a terrorist campaign in nicaragua in the hopes. Special reports cocaine, conspiracy theories and the cia in. Most of the nations elite newspapers at first ignored the story.
A series of expose articles in the san jose mercurynews by reporter gary webb told tales of a drug triangle during the 1980s that linked cia officials in central america, a san francisco drug. Washington more than 2,000 people attended a rally here yesterday to publicize charges that a drug ring linked in press reports to the cia helped ignite the 1980s crack epidemic in the nations. It is one of the most highly additive and destructive drugs in the world. Shadowy origins of crack epidemic role of cialinked agents a wellprotected secret until now. Hes freeway rick ross, the man who stood at the center of the crack epidemic, and whose name has been inextricably linked to the cia contracocaine connection. San francisco agent thought she was onto something big meneses trail was getting warm when her superiors took her off the case when they looked it up in the merck manual, they saw cocaine base and thought, well, yeah, this is it, siegel, a.
However, the mercury news series contained or at least many readers interpreted it to contain a new sensational claim. Sep 20, 2019 the secret flow of drugs and money, webb reported, had a direct link to the crack epidemic that devastated californias most vulnerable african american neighborhoods. In 1996, a bombshell report by journalist gary webb claimed that the central intelligence agency cia supported cocaine trafficking into the u. Here are 10 things to know about gary webb and his report that linked the cia to crack cocaine. It was hard for me to keep track of who was a good guy and who was a bad guy, but i think that is the whole point of the book anyway. 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 cias office of the inspector general. Oct 21, 2014 webbs story made the extraordinary claim that the central intelligence agency was responsible for the crack cocaine epidemic in america.
Crack cocaine was popularized because of its affordability, its immediate euphoric effect, and its high profitability. Despite the often openly racial terms that the crack epidemic was presented within media, perhaps most telling was a statistic reported as the 100 to 1 ratio was rolled back to 17 to 1 in 2009. Weekly has a fascinating piece concerning the late gary webb. See all formats and editions hide other formats and editions. After reading about gary webb exposing the cias potential complicity in l. The invention of crack represented a technological innovation that dramatically widened the availability and use of cocaine in inner cities. Cia involvement in contra cocaine trafficking wikipedia.
Crips to sell crack in cincinnati in 1987 and that he sold cocaine. Gary webb, shadowy origins of crack epidemic, san jose mercury news. Crack epidemic united states history 1980s britannica. A worthless and whiny attack on a genuine journalistic hero. For the related broader allegations of drug trafficking by the cia, see allegations of cia drug trafficking. 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. With the recent urgency in the senate to reform mandatory minimum sentencing, americans could be forgiven for thinking that these reforms are novel. Mar 21, 2015 the cia, the drug dealers, and the tragedy of gary webb in 1996, journalist gary webb began looking into links between nicaraguas drugrunning contra rebels and the cia. In reality, sentencing reforms have been enacted in various iterations since 2007, leaving many to wonder when their advocates will consider. How gary webb linked the cia to the crack epidemic and paid the ultimate price gary webbs dark alliance series boldly claimed the cia knew about a u. Key figures in ciacrack cocaine scandal begin to come forward. A powerful series by investigative reporter gary webb of the san jose mercury news says the answer may be yesand the charge.
This resulted in a number of social consequences, such as increasing crime and violence in american inner city neighborhoods, as well as a resulting backlash in the form of tough on crime. The drugs the cia let into the country contributed to the deaths of many africanamericans in the ghetto, these drugs were part of the crack epidemic. On august 18, 1996, the san jose mercury news published the first installment of a threepart series of articles concerning crack cocaine, the central intelligence agency cia, and the nicaraguan contra army. The cia, contras, gangs, and crack institute for policy. Special reports cocaine, conspiracy theories and the cia. Gary webbs dark alliance series boldly claimed the cia knew about a u.
The cia, contras, gangs, and crack institute for policy studies. On august 18, 1996, the san jose mercury news published the first installment of a threepart series of articles concerning crack cocaine, the central intelligence agency cia, and the nicaraguan contra. Webbs story made the extraordinary claim that the central intelligence agency was responsible for the crack cocaine epidemic in america. A number of writers have alleged that the united states central intelligence agency cia was involved in cocaine trafficking during the 1980s. Oct 22, 2014 webbs story made the extraordinary claim that the central intelligence agency was responsible for the crack cocaine epidemic in america. Cia director john deutch, meanwhile, has ordered his inspector general to file a report on the subject within 60 days. This source, ricky ross, was being unwittingly used to fund the guerrilla war in nicaragua. Dec 31, 2004 crack, the cia and black americas drug crisis. Did the cia play a role in launching the crackcocaine epidemic. According to the stories, the cia and its operatives used crack cocainesold via. David icke americas crackcocaine epidemic created by the cia. The cia, the drug dealers, and the tragedy of gary webb in 1996, journalist gary webb began looking into links between nicaraguas drugrunning contra rebels and the cia.
Cia concludes, after interviewing nearly 400 people on four continents, that its officers had nothing to do with explosion of crack cocaine in us. A number of writers have alleged that the united states central intelligence agency cia was. Hes freeway rick ross, the man who stood at the center of the crack epidemic, and whose name has been inextricably linked to the ciacontracocaine connection. This resulted in a number of social consequences, such as increasing crime and violence in american inner city neighborhoods, as well as a resulting backlash in the form of tough on crime policies.
Based on a yearlong investigation, reporter gary webb wrote that during the 1980s the cia helped finance its covert war against nicaraguas leftist government through sales of cutrate cocaine to south central l. Shadowy origins of crack epidemic role of cia linked agents a wellprotected secret until now. The crack epidemic had particularly devastating effects. Back in 1996, gary webb of the san jose mercury news broke a story stating not only that the nicaraguan contras supported by the united states in a rebellion against their leftleaning government were involved in the us crack cocaine epidemic of the 1980s, but also that the cia knew and turned a blind eye to the operation. Small doses of it are smoked into the lungs and delivered quickly to the brain. He was the journalist who wrote a famousor infamous1996 series for the san jose mercury news that maintained a ciasupported drug ring. This creates a short high, followed by tiredness, depression, panic, anxiety, and brain damage. He regrets being used a pawn in the cialinked operation that spread drugs and despair in the black community. The findings will be required reading for anyone concerned by the rise of crack, but given the cias habit of burying its own past, undoubtedly not the final word. The secret flow of drugs and money, webb reported, had a direct link to the crack epidemic that devastated californias most vulnerable african american neighborhoods. Oct 11, 2014 back in 1996, gary webb of the san jose mercury news broke a story stating not only that the nicaraguan contras supported by the united states in a rebellion against their leftleaning government were involved in the us crack cocaine epidemic of the 1980s, but also that the cia knew and turned a blind eye to the operation. Webbs report showed that a major crack dealer in california was working with suppliers linked to the ciabacked contras, who were waging a terrorist campaign in nicaragua in the hopes of.
The reagan administration and the cia also collaborated with nicaraguan cocaine traffickers to support the contras led to the crack epidemic of the 1980s. Says it has found no link between itself and crack trade. Webbs series led to three federal investigations, none of which found evidence of any conspiracy by the cia or its employees to bring drugs into the united states. The original series claimed that, in order to help raise funds for efforts against the nicaraguan sandinista government, the cia supported cocaine. Did the cia play a role in launching the crack cocaine epidemic. Decadesold cia crackcocaine scandal gains new momentum rt. An awardwinning investigative reporter, gary webb 19552004 is best known for his dark alliance series that linked a northern california drug ring with the cia and the united states burgeoning crack epidemic. Crack epidemic, the significant increase in the use of crack cocaine, or crack, in the united states during the early 1980s. When the story first appeared in 1996 on the website of the san jose mercury news, it became an unprecedented internet sensation, receiving up to 1. Allegations of a cia connection to crack cocaine epidemic.
Cia conducted an internal investigation of its role in central america related to. Webb had discovered that the cocaine being brought into these areas all came from one source. If theyd been in a more respectable line of work, norwin meneses, danilo blandon and freeway rick ross would have been hailed as geniuses of marketing. How one journalist linked the cia to the crack epidemic and.
The book is based on dark alliance, webbs threepart investigative series published in the san jose mercury news in august 1996. The crack epidemic that once ravaged black neighborhoods. Measuring crack cocaine and its impact harvard university. Titled dark alliance, the headline ran beneath the provocative image of a man smoking crack superimposed on the official seal of the cia.
How gary webb linked the cia to the crack epidemic and paid the ultimate price. Since the release of the film kill the messenger, there has been renewed focus on journalist gary webbs story, which documented how cialinked drug traffickers were supplying us drug dealers with cheap cocaine that helped fuel the crack epidemic in the 1980s. The article found that drug trafficking by blandon, meneses and other contra sympathizers accounted for only a small portion of the nations cocaine trade. The cia, the contras, and the crack cocaine explosion is a 1998 book by journalist gary webb. The crack epidemic in the united states was a surge of crack cocaine use in major cities across the united states between the early 1980s and the early 1990s. Oct 05, 2011 the drugs the cia let into the country contributed to the deaths of many africanamericans in the ghetto, these drugs were part of the crack epidemic.