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Agency Knowledge and Handling of Allegations of Southern Front Involvement in Drug Trafficking

200. General Summary and Background. In October 1984, CIA began receiving reporting that Southern Front ARDE leaders had agreed to assist a Miami-based drug trafficker in bringing narcotics into the United States. The information from this series of reports was furnished to senior officials of U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies.
201. CIA Records. In January 1984 Headquarters received information that indicated that helicopters purchased by Cuban-Americans on behalf of Eden Pastora's Contra organization--ARDE--were being held in a Miami warehouse owned by a businessman. A Miami-based Cuban-American was identified as the donor of the helicopters. In January a Headquarters cable noted that CIA had been advised by the FBI that Sarkis might be "subject to judicial [sic] investigation connected with alleged illegal activities." As a result, the Headquarters cable also advised that any Agency asset who was in contact with Sarkis be warned that "Sarkis may be involved in alleged drug trafficking."
202. In May 1984, Headquarters received a cable regarding Carol Prado, a senior ARDE official. The cable noted that there was "little to add at this time to what has already been reported [concerning] Prado's involvement in illegal drug and gun activities." The cable noted that the Department of the Treasury, the U.S. Customs Service and the FBI were "aware of the activities of this group and are watching them closely."
203. First Report. In October 1984, CIA received information indicating that senior ARDE officials, including several of Pastora's close associates--Adolfo Chamorro, Carol Prado and Gerardo Duran--had established a working relationship with a Miami-based drug trafficker. An October 1984 cable to Headquarters indicated that Adolfo Chamorro--Pastora's second-in-command--had just consummated a "mutual assistance agreement" with a Miami-based narcotics trafficker whose name was not known at the time of the report. The cable reporting this information to Headquarters noted that:

[ARDE] would provide [ARDE] operational facilities in Costa Rica and Nicaragua to facilitate the transportation of narcotics, and would obtain the assistance of Costa Rican Government officials in providing documentation, in exchange for financial support, aircraft, and pilot training for the [ARDE].

Further, the cable indicated that the unnamed Miami-based drug trafficker had:

• Turned over helicopters to ARDE and made arrangements for a C-47 to be flown to El Salvador; and
• Promised to pay ARDE $200,000 per month once the narcotics operations were underway. . . .
204. In October 1984, a cable asked Headquarters for permission to share this information with the local Department of Treasury office. The cable noted that Treasury had an ongoing investigation of suspected arms smuggling by ARDE elements in the Miami area, and that the Department had previously said that ARDE representatives "were in contact with [a Miami-based Cuban-American]. . . who is suspected of trafficking in narcotics." No information has been found to indicate a Headquarters response to this cable. However the information was disseminated by Headquarters to a senior officer in the Department of Treasury and other senior U.S. Government, intelligence, and law enforcement officials in Washington shortly thereafter.
205. October 1984 Sensitive Memorandum Dissemination. In October 1984, Headquarters disseminated a Sensitive Memorandum based upon the information that had been provided in mid-October. All the information was disseminated, except that a general reference to El Salvador as the destination for the C-47 flight was substituted for the specific reference to Ilopango Air Base.
206. A "Headquarters Comment" was included in the disseminated Sensitive Memorandum that indicated it was not known "whether Pastora himself was aware of the narcotics angle of the agreement." An additional Headquarters Comment pointed out that confirmation had been received that the ARDE had recently acquired two helicopters and a DC-3 transport plane.
207. The Sensitive Memorandum was disseminated to 13 senior U.S. Government, intelligence, and law enforcement officials by position title. Within CIA, this Sensitive Memorandum was also disseminated to senior officials.
208. Second Report. An October 1984 cable to Headquarters reported that the name of the Miami-based drug trafficker with whom ARDE officials were dealing was Jorge Morales. The cable restated the terms of the mutual assistance agreement that had been reported in mid-October and added the following details:
     • On October 31, Gerardo Duran, an ARDE pilot who was flying on Morales' behalf, was scheduled to fly from Miami to the Bahamas.
     • Morales and Adolfo Chamorro were in the process of setting up "bank accounts in Miami through which to funnel the monthly payments to the ARDE once the working relationship between Morales and the ARDE is in full operation."

     No mention was made of Pastora in this report, except to identify him as the head of the ARDE.

209. November 5, 1984 Sensitive Memorandum Dissemination. On November 3, 1984, a Headquarters cable stated that the information provided on October 31 was being prepared for limited dissemination. Further, the cable advised that Headquarters intended to discuss with DoJ during the week of November 5 how to proceed regarding the handling of the source of the information--presumably in light of the information the source had provided regarding alleged narcotics trafficking. The cable advised that no direct action was to be taken with regard to Pastora. The Headquarters cable noted that:

     Given the volume and the detail of the evidence we have received, it is difficult to believe that an operation of this magnitude could be conducted within the [ARDE] without [Pastora's] approval. We have been fastidious about insuring that all information is passed to appropriate agencies on a timely basis and we must avoid at all costs an accusation that [CIA] condoned narcotics trafficking by [ARDE].

210. On November 5, 1984, the information provided on October 31 was disseminated in Sensitive Memorandum format to 16 senior U.S. Government, intelligence, and law enforcement officials by position title.
211. CIA Report to DoJ. On November 7, 1984, CIA General Counsel Stanley Sporkin attached a cover memorandum to the October Sensitive Memorandum and forwarded it to DCI Casey. Sporkin's memorandum indicated that the information had already been shared with appropriate officials in the U.S. Government, but stated that he intended to have OGC directly contact DoJ Criminal Division Deputy Assistant Attorney General Mark Richard in order to protect "the public as well as the Agency's interests." On November 19, 1984, according to a January 15, 1985 OGC memorandum, an OGC representative orally briefed the Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division regarding the information.
212. A November 26, 1984 OGC memorandum for the record (MFR) indicated that OGC and DO officers had met with DoJ, FBI and DEA representatives on November 9 and November 19 to discuss the substance and implications of the information that had been disseminated in October and November. According to the MFR, DEA reported at the November 19 meeting that Jorge Morales was awaiting trial in Miami, along with 13 other defendants, on federal charges of engaging in a Continuous Criminal Enterprise. It was agreed at that meeting, stated the MFR, that DEA would brief an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) in Miami about the information and that the AUSA would be asked, in turn, to discuss the matter with the Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division. Further, the MFR stated that the CIA representatives had agreed to make the source of the information available to be debriefed by DEA, the FBI and the AUSA.
213. Third Report. According to a November 1984 cable to Headquarters, Pastora, Adolfo Chamorro and Roberto Chamorro were scheduled to travel to Miami on that same day and that two ARDE pilots--including Gerardo Duran--had already arrived in Miami. The purpose of this travel was for Pastora and the two Chamorros to meet Morales. Reportedly the pilots were probably going to undertake a narcotics-related flight on behalf of Morales. The report also indicated:
     • Adolfo Chamorro had established a bank account in Miami and that, to date, Morales had transferred approximately $30,000 to the ARDE.
     • Morales appeared to be attempting to relocate his operations from the United States to Central America and the Bahamas.
     • Morales had indicated that he occasionally met with Fidel Castro in Cuba.

     According to a December 1984 cable to Headquarters, Pastora and his associates had arrived in Miami and were staying at the home of a Miami-based Cuban-American. Further, Pastora was scheduled to meet with Morales.

214. December 1984 Sensitive Memorandum Dissemination. In December 1984, the information reported in November was disseminated in Sensitive Memorandum format to 13 senior United States Government, intelligence, and law enforcement officials by position title.
215. A December 1984 OGC MFR by Assistant General Counsel Betty Ann Smith indicated that OGC and DO officers had met on December 6, 1984 with representatives of DEA and the United States Attorney's Office in Miami and briefed them regarding the information that had been provided in November. Further, according to the OGC MFR, the source of the information had been debriefed by a DEA agent during this same meeting.
216. According to a December 1984 cable from Headquarters, CIA and DEA agreed during the December 1984 meeting that the source would report on any further ARDE/FRS narcotics trafficking. It was also agreed that subsequent information would be shared by CIA with the DEA and the Department of Justice.
217. According to a December 1984 cable, Pastora had met with Morales, Sarkis and a Miami-based Cuban-American. Reportedly Pastora said that the meeting with Morales had not gone well. Pastora "did not like Morales' pressuring him to immediately meet [Pastora's] end of their arrangement, which is providing pilots and operational facilities in Costa Rica for Morales' drug operations." No information has been found to indicate whether this information was shared with U.S. law enforcement agencies or disseminated outside the DO.

     Eden Pastora

218. Background. Eden Pastora Gomez, whose "war name" was Commandante Zero, joined the Sandinistas in the early 1970s to seek the overthrow of Somoza. Especially popular after he stormed Somoza's National Palace in 1978, he was nonetheless excluded in 1979 from the Sandinista National Liberation Front's (FSLN's) nine-man Directorate and given relatively minor positions in the post-Somoza Sandinista Government. These setbacks displeased Pastora, and he also claimed to be dismayed by the leftward turn of the Sandinista regime. In 1981 Pastora broke with the Sandinistas, and he went into self-imposed exile in Costa Rica shortly thereafter.
219. Pastora formed the FRS in early 1982 and allied his group with several other Contra organizations to form the Costa Rican-based ARDE in September 1982. Pastora led ARDE's military struggle against the FSLN until July 1984, when the organization's leadership replaced him. An ARDE spokesman attributed Pastora's replacement to injuries received in the May 1984 bomb attack against him at La Penca, but Pastora's leadership had also been undermined by his refusal to join forces with leaders of the Northern Front. Pastora left ARDE in 1986 and withdrew from the military effort.
220. Between early 1982 and mid-1984, Pastora was the main recipient of the funds CIA channeled to Contras fighting on the Southern Front. However, the funding allocated by Congress for the Contras had been expended by August 1984, and CIA was forced to cease its material support. More comprehensive congressional restrictions on the Agency's ability to support the Contras took effect in October 1984 and remained in place until December 1985.
221. The cutoff of U.S. funding led associates of Pastora to begin looking for alternative sources of funds. In October 1984, CIA began receiving the reporting mentioned earlier that Southern Front leaders allied with Pastora had agreed to help Miami-based trafficker Jorge Morales bring drugs into the United States in exchange for his material and financial help to the Southern Front. A subsequent October Headquarters cable instructed those dealing with Pastora:

     . . . not to take definitive action to declare the relationship with [Pastora] terminated. Rather, we want to back away from the man leaving him guessing as to the status of his relationship with [CIA]. We do not want to initiate contact with him under any circumstances, unless it is done for the purpose of manipulating him towards some objective clearly consistent with [U.S.] policy in the region.

222. The Agency's relationship with Pastora was one of its most significant with a Contra leader. While the drug trafficking allegations were a factor in the decision to terminate that relationship, the October 1984 Headquarters cable indicated that the Agency was responding to other factors as well. CIA also judged that the advantages of dealing with Pastora were outweighed by the poor performance of his Southern Front fighting forces, by counterintelligence issues arising from his contacts with the Sandinistas in Managua, and by operational restrictions imposed by Congress.
223. In November 1984, Headquarters instructed that "no direct action is to be taken with [Pastora]. Ideally, you will be able to avoid him altogether." A November reply stated that only four meetings with Pastora had occurred since July 1984 and that the last of these was on October 18. At the last meeting, it had reportedly been made clear that CIA could no longer provide any support, direct or indirect, to Pastora's organization.
224. Allegations of Drug Trafficking. An October 1982 cable to Headquarters reported that INS had received information indicating that a meeting of Contra members was to be held in Costa Rica to discuss an exchange in the U.S. of arms for narcotics. A November 1982 cable identified Pastora as one of those who would be attending.
225. CIA began receiving reporting in October 1984 indicating that associates of Pastora in ARDE had agreed to work with known narcotics trafficker Jorge Morales. That same month Harold Martinez Saenz--a former deputy FRS commander--said that he could no longer support ARDE due to Pastora's ineffective leadership. Martinez had also stated that he did not want to become involved in drug and arms smuggling activities and corrupt handling of money, thus inferring that Pastora and his staff were involved in those activities.
226. Regarding the arrangement allegedly worked out with Morales by Pastora's FRS associates in 1984, Adolfo Chamorro says that Pastora was not aware of Morales' drug trafficking activities until after the meetings in October 1984 and after Pastora himself had met with Morales in December 1984. Cables in 1985 indicate that Pastora "temporarily discontinued" the arrangement with Morales in early January 1985 when he realized the potential political fallout from dealing with narcotics traffickers. Pastora says that he ordered that the planes donated by Morales be returned when he learned that Morales was a drug trafficker.
227. In April 1985, according to a Headquarters cable, the text of a February Sandinista radio broadcast from Managua alleged that Pastora and his associates were completing construction of three landing strips in the Guanacaste area of Costa Rica for light aircraft to be used for drug trafficking. The drug trafficking was being undertaken, the radio broadcast said, to substitute for the financing that was no longer available in the wake of a Congressional cutoff of Contra funding.
228. An April 1985 cable to Headquarters reported that an employee of Alpa Airlines had said that the company was concealing cocaine in yucca shipments destined for the United States. The cable reported that two of the five persons reported to be owners of Alpa were Gerardo Duran and David Mayorga.⁽¹²⁾ Duran had already been identified as a close associate of Pastora. In addition, one of the planes allegedly used by Alpa Airlines was reported to belong to Pastora and ARDE.
229. A December 1985 Headquarters cable stated that Adolfo Chamorro had told a Southern Opposition Bloc (BOS) member that a Panamanian, Cesar Rodriguez, was gathering drug money for Pastora. Rodriguez was identified in this cable as a narcotics trafficker who had business ties to Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega.
230. A January 1986 cable reported to Headquarters that a Costa Rican associate of Pastora reportedly said that he had 200 kilograms of cocaine he wished to use in helping to finance Pastora's Contra activities.
231. In June 1986 and July-August 1987, CIA was told of a trip to Panama by Jose Davila, Carol Prado and Pastora. During the trip, Pastora reportedly had accepted $10,000 from Cesar Rodriguez, who was described as a narcotics trafficker from Colombia.

232. CIA Response to Allegations of Drug Trafficking. CIA terminated its relationship with Pastora in October 1984, within two weeks of receiving the first reporting about ARDE's drug-related dealings with Morales. While other factors were involved, the drug trafficking allegations weighed in the decision.
233. A February 1986 cable requested an inter-Agency review of the information implicating David Mayorga in narcotics trafficking because he was one of Pastora's closest advisors. The same cable noted that this information "needs to be made available to those still bent on seeing that [Pastora] is given . . . funding." No information has been found to indicate that such a review took place.
234. On March 1986, a Station asked Headquarters for specific instructions regarding what role Pastora was to play in the Contra unification agreement. The Station outlined the drug allegations against Pastora's associates in the cable and stated that:

     . . . .
     in COS' view, a political or other kind of accommodation with [Pastora] in which [the Agency] plays a known mediating role places [the Agency] in an untenable and unjustifiable position for which, in COS' view, there can be no reasonable or acceptable explanation.

     . . . .
     We will work through one united command structure, built around the one which is currently in place. We [w]ill not work through the existing FRS structure because, simply put, it is too badly penetrated by Sandinistas and too many of the players have been associated with narcotics smuggling. We will be willing to incorporate members from the FRS structure into t[h]e unified structure, but only after they have been given a thorough security screening
     . . . .

235. Information Sharing with Other U.S. Government Entities. As explained earlier, the reporting tying Pastora and senior members of his group to drug smuggling operations into the United States was disseminated by CIA to a broad range of senior USG intelligence and law enforcement officials.
236. OCA files indicate that the Agency forwarded to Steven Berry, Associate Counsel of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI), on January 29, 1985, a response to a question regarding Pastora's possible consummation of a working arrangement with Colombian drug dealers. The Agency response noted that all relevant details had been reported in the program summaries to HPSCI. The response added that:

     To summarize, intelligence reporting indicates that members of Pastora's organization (FRS) have agreed--either with Pastora's direct knowledge or tacit approval--to provide pilots and landing strips inside Costa Rica and Nicaragua to a Miami-based Colombian drug dealer in exchange for financial and material support. Information pertaining to Pastora's involvement in drug trafficking has been forwarded to the appropriate Enforcement Agencies. [sic]

237. On August 1, 1986, CATF legal officer Louis Dupart forwarded to CATF Chief Fiers, LA Division Chief and LA Division Deputy Chief a MFR for a meeting with HPSCI Staffer Mike O'Neil held on July 9, 1986 in CATF Chief's office at O'Neil's request to discuss another topic. The memorandum stated that, in response to other questions from O'Neil, Chief/CATF said that Pastora had voluntarily renounced his role as a resistance leader.
238. On April 25, 1986, Headquarters authorized the sharing with DEA of documents that described the October 1984 agreement between ARDE officials and Morales. DEA reportedly planned to use the documents as background information prior to debriefing Adolfo Chamorro in Miami.
239. In July 1987, a Station reported to Headquarters that, unless advised otherwise, the Station intended to provide the local DEA office with a message from Octaviano Cesar. The message indicated that Marcos Aguado wanted to contact the CIA to provide specific information that tied Eden Pastora to "past drug trafficking."
240. On July 31, 1987, CATF Chief Alan Fiers testified to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) concerning the allegations that Morales had made in testimony at the Kerry Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) regarding Contra involvement in narcotics trafficking. Fiers discussed what CIA knew about drug trafficking allegations concerning Pastora and a number of former FRS/ARDE members. Fiers stated that the Agency did not have knowledge that Pastora was directly involved in the Morales narcotics deal, but also said:

     We have a significant body of evidence with regard to involvement of the former members of ARDE in the Southern Front--Pastora's people being directly involved in cocaine trafficking to the United States. . . .

241. In addition, according to SSCI transcripts, Fiers used one of his biweekly meetings with the SSCI to share information with that Committee regarding allegations that Southern Front personnel were involved in narcotics trafficking. On October 14, 1987, Fiers stated to the SSCI regarding Pastora's plans to return to Nicaragua:

     We frankly don't very much care what [Pastora] does right now. We don't think it would be a terrible problem for us. You must always remember that the Sandinistas know what we know. This guy is a cocaine runner. Period. He ran cocaine. And they know that and we know that and they don't want him back. He's a hot potato for anybody.

242. A January 4, 1988 MFR drafted by Robert Buckman, OCA, indicated that CATF provided a summary briefing on the Nicaraguan program for SSCI on the same date. At that briefing, Senator Bill Bradley inquired about allegations of drug trafficking, and Fiers responded that "Pastora had been involved with a Colombian trafficker, but the FDN was clean."

     Adolfo Jose Chamorro

243. Background. Adolfo Jose Chamorro Cesar, also known as "Popo," is a Nicaraguan citizen currently residing in Managua. He had U.S. Permanent Resident Alien (PRA) status from 1983 until 1990, when he became the Nicaraguan Consul General in Miami. He is the nephew of Violetta Chamorro, the first elected president of Nicaragua after the Sandinista regime, and the uncle of Roberto "Tito" Chamorro, another Contra figure.
244. Adolfo Chamorro fought in the revolution to overthrow Somoza. Following Somoza's ouster in 1979, he served as an official of the FSLN. Chamorro's tenure as a government minister was short-lived, however, due to his arrest in 1981 in connection with a counter-revolutionary plot against the Sandinista Government. He then went into exile in Costa Rica. There he joined forces with Eden Pastora, his former FSLN commander, and the anti-Sandinista organization ARDE. In June 1983, Chamorro became the chief of military intelligence for ARDE.
245. In the summer of 1984, Eden Pastora left the ARDE and reorganized the FRS. Chamorro followed Pastora and became the FRS Deputy Military Commander. In October, Chamorro traveled to Miami to raise funds to support the FRS/ARDE coalition. In October 1984, Chamorro's name was linked with possible drug trafficking. On July 26, 1985, Chamorro broke with Pastora and the FRS and aligned himself with the newly formed BOS.
246. Allegations of Drug Trafficking. The Southern Front trafficking reports that began to be received in October 1984 stated that Adolfo Chamorro had been instrumental in making the arrangement for drug trafficker Jorge Morales to supply monetary support and aircraft in exchange for the use of FRS pilots. Chamorro reportedly set up a bank account in Miami through which money from Morales could be transferred to FRS/ARDE.
247. The reporting indicated that Chamorro and Morales had met again on October 30 to discuss their concerns about who within the Contras might have informed CIA about one of the aircraft that Morales had provided. Another meeting between Chamorro and Morales was reportedly planned for late November, this time to include Pastora. Chamorro says he was present at that meeting and that no conditions were attached to Morales' offer of support to the Contra cause.
248. In January 1986 cables noted that Chamorro had a relationship with Gerardo Duran, an FRS pilot who was arrested in Costa Rica for smuggling cocaine. Although no direct connection could be made between Duran's smuggling activities and Chamorro, the relationship between the two men had been noted with interest by a Central American Station and the local DEA office.
249. In October 1990, after the Contra war had concluded, the Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald carried front-page articles charging that Chamorro, who was then serving as the Nicaraguan Consul General in Miami, had trafficked in narcotics from 1984 to 1986. The article stated that a Colombian pilot had testified during the trial of a Medellin drug lord that he had flown arms to Contra forces in Central America and cocaine shipments to Florida and that Chamorro was part of this arms/drugs network.
250. Chamorro characterizes his meetings with Morales in late 1984 as appropriate since he was the director of logistics for FRS/ARDE. He maintains that the purpose of the meetings was to discuss support to FRS/ARDE and that neither he nor anyone in FRS/ARDE knew at that time of any drug trafficking allegations against Morales. Chamorro states that FRS/ARDE contact with Morales was terminated when the drug allegations became known. Chamorro says that none of the members of FRS/ARDE were involved in drug trafficking and they never knowingly accepted drug money. While Chamorro admits to having met Duran on several occasions, he states that he was not aware of any agreement between Duran and Morales. He explains, however, that Duran may have made his own deal with Morales to ship drugs.
251. CIA Response to Allegations of Drug Trafficking. By September 1986, Chamorro was one of the five BOS directorate officers. CIA was no longer opposing BOS and was providing support. A September 1986 cable to Headquarters had noted a suggestion made to BOS leader Alfredo Cesar that Chamorro should be interviewed by CIA Security because of his alleged involvement with drug trafficking. In January 1987, Headquarters instructed that it was to be emphasized to Cesar that U.S. Government funds could not be used to support Chamorro until the allegations against him were resolved.
252. Chamorro thereafter agreed to be interviewed by CIA Security. Based on the results of that interview, CIA Security was led to believe it was highly probable that Chamorro was involved in drug trafficking. A February 1987 cable reported that BOS had accepted Chamorro's resignation and removed him from the BOS payroll.
253. Information Sharing with Other U.S. Government Entities. As explained earlier, the 1984 Southern Front trafficking reporting was disseminated by CIA to a broad range of senior U.S. Government intelligence and law enforcement officials. The reporting noted that Chamorro had reached an agreement with a Miami-based drug trafficker to provide FRS facilities to transport narcotics in exchange for financial support, aircraft and pilot training, named the narcotics trafficker with whom Chamorro had struck the deal as Jorge Morales, and stated that another meeting was planned between Morales, Chamorro and Pastora.
254. In January 1986, Chamorro was scheduled to travel to Washington, D.C., as part of a BOS delegation lobbying for support for the Contra movement. CIA Headquarters stated in a January 1986 cable that it was "attempting to highlight [Chamorro's] known involvement in drug activities to convince appropriate parties to forego meetings with BOS in [Washington]." On January 22, 1986, Acting DCI John McMahon sent letters to the Chairmen of the SSCI and HPSCI informing them that Chamorro would be visiting members of Congress during that week. McMahon wrote, "While I would not normally comment on visitors to Congress, I believe it essential that I provide you with some highly derogatory information on Chamorro. . . . Our information indicates that Chamorro. . . has been involved in drug smuggling to the United States." The letter went on to detail Chamorro's association with Jorge Morales. In addition, it gave information about other contacts Chamorro had with suspected drug traffickers and offered a briefing concerning Chamorro's activities.
255. On January 24, 1986, a Central American Station informed Headquarters that it had discussed Chamorro several times with local DEA officers. The January 8, 1986 arrest of FRS pilot Gerardo Duran on drug charges in Costa Rica, explained the cable, made Chamorro's connection with Duran highly suspect. The Station stated that it had informed DEA of its interest in what Duran might have to say about that relationship when DEA questioned him after his release, which was "expected momentarily due to lack of Costa Rican willingness to prosecute."
256. On January 6, 1986, the SSCI requested Agency comments regarding a December 27, 1985 article in The Washington Post alleging a link between the Contras and drug trafficking. The information from the 1984 reporting about Chamorro and his dealings with Morales was included in CIA's January 13, 1986 reply.
257. On April 25, 1986, a Station requested that DEA officials be alerted that Chamorro was due to arrive at Miami Airport after being arrested and expelled for illegally entering Costa Rica. The Station suggested that DEA officers in Miami might want to question Chamorro about possible drug trafficking. According to an April 1986 cable to Headquarters, Chamorro had been interviewed by DEA in Miami on April 25 and named others whom he alleged to be trafficking in narcotics, but did not incriminate himself. DEA chose to maintain contact with Chamorro, but a July 1986 Headquarters cable declined CIA participation, asking only that DEA keep the Agency informed.
258. On April 15, 1986, a Memorandum entitled "Contra Involvement in Drug Trafficking" was prepared by CIA in response to a request from then-Vice President Bush. This Memorandum, which was delivered to Bush by a CIA officer on April 15, 1986, was a summary of the 1984 Southern Front trafficking reporting concerning Chamorro's and Pastora's contacts with Jorge Morales. The CIA analyst who drafted the Memorandum says that there was no request for follow-up regarding the reporting that was summarized in the Memorandum. The analyst also says she was aware of no further mention of the Contras' involvement in drug trafficking in Agency intelligence disseminations until early 1987.
259. On January 21, 1987, ADCI Robert Gates provided Morton Abramowitz, Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Intelligence and Research, with a Memorandum that had been prepared by CIA to address all allegations then known to CIA regarding alleged Contra/drug trafficking connections. The Memorandum included the information from 1984 regarding Chamorro and his connections to Morales. DoS responded on February 9, 1987 by demanding that Chamorro be removed from BOS membership, stating that "the law specifically directs that no funds are to be distributed to or through any resistance group that retains in its ranks any individual who has been found to engage in drug smuggling." CATF Chief Fiers replied to DoS, in an undated Memorandum, that CIA had taken immediate steps on learning of Chamorro's affiliation with BOS to have Chamorro removed as a member or affiliate of BOS. Fiers' Memorandum went on to say that CIA believed it was highly probable that Chamorro was involved in drug trafficking, and that all relevant information known to CIA had been shared with DEA and the FBI.
260. On March 10, 1987, CATF provided CIA's OGC with two cables from February 1987 and March 1987, concerning Chamorro's "suspicious activities." These activities reportedly included dealing in stolen electronic equipment and allegedly warning his employees to inspect all incoming packages for drugs because he thought the FBI was watching him. CATF recommended on a routing sheet attached to the cables that OGC "report this information to the Department of Justice." A handwritten, but unsigned, note attached to the cables stated that the drug-related information was "probably reportable but does [Chamorro] have a direct role in the activity--he hasn't admitted to involvement." No information has been found to indicate how or whether this question was resolved. As explained in further detail below, this information was not reported to DoJ by OGC until January 1988.
261. On March 5, 1987, according to an OCA Memorandum for the Record written by Robert Buckman, CATF Chief Fiers briefed the SSCI on the situation in Nicaragua. Fiers told the Committee that CIA believed it was highly probable that Adolfo Chamorro was involved in drug trafficking and that BOS risked losing its U.S. aid "if it did not fully sever its ties with Chamorro."
262. On July 31, 1987, CATF Chief Fiers testified before the SSCI and stated that CIA had "unimpeachable" information that Chamorro had planned to meet Morales in November 1984.
263. On January 5, 1988, CIA General Counsel David Doherty sent a letter to William Weld, Assistant Attorney General for DoJ's Criminal Division, informing him that the Agency was forwarding information concerning Adolfo Chamorro in accordance with Section 1.7(a) of Executive Order 12333. The letter stated that Chamorro might be involved in smuggling drugs into the United States and that the Agency had information that Chamorro might have been involved in the sale of stolen electronic merchandise in Miami. The letter went on to say that "although this non-employee crime is not required to be reported, . . ." the Agency thought it sufficiently serious to share the information with DoJ. The General Counsel's letter was brought to the attention of the Iran-Contra Independent Counsel and DEA by Associate Attorney General Stephen S. Trott as an enclosure to a March 17, 1988 letter to Associate Independent Counsel Guy Struve.

     Roberto Jose Chamorro

264. Background. Roberto "Tito" Jose Chamorro, a nephew of both former Nicaraguan President Violetta Chamorro and prominent Contra leader Adolfo Chamorro, was a Contra commander associated with the Southern Front forces. CIA records indicate that Roberto Chamorro first came to the attention of the Agency in 1984 when he was FRS Chief of Operations under Pastora's command. As of mid-1985, Chamorro reportedly was one of the FRS commanders who favored unification with other member groups in the anti-Sandinista forces. However, he reportedly believed that Pastora would have to be removed from military command for this to occur. By August 28, 1986, Chamorro had aligned himself with Alfredo Cesar's BOS organization.
265. According to a March 1, 1989 Department of Defense (DoD) cable, Roberto Chamorro "retired from the fight" in 1986 after learning that he would not be a commander in UNO.
266. Allegations of Drug Trafficking. The October and November 1984 reporting indicated that Roberto Chamorro--along with Adolfo Chamorro and Eden Pastora--would be attending a late November meeting with indicted drug trafficker Jorge Morales. No information has been found to indicate that Roberto Chamorro was actually present when the meeting took place in December 1984.
267. In August 1985, Headquarters requested immediate "talking points" regarding U.S. objectives in Nicaragua. Included in the undated response were allegations of narcotics trafficking by some members of the FRS. This included Roberto Chamorro, but no details were provided to substantiate the allegation against him.
268. In April 1987, a cable informed Headquarters of information from a DoS Embassy officer who reportedly had heard from a contact that Chamorro was part of a group involved in shipping cocaine from Nicaragua via Costa Rica to the United States. The cable reported that it had no way to evaluate the authenticity of the information.
269. In July 1987, Jorge Morales testified before the SFRC Subcommittee on Terrorism, Narcotics and International Operations that he had met Roberto Chamorro in Costa Rica in 1984. He said he had asked Chamorro to supply him with bodyguards, but the bodyguards were never provided. When asked whether he had discussed drug trafficking while in Costa Rica, Morales replied affirmatively. However, he did not identify Roberto Chamorro as one of those with whom he reportedly had such discussions.
270. CIA Responses to Allegations of Drug Trafficking. In August 1986, Chamorro was interviewed by CIA Security. On the basis of that interview, CIA Security did not have concerns about Chamorro's possible involvement in drug trafficking. Based on subsequent security interviews in January 1987, Security continued to not have concerns about Chamorro and drug trafficking.
271. Information Sharing with Other U.S. Government Entities. As explained earlier, the 1984 Southern Front trafficking reporting included Robert Chamorro among those meeting with drug trafficker Morales. This information was disseminated by CIA to a broad range of senior U.S. Government intelligence and law enforcement officials.
272. On July 31, 1987, CATF Chief Fiers testified before the SSCI that CIA had a "brief period of contact" with Roberto Chamorro, the purpose of which was "damage limitation." Fiers further stated that the Agency was aware of Chamorro's "checkered background" but opted to "take that tack [of having contact with him] to limit [Chamorro's] potential to do damage" to the unification process.
273. A July 1987 cable to Headquarters indicated that senior ARDE/FRS pilot Marcos Aguado wished to discuss alleged drug trafficking within Pastora's group because Morales had reportedly implicated Aguado and Roberto Chamorro. The Station reported that it was not going to meet with Aguado due to counterintelligence concerns but had shared this information with the local DEA office.

Marcos Antonio Aguado

274. Background. Marcos Aguado was a Sandinista Air Force pilot (1979-1980) and then an Aeronica Airlines commercial pilot until his defection in 1983 when he joined the Contra resistance. By September 1984, he was appointed Chief of Air Operations for the FRS/ARDE and was a personal pilot to FRS/ARDE leader Eden Pastora. Aguado made numerous flights over Nicaragua to supply FRS/ARDE troops and later was named Chief of Staff of the FRS/ARDE General Staff. Aguado, according to Eden Pastora, is also Pastora's son-in-law. According to an April 1983 Headquarters cable, Aguado had been offered a job flying an aircraft for the Southern Front.
275. A December 1984 cable advised:

. . . .
. . . [Aguado] actively assisted [two individuals], Duran and Carol Prado in disruption of ARDE/MDN flight activities, and according to [another asset] was being sent to Ilopango to destroy the Islander aircraft, circa July 84. In addition, [Aguado] assisted in the [Pastora] [sic] search for the Cessna 310 that crashed 9 August on [Hull's] property, and the search for the pilot and helicopter stolen from [Pastora]. During this period, hostile threats against [CIA], [John Hull] and the former [Southern Front] pilot were noted.
. . . .

The cable also pointed out that Aguado had not flown any missions inside Nicaragua since September 1983. The cable also noted that Aguado "is closely associated with" Pastora, Adolfo Chamorro and Duran; "as such he may very well be actively participating in alleged narcotics activities . . . or at least aware of such activities."

276. According to a December 1984 cable to Headquarters, Aguado "has been designated by Pastora as one of his 18 commandantes, to be in charge of air operations and logistics at Ilopango."
277. Allegations of Drug Trafficking. The first indications to CIA of Aguado's possible involvement in drug trafficking were included in the October 1984 Southern Front trafficking information that:

     1. During a mid-October 1984 visit to Miami, Florida, Sandino Revolutionary Front (FRS) official Adolfo "Popo" Chamorro, reached an agreement with an unidentified Cuban narcotics trafficker whereby the FRS will provide operational facilities in Costa Rica and Nicaragua plus assistance with Costa Rican government officials in obtaining documentation in exchange for financial support, aircraft and pilot training for the FRS. The Cuban . . . made arrangements for a C-47 to be flown from Haiti to El Salvador by FRS pilot Marco [sic] Antonio Aguado Arguello on 16 October 84.

     2. The agreement with the Cuban also includes the training of two FRS pilots in Miami. The pilots will continue their FRS duties after the training but will also serve the traffickers by flying narcotics from South America to the FRS provided landing fields in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. From these staging areas the narcotics will be moved to the U.S.
     . . .

     In April 1985, a Station reported to Headquarters that Aguado had used a DC-3—the civilian designation for a C-47—to deliver supplies to FRS/ARDE forces in southern Nicaragua on March 29, 1985.

278. A January 1986 cable stated that:

     [Marcos Aguado] should have knowledge of the recent arrest of Gerardo Duran Ayanegui regarding his alleged involvement in a shipment of 600 kilo[gram]s of cocaine from Jorge Morales (Colombian Mafia) to the U.S. Duran and Morales are closely associated with [Eden Pastora], [Aguado], Carol Prado, David Mayorga,. . . and others, all of whom, including [Aguado], are listed in Duran's phone book. Morales supplied [Pastora] with a C-47 aircraft and other air support; [Aguado] has piloted the C-47 for [Pastora] and is believed to maintain close contact with the above personnel.

279. The next Agency reporting of a drug-related allegation against Aguado came in an April 1986 cable to Headquarters. According to that cable, Adolfo Chamorro "plans to denounce Carol Prado, Eden Pastora and Marco [sic] Aguado as being the ones involved in drug-trafficking activities. Chamorro claims to have the evidence to prove this allegation." Headquarters was informed in an April 1986 cable that DEA had debriefed Chamorro on April 25, 1986 and obtained no information concerning narcotics trafficking. According to the cable, "all Chamorro wanted to talk about were politics and war."
280. In April 1987, a Station relayed to Headquarters information provided by a U.S. Embassy officer. The Embassy officer reported being told by a contact that Aguado, along with Carol Prado, David Mayorga, Adolfo Chamorro, Gerardo Duran, and another individual "are presently involved in shipping cocaine from Nicaragua via Costa Rica to the United States."
281. In March 1988, a cable reported to Headquarters that a suspected Guatemalan drug trafficker--Reyner Veliz Cruz--had recently been traveling with Aguado and described Veliz and Aguado as "new inseparable friends." Although not specifically alleging drug trafficking, the cable reported that Veliz, with co-pilot Aguado, arrived at Ilopango air base from Guatemala in February 1988, in a twin engine aircraft. The cable also reported that the two arrived at Ilopango from Pavas in another twin engine aircraft later in February 1988. Finally, the cable reported that Veliz and Aguado arrived at Ilopango in March 1988 in the same twin engine aircraft after customs officials had departed and the airfield was supposedly closed. The same cable noted that Aguado could not obtain a U.S. visa due to his suspected links in the past with drug traffickers. However, Aguado reportedly "has bragged that he still works for CIA" and "the customs personnel at Ilopango assume that Aguado has connections with drug trafficking, as well as good contacts within the Salvadoran Air Force. . . ." In this cable, the Station stated its approval to share the information with DEA personnel in Guatemala.
282. Enrique Miranda Jaime, a convicted drug trafficker, claims that Aguado flew weapons to Medellin, Colombia, during the 1980s and returned with cocaine that he stored at Ilopango. Miranda also alleges that Aguado was involved with Norwin Meneses and the movement of narcotics through Nicaragua. No information has been found to support Miranda's allegations.
283. CIA Response to Allegations of Drug Trafficking. No information has been found to indicate that CIA ever attempted to develop additional independent information that would confirm or refute the allegations against Aguado. No information has been found to indicate whether CIA considered, or the reasons why they may have decided not to take, such steps.
284. Information Sharing with Other U.S. Government Entities. The October 1984 reporting included information about Aguado's alleged role in moving a C-47 from Haiti to El Salvador. This information was disseminated as a sensitive memorandum to senior U.S. Government intelligence and law enforcement officials.
285. According to a SSCI transcript entitled CIA Briefing on Drug Running, CATF Chief Alan Fiers, briefed SSCI Staff members on July 31, 1987 concerning allegations of Contra involvement in drug trafficking. The transcript shows that Fiers included information relating to Aguado in this briefing and described Aguado's alleged involvement in the October 1984 Morales-Chamorro agreement.
286. The transcript shows that Fiers also detailed for the SSCI Staff members Aguado's role in taking possession in Haiti of the C-47 aircraft provided by Morales that was later used by Aguado in March 1985 to deliver supplies to ARDE forces. In the briefing, Fiers also provided the SSCI Staff members with a summary of information concerning four or five flights by Gerardo Duran to Miami on behalf of Morales.

     Gerardo Duran

287. Background. Gerardo Duran was a Costa Rican national who had close ties to Southern Front Contra personalities, including Eden Pastora, Carol Prado, Adolfo Chamorro, Jose Robelo, and Marcos Aguado. He served as a personal pilot for Pastora from 1984 until sometime in early 1985. He was employed as chief pilot for the Costa Rican-based aviation company, Alpa Aerolineas del Pacifico Fumigacions (Alpa Airlines), between 1985 and 1986.
288. Allegations of Drug Trafficking. CIA first received allegations of Duran's possible involvement in drug trafficking in the October 1984 Southern Front trafficking report. That report included information that Duran was scheduled to make a flight for Jorge Morales in October 1984 from Miami to the Bahamas.
289. In November 1984, a cable informed Headquarters that Duran and another pilot were in Miami. According to the cable, the presence of Duran indicated a flight to move narcotics from Colombia to the Bahamas was imminent.
290. In December 1984, a cable advised Headquarters of allegations that Duran had recently returned to Costa Rica, had access to a Cessna 404 Titan aircraft and appeared to be involved in drug trafficking.
291. A February 1985 cable to Headquarters reported a possible connection between Duran and Pedro Portu, who "has a well-known background in narcotics trafficking." In February 1985, a Station reported to Headquarters that, according to "Popo" Chamorro, Duran was aboard an FRS Baron aircraft that had crashed in the Pacific Ocean while transporting an aircraft generator from Pavas airfield in Costa Rica to Ilopango air base in El Salvador. According to the cable, Marcos Aguado "believes that Duran was on another type of mission, possibly drug related."
292. A March 1985 cable to Headquarters reported that "both [Adolfo] Chamorro and Geraldo [sic] Duran have accompanied [Jorge] Morales to the Bahamas to look over his operations." The cable noted that a belief "that Duran and Quesada [sic] travelled to the Bahamas from Miami and made flights for Morales."
293. In March 1985, a cable noted that Duran had been suspected of making drug running flights to Miami and the Bahamas. Further, the cable stated that the "local [DEA] rep[resentative] reported that Duran is on their records as a trafficker and also for involvement in running Cubans into Mexico."
294. An April 1985 cable to Headquarters reported that Marcos Aguado had said that "Duran is suspected of being involved in drug trafficking. . . ." The cable did not, however, state why Duran was suspected of drug trafficking.
295. An April 1985 cable listed several names and noted that the majority of the reporting available to CIA concerning the listed persons, including Duran, had to do with alleged connections to narcotics trafficking. Also in April 1985, a cable to Headquarters reported that an employee of Alpa Airlines suspected that the company was transporting cocaine to the United States in yucca shipments and noting that Duran was the "chief pilot" for Alpa Airlines.
296. In May 1985, a Station sent a cable to Headquarters that summarized reporting from two sources regarding the involvement of FRS personnel in narcotics trafficking. It noted that, although there was "a lack of hard evidence," Duran was one of "the two individuals consistently named by both sources" as being involved in narcotics trafficking.
297. A May 1985 cable to Headquarters noted that, according to a contact, "Duran was on a drug flight when he ditched the Baron . . . in the Pacific [Ocean]." This was an apparent reference to the crash of an FRS-owned Baron aircraft while en route from Costa Rica to Ilopango air base in El Salvador that was described in a February 1985 cable.
298. A July 1985 cable to Headquarters noted suspicions that Alpa "is being used as a front for narcotics operations," and that reportedly on June 8 David Mayorga had said that:

. . . the 150 kilograms of cocaine that were captured near Barra Del Colorado, Costa Rica . . . in a Cessna Citation . . . were destined for Frudaticos to be packed into yucca for delivery to the U.S.

The cable also reported that there were suspicions "that Sergio Sarcovik and [Carlos] Vikes arranged for the pilots of this aircraft to leave the country, probably in the Cessna 206 . . . with Gerardo Duran as the pilot."

299. In January 1986, Duran was arrested by the Costa Rican Office of Judicial Investigation (OIJ) for his alleged involvement in cocaine trafficking. His arrest was the focus of a number of cables. A January 1986 cable advised Headquarters that:

     [Marcos Aguado] should have knowledge of the recent arrest of Gerardo Duran Ananegui regarding his alleged involvement in a shipment of 600 kilo[gram]s of cocaine from Jorge Morales (Colombian Mafia) to the U.S.

300. In January 1986, Headquarters sent a cable asking for a query to be made to the local DEA offices for information they might have linking Gerardo Duran, "Popo" Chamorro, Jorge Morales, and David Mayorga to narcotics trafficking. A January 1986 cable to Headquarters stated:

     . . . Gerardo Duran, who is presently in jail after witnesses put him at the scene of a 600 kilo[gram] coke deal in Guanacaste, is Costa Rican, not Nicaraguan. We have reported on his recent arrest.

301. In January 1986, Headquarters sent a cable that stated:

     Please provide whatever details are available . . . on ref[erenced] arrest of Gerardo Duran for alleged involvement in smuggling of 600 kilo[gram]s of cocaine to the United States. FYI: [w]e reported [Chamorro's] involvement in drug smuggling to Co[n]gress via [DCI] letter to Intelligence Committee Chairmen. Letter included reference to Duran arrest and we would appreciate details in event there is follow up inquiry from Congress.⁽¹³⁾

302. In January 1986, a cable to Headquarters noted obtaining from DEA a copy of the OIJ report of Duran's arrest and provided information based on that report. The cable stated that Duran was arrested on January 8, 1986 and had admitted to loading "bundles"—the cable did not specify that the bundles included narcotics—onto an aircraft at Tamarindo airport in Guanacaste Province in December 1985. The cable stated further:

     [OIJ] is still holding Duran but the decision to try him is pending. [Headquarters] will recall that [Manuel "Pillique"] Guerra and [Pastora] are quite close. In any event, [DEA] is certain they can get an indictment of Duran in Miami and they are pursuing that goal.

303. A cable to Headquarters in March 1986 stated:

     Gerardo Duran, a [Pastora] pilot who [DEA] says was introduced to major narcotics trafficker Jorge Morales by [Pastora], is known by [DEA] to have participated in the air shipment of several hundred kilo[gram]s of cocaine from Liberia (Costa Rica) airport to the West Indies for onward shipment to the U.S. Duran himself was arrested by Costa Rican authorities for in-country possession of seven kilo[gram]s of cocaine and [DEA] is pursuing that case . . . and with the U.S. attorney.

304. According to an April 1987 cable, the Costa Rican press reported that "Duran was re-arrested this last week as a suspect in having helped transport 450 kilo[gram]s of cocaine through Costa Rica." The cable did not specify the destination of the cocaine. According to the cable, Duran was "first arrested in December 1985 with the same charge, but skipped bail." The cable also noted that Costa Rican "authorities suspect Duran of having ties with a smuggling ring which has used numerous airstrips in Guanacaste Province (Costa Rica) for clandestine drug flights."
305. CIA Response to Allegations of Drug Trafficking. In May 1985, a cable advised Headquarters that "the Station is attempting to gather solid evidence . . . to confirm alleged weapons and/or narcotics trafficking by Duran and his [Contra] associates." The cable also suggested that:

     It would be useful if future messages regarding alleged narcotics/weapons trafficking indicate approval of passage to [DEA], or whether the data is already shared with [DEA] office.

     No information has been found to indicate that Headquarters responded to this suggestion.

306. In January 1986, Headquarters sent a cable asking Stations to "query local [DEA] offices for information they may have linking the following [including Duran] to involvement in narcotics trafficking." A Station responded in January 1986, saying:

     [DEA] is aware of our interest in what Duran has to say about [Eden Pastora] and [Popo Chamorro] involvement in trafficking and will question him again after he is released. His release is expected momentarily due to lack of Costa Rican willingness to prosecute. However, [DEA] plans to prosecute him under a . . . law dealing with international trafficking; they think they can make the case stick, whereas [the Costa Ricans do] not.

     A January 1986 response from another Station stated:

     [DEA] records indicate that Gerardo Albert [sic] Duran Ayaneque, [sic] . . . was arrested for cocaine smuggling in January 1986. He had previously been suspected of smuggling drugs via aircraft in September 1985 . . . . Additional information on Duran is available to [DEA]/Miami case agent. If desired, please advise.

     No information has been found to indicate any response by Headquarters to the cable.

307. Information Sharing with Other U.S. Government Entities. As explained earlier, the 1984-85 reporting that included information about Duran's alleged participation in the Morales-ARDE narcotics trafficking discussions was disseminated to a broad range of senior U.S. Government intelligence and law enforcement officials.
308. A January 24, 1986 letter from ADCI John McMahon notified the SSCI and HPSCI that CIA had information concerning Adolfo Chamorro's involvement in narcotics smuggling. The letter reported Duran's arrest in Costa Rica for his alleged involvement "in a shipment of 600 kilo[gram]s of cocaine from [Jorge] Morales to the U.S." This letter was followed by a Headquarters cable requesting:

     . . . whatever details are available to Station on ref[erenced] arrest of Gerardo Duran for alleged involvement in smuggling of 600 kilo[gram]s of cocaine to the United States. FYI: [w]e reported [Popo Chamorro's] involvement in drug smuggling to . . . Intelligence Committee Chairmen. Letter included reference to Duran arrest and we would appreciate details in event there is follow up inquiry from Congress.

     As mentioned earlier, the Station responded in January 1986 with a cable providing Headquarters with details regarding Duran's arrest.

309. An April 1986 CATF cable included detailed information concerning the 1984 arrangements between Chamorro and Morales. The cable also detailed Duran's 1986 arrest in Costa Rica as background material for an interview of Chamorro and authorized sharing the information with the local DEA office.
310. On January 21, 1987, ADCI Robert Gates forwarded to Ambassador Morton Abramowitz, Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research, a memorandum that discussed allegations in CIA's possession regarding connections between drug traffickers and members of the Contras. This memorandum included Duran's connection with Morales, as well as his arrest in January 1986 "by Costa Rican authorities for his alleged involvement in transporting 600 kilo[gram]s of cocaine to the United States for Jorge Morales."
311. On November 2, 1988, DEA sent a request to CIA for any information in CIA's possession concerning four people, one of whom was Duran. On December 14, 1988, CIA responded that it had no relevant information that had not been provided previously to DEA.

     Alfonso Robelo

312. Background. Alfonso Robelo was active in Nicaraguan politics for over 30 years. He was an original member of a five-person ruling junta of the Sandinista Government, a Southern Front Contra political leader and later Ambassador to Costa Rica during the presidency of Violetta Chamorro. Robelo's opposition to the Sandinistas crystallized in mid-1980 when he resigned his position on the Sandinista Council of State to protest the Council's expansion and addition of FSLN members. By early 1982, Robelo--along with Eden Pastora and Brooklyn Rivera--formed ARDE.
313. Allegations of Drug Trafficking. An October 1984 cable to Headquarters reported that a Sandinista newspaper, El Nuevo Diaro, had stated on October 10, 1984 that Robelo and ARDE had accepted help from an unidentified drug trafficker in Miami. The article also said that two FRS/ARDE helicopters had been painted with a black substance to make them invisible to radar.
314. In June 1987, CIA learned that Robelo had been contacted by two Bolivians--Enrique Crespou and Fernando Perou--who had offered to make a "significant" monetary contribution to the Contras. Robelo said that they offered $150 million to the Contras with "no strings attached." Robelo said that the Bolivians were evasive in their answers about the origins of the funds. Robelo was advised not to accept any money from the Bolivians until its origins could be determined.
315. CIA Response to Allegations of Drug Trafficking. No information has been found to indicate that CIA took any actions to follow up on the 1984 Sandinista newspaper allegation that Robelo and ARDE were involved in dealings with a drug trafficker.
316. In October 1988, a cable reported to Headquarters that Perou and Crespou had been accused during a press conference by Roberto Suarez Levy, son of imprisoned cocaine "king" Roberto Suarez Gomez, of being CIA agents. Suarez Levy also alleged that CIA and DEA were operating a cocaine lab in "Huanchaca," Bolivia. A Headquarters response stated that the only relevant information it had regarding Perou and Crespo was that they had met with Robelo in June 1987 and offered him $150 million for the Contras.
317. Robelo says he does not recall the meeting with the Bolivians or their reported offer of $150 million. He does not deny that the meeting may have taken place, but states that he participated in approximately 10 situations when people offered to donate large sums of money to the Contras but did not do so.
318. Information Sharing with Other U.S. Government Entities. No information has been found to indicate that CIA informed U.S. law enforcement or other agencies or the Congress about the 1984 Sandinista newspaper allegation. CIA informed Congress about the alleged offer of $150 million from the Bolivians in 1997 in the context of another matter.

     Jose Salvador Robelo

319. Background. Jose Salvador Robelo Ortiz was a major figure in the Sandinista Party, serving first as an insurgent and later as a Sandinista Government official. By 1981, he devoted his full attention to Nicaraguan Democratic Movement (MDN) activities in San Jose with his cousin, Alfonso Robelo. His brother was Silvio Robelo, who was imprisoned by the GRN. Circa 1983, Jose Robelo became the Air Operations Coordinator within ARDE. He was later put in charge of maritime operations. Robelo gained a reputation for being disruptive and was considered to be of dubious reputation by the FDN. In September 1985, he was suspended indefinitely as Chief of UNO/Nicaraguan Revolutionary Armed Force (FARN) operations as a result of an internal investigation that held Robelo fully responsible for ordering the torture and execution of an alleged Popular Sandinista Army collaborator in August 1985. Although it is unclear when, Robelo later became active with the Southern Front again.
320. Allegations of Drug Trafficking. The first allegations of Robelo's involvement in drug trafficking were received by CIA in December 1984 when he was identified as a continuing associate of Jaime Ibarra Pasos, a.k.a. Pachelli. Pachelli was reportedly a known drug dealer in San Jose who trafficked approximately two kilograms of cocaine each month within Costa Rica. Pachelli was reportedly a close associate of Sebastian Gonzalez.
321. Also in December 1984, a CIA contact said that Gerardo Duran, a part-time FRS pilot, had recently returned to Costa Rica and had access to a Cessna 404. According to the contact, Duran reportedly had flown missions for Pastora and Robelo and might be involved in drug trafficking activities.
322. In April 1985, a cable reported that Robelo was associated with David Mayorga and another individual. Mayorga and the other individual reportedly were involved in drug trafficking.
323. In May 1985, a cable provided Headquarters with a summary overview of involvement of FRS personnel in narcotics trafficking. According to that overview, an ARDE Islander aircraft had made several trips to Miami and one to the Dominican Republic carrying Adolfo "Popo" Chamorro, who was implicated in drug trafficking. This aircraft reportedly was under the control of Robelo at the time. There was no indication of involvement by FRS personnel.
324. The April 17, 1989 edition of the Nicaraguan newspaper La Republica included a story that international agencies had published statements, based on information from the SFRC, that Robelo was involved in drug trafficking. The accusations of his involvement were based on comments made to the SFRC by Robert Owen. In the story, Robelo reportedly denied participation in any drug-related activities and criticized Owen because his statements were unfair and Robelo could not defend himself. Robelo also reportedly emphasized that he always adhered to the laws and would be willing to answer any questions in order to prove his innocence.
325. CIA Response to Allegations of Drug Trafficking. A January 1987 cable to Headquarters noted that Robelo had been alleged historically to be involved in narcotics trafficking and that the Station had successfully obtained Robelo's severance from all Contra elements. A September 7 cable to Headquarters describing Robelo noted that "in the past [Robelo] has been accused of possible involvement in narcotics trafficking to support the Nicaraguan resistance military efforts."
326. Sharing of Information with Other U.S. Government Entities. No information has been found to indicate that any of the information available to CIA regarding Robelo's alleged involvement in drug trafficking was shared with other U.S. Government agencies or the Congress.

     Octaviano Cesar

327. Background. During the 1980s, Octaviano Cesar, brother of BOS leader Alfredo Cesar, played a role in the Southern Front. Agency officers met occasionally with Cesar--usually in the United States--to gather information and to help promote unity among the Southern Front groups. These infrequent meetings ended after Cesar was interviewed by CIA Security in April 1987. Based on this interview, CIA believed it was highly probable that Cesar was involved in drug trafficking.

328. Allegations of Drug Trafficking. The October 1984 Southern Front trafficking reporting noted that Miami-based drug trafficker Jorge Morales had a relationship with Octaviano Cesar and that Cesar had unsuccessfully sought to sell Morales blank Nicaraguan passports for $5,000 each. A second report claiming that Cesar had a relationship with Morales was received by Headquarters in January 1985 when Morales reportedly had described Cesar as a close friend.
329. On April 6, 1987, the CBS television program West 57th Street related allegations by Morales that Octaviano Cesar was his link to high levels of the U.S. Government regarding drug and arms smuggling. Further, the program reported that Cesar had accompanied Morales and Adolfo Chamorro on a trip to the Bahamas in late 1984, with Cesar and Chamorro agreeing to Morales' request that they carry checks for large sums of money through U.S. Customs on their return.
330. An April 1988 cable notified Headquarters that Octaviano Cesar had been arrested by Costa Rican authorities. The charges were described as credit payment default to a local business. There was a suggestion made that the arrest was part of a harassment campaign by Costa Rican authorities due to Cesar's alleged ties to drug trafficking.
331. CIA Response to Allegations of Drug Trafficking. As mentioned earlier, CIA disseminated the October 1984 information regarding Octaviano Cesar's links to Morales as a sensitive memorandum. Cesar was forced by CIA to resign from BOS, although he continued for some time thereafter to be involved in the group's affairs. In April 1987 CIA received a letter from Octaviano Cesar in which he denied the accusations by Morales and put himself at the disposal of the U.S. Government to proceed with any investigation that would clear his name.
332. In April 1987, Octaviano Cesar was interviewed by CIA Security. Cesar was asked about his past association with Morales and allegations of drug trafficking. He reportedly stated that he had first been introduced to Morales around 1984 by Adolfo Chamorro's former wife, Marta Healy, and that he had been involved in additional meetings concerning Morales' offer of aircraft to the Southern Front forces. Regarding the 1984 trip to the Bahamas, Cesar said that the purpose was to test the flying skills of Marcos Aguado, and that he did not know of any other specific purpose until the return flight when Morales asked Cesar and Chamorro to claim when clearing U.S. Customs that several checks were theirs. Cesar reported that he had suspected that Morales was involved with drug money, but that his desire to help the Southern Front drove him to work with Morales. Cesar reportedly denied ever using or taking any money from Morales, except reimbursement for travel expenses. Cesar reportedly also said that Marta Healy had contacted him in late 1986 with a request from Morales that Cesar testify in the United States that Morales' drug trafficking had been undertaken to assist the Contra resistance. Cesar said that he had refused this request.
333. Based on Cesar's interview, CIA Security believed it was highly probable that Cesar was involved in drug trafficking and involved in taking money from Morales. On May 4, 1987, CATF Chief Fiers prepared and sent a detailed report to Elliott Abrams, Assistant Secretary of State and Chairman of the Interagency for Nicaragua, regarding concerns about Cesar and drug trafficking.
334. On July 21, 1987, Headquarters instructed several Latin America Stations to advise all personnel who were talking with Alfredo Cesar that Octaviano Cesar must avoid even the appearance of being involved in BOS activities. That same month, Alfredo Cesar agreed to bar Octaviano from serving in any official or unofficial BOS capacity.

335. A cable notified Headquarters in September 1988 that Cesar had informed Southern Front leaders that he intended to return to a prominent role in the resistance. This was reportedly because he had received a letter from the SFRC, signed by SFRC Chairman Senator John Kerry, absolving Cesar of all drug trafficking charges.
336. Information Sharing with Other U.S. Government Entities. As explained earlier, the 1984 reporting, which included the information connecting Cesar to drug trafficker Jorge Morales, was disseminated to a broad range of senior U.S. Government intelligence and law enforcement officials.
337. An unsigned memorandum dated April 15, 1987 indicated that CIA had notified DEA's Miami office in January 1985 of Cesar's close association with Morales. The Agency informed DoS of suspicions regarding Cesar's involvement in drug trafficking in a July 20, 1987 memorandum from the Deputy Director for of the Office of African and Latin American Analysis of the CIA Directorate of Intelligence (DI), to Ambassador Morton Abramowitz, Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research. The memorandum responded to a DoS request for information concerning alleged Contra-drug trafficking connections and stated that Cesar was probably involved in the Morales and ARDE narcotics-related arrangements. It further stated that Cesar had resigned from BOS following public accusations of his involvement in drug trafficking. Attached to the memorandum was a copy of the January 21, 1987 memorandum concerning alleged Contra-drug trafficking connections that had been sent to Abramowitz by ADCI Gates.
338. On April 30, 1987, CATF Chief Fiers briefed the SSCI regarding the Contra program. As described in a May 1, 1987 Memorandum for the Record, Fiers explained the background of allegations of Contra involvement in drug trafficking dating back to November 1984. He added that Octaviano Cesar had a close relationship with Morales, was interviewed by CIA Security when this connection became known and that the focus of the interview related to concerns about drug trafficking.
339. According to a July 31, 1987 Memorandum for the Record, Fiers briefed the SSCI and a HPSCI Staff member that same day and stated that Cesar had been interviewed regarding drug trafficking when the Morales allegations arose. Fiers said CIA believed it was highly probable that Cesar was involved in drug trafficking. Fiers noted that this was reported to DoS and that the Agency had informed Cesar's brother Alfredo that Octaviano Cesar must step down from his BOS leadership role immediately.

     Edmundo Jose Chamorro

340. Background. Edmundo Chamorro was, like his brother Fernando Chamorro, one of the principal members of the Eleventh of November movement that was involved in armed opposition to the Somoza regime in Nicaragua in the 1970s. A March 1981 cable informed Headquarters that Edmundo Chamorro had become one of the leaders of UDN/FARN.
341. In a July 1, 1982 cable, Headquarters expressed "grave doubts" about Edmundo Chamorro's reliability and security consciousness. A January 1983 cable informed Headquarters that a senior UDN/FARN member had expressed concerns that Edmundo Chamorro was engaged in the "misuse of [resistance] funds and inciting the people to premature guerrilla and sabotage acts." In early February, Fernando reportedly removed Edmundo from the movement. In April 1983, a Headquarters cable indicated that Edmundo Chamorro had "no leadership position of any sort in the UDN and has been excluded from active participation in the group's activities." The cable went on to say that Edmundo had "some serious character defects" and that his remarks were "often motivated by insecurity and vindictiveness."
342. In response to a January 1986 request from Headquarters for updated information concerning Chamorro, a cable provided background information regarding Chamorro's "baggage." No information has been found to indicate any CIA contact with Edmundo Chamorro after 1983.
343. Allegations of Drug Trafficking. A June 1986 cable to Headquarters stated that a local newspaper had published an article linking Edmundo Chamorro with drug traffickers. The Costa Rican Judicial Police reportedly had wiretapped conversations between convicted drug trafficker Horacio Pereira and Contra commander Sebastian Gonzalez Mendieta. The transcripts of the wiretaps allegedly indicated that Pereira and Gonzalez discussed the participation of several Contra leaders, including Edmundo Chamorro, in drug smuggling operations. In one conversation, Gonzalez reportedly advised Pereira to seek Edmundo Chamorro's assistance in providing logistics for drug transport.
344. CIA Response to Allegations of Drug Trafficking. Upon learning of the Costa Rican newspaper allegations against Edmundo Chamorro, a June 1986 Headquarters cable asked for copies of the Pereira/Gonzalez wiretap transcripts that were mentioned in the article. Headquarters commented that "as it stands now it appears we are dealing with innuendo rather than hard facts about Edmundo and his connection to Gonzalez." In July 1986, Headquarters again cabled and stated, "Allegations of drug trafficking continue to plague our operations. Request status of . . . attempt to obtain [referenced] transcripts." A July 1986 reply expressed doubt that they could be obtained since they were being held as evidence to be used in court. No information has been found to indicate that the transcripts were pursued any further.
345. Information Sharing with Other U.S. Government Entities. No information has been found to indicate that any information regarding Edmundo Chamorro's alleged involvement in drug trafficking was shared by CIA with any other U.S. Government entity or the Congress.

Fernando Jose Chamorro

346. Background. Fernando "El Negro" Chamorro Rappaccioli, brother of Edmundo Chamorro, began his revolutionary career in the 1960s as the leader of a militant anti-Somoza organization known as the Eleventh of November. Although Fernando Chamorro's group was non-Marxist in doctrine, it worked closely with the FSLN to oust Somoza. In September 1978, Chamorro was arrested by the Somoza Government for anti-government activities. He was released, along with other political prisoners, in response to demands by FSLN activists who took over the National Palace in Managua. Upon his release, he left Nicaragua and was granted political asylum in Costa Rica.
347. As of January 1982, Fernando Chamorro was based in Honduras and was playing a major role in the Contra movement. He was a leader of both the UDN and FARN--the military arm of UDN.
348. CIA contact with Chamorro began in 1982, but according to a March 1985 cable to Headquarters, Fernando Chamorro's "ineffective actions" had negatively influenced his relationship with the Agency. Thus, Station suggested that CIA sever its contact with him.
349. An April 1986 cable informed Headquarters that Carlos Calvo, a former member of UDN/FARN, had been arrested at the Miami airport in October 1984 for attempting to leave the United States with $250,000 concealed in his clothing. According to the source, Calvo told the U.S. Customs Service that the money had been raised to support UDN/FARN and Fernando Chamorro had written a letter corroborating Calvo's story. A September 1986 cable verified to Headquarters that, although Fernando Chamorro reportedly had no previous knowledge of the money and no claim to it, he wrote a letter on Calvo's behalf on March 22, 1985 informing Customs that the money was meant to "help in the vital costs of the armed struggle for the liberation of Nicaragua." The letter also asked for assistance "in obtaining these, our sacred funds back." The money was not released by Customs. According to the September 1986 cable, Chamorro admitted that he believed Calvo was involved in a money laundering operation, but said that he did not believe that the money was drug-related. He rationalized that "if the money was going to be lost, it might as well go to a worthy cause."
350. A December 1986 cable to Headquarters reported that Chamorro had become the Southern Front Commander for UNO in December 1986. According to a December 29, 1986 cable to Headquarters, that "difficult as it may be to understand, [Chamorro] continues to hold considerable sway on most of the [UNO] commanders in the south." Fernando Chamorro resigned from UNO's political and military structures in March 1987.
351. A December 1987 cable informed Headquarters that Chamorro's wife had been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. In August 1988, Chamorro was hospitalized after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage and subsequently died. Later that month, his wife died.
352. Allegations of Drug Trafficking. On March 16, 1986, the San Francisco Examiner published a story alleging that a UDN/FARN official--Francisco Aviles--had three years previously been involved in writing a letter to the San Francisco U.S. Attorney requesting that $36,000 seized from California-based drug trafficker Julio Zavala be returned to Zavala because it was Contra money. An April 1986 cable to Headquarters stated that Chamorro had questioned Aviles about the allegation after learning of the story. When Aviles could not provide satisfactory answers, Chamorro reportedly expelled him from the UDN/FARN. No information has been found to indicate that Chamorro was aware of Aviles' actions prior to 1986, or that Chamorro himself had ever been tied to California-based drug trafficker Julio Zavala.
353. A June 1986 cable stated that reportedly in August or September 1984 "Costa Rican drug trafficker Norvin [sic] Meneses sought the cooperation of 'El Negro' [Fernando Chamorro] to move drugs" to the United States.
354. CIA Response to Allegations of Drug Trafficking. In March 1986, when the San Francisco Examiner published its story linking Aviles to Zavala and a California drug trafficking ring, CIA began an immediate inquiry into the matter. An April 1986 Headquarters cable was sent to several Stations asking for all available information regarding the allegation that Aviles, a member of UDN/FARN under Fernando Chamorro, provided funds to Zavala. The cable stated that "we must act swiftly to ascertain the true facts. . . . We need to get the entire story immediately." In April 1986, a Station informed Headquarters that it had ascertained that Aviles was not personally associated with Chamorro, but served in the UDN/FARN as a human rights representative. Another Station reported in April that the FBI had found no evidence to link Zavala and the other arrested drug traffickers with Contra groups. A third Station also reported to Headquarters in April that its inquiry indicated that Chamorro had no links with, or knowledge of, any of those who had been arrested in connection with the California drug trafficking ring. According to an April cable to Headquarters, Chamorro stated that:

     UDN/FARN has never accepted large denominations of monies from any organization which did not first state the source of the contributions; Francisco Aviles was not involved in Southern Front activities in 1983 - the timeframe [of the California arrests]; . . . and Aviles has been informed verbally that he has been expelled from UDN/FARN, a written order to follow shortly.

355. No information has been found to indicate that CIA took any actions to follow-up or verify the June 1986 allegation that Costa Rican drug trafficker Norwin Meneses had sought Chamorro's cooperation to move drugs to the United States.
356. Information Sharing with Other U.S. Government Entities. An April 1986 Headquarters cable stated that DoS had been advised of the San Francisco Examiner story and of the Agency's findings regarding Chamorro's actions against Aviles. According to an April 1986 Station cable to Headquarters, the story was also the subject of discussions between that Station and the FBI's Field Office.
357. In February 1988, Chamorro was the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation by the FBI that reportedly had been initiated on the basis of information that a Station had provided to Headquarters in a July 1987 cable for passage to DoJ. According to the July cable, Chamorro allegedly had purchased several vehicles with funds that were intended for humanitarian aid. The cable requested that Headquarters "inform [FBI] and [DoJ] of [Chamorro's] appropriations of [Contra] property." No information has been found to indicate whether or how this request was acted upon by Headquarters.
358. No information has been found to indicate that information regarding Chamorro's alleged involvement in drug trafficking was shared with other U.S. Government entities or the Congress.

     Sebastian Gonzalez

359. Background. Sebastian Gonzalez Mendieta (a.k.a. "Commandante Wachan") was a veterinarian by training who was involved in the effort to overthrow Anastasio Somoza in the late 1970s. He served briefly--in assignments relating to agricultural issues--in the post-Somoza Government established by the Sandinistas. However, Gonzalez claimed in 1981 that he had become disillusioned with the leftward turn of the Sandinista regime and relocated to Panama. There he joined forces with Eden Pastora and other disaffected Nicaraguans.
360. During the early period of the Contra resistance, Gonzalez was initially associated with ARDE, primarily as a logistics coordinator, and played a liaison role between ARDE and the Panamanian Defense Forces (PDF). By late 1983, Gonzalez' relationship with ARDE had deteriorated, however, and he attempted to form a small band of fighters known as the Third Way Movement. Gonzalez subsequently moved to Panama and gradually lost touch with the Contras.
361. Allegations of Drug Trafficking. A September 1984 cable to Headquarters, based on indirect information from Fernando Chamorro, alleged that Gonzalez had used several flights to Costa Rica from Panama to carry cocaine along with the communications gear he was transporting for the ARDE. The cable went on to report that Gonzalez had stored 11 kilograms of cocaine in Liberia, Costa Rica, and had taken 10 of those kilograms to an unknown location. According to the cable, Chamorro had also said that Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega, as well as Gerardo Hidalgo Abaunza--who was arrested by the Government of Costa Rica while in possession of the one additional kilogram of cocaine that Gonzalez had stored--were involved in the drug trafficking operation.
362. In late September 1984, a cable reported to Headquarters that a Costa Rican press report stated that Gonzalez and another individual were involved in a flight that had crashed in the Pacific Ocean the previous week. It was implied that the plane, a Cessna 182 connected to Pastora's group, had no apparent business in the area of the crash and the crash would be investigated by the Government of Costa Rica.
363. In February 1985, a cable to Headquarters stated that Gonzalez was "well known in police circles in Costa Rica," and that it was likely that the case involving Hidalgo's possession of a kilogram of cocaine would not be followed up. Another Station, commenting in a cable to Headquarters on the same day, referred to this cable and stated:

[The cable] appears to indicate that case against [Gonzalez] rested solely on allegations made by Gerardo Hildago, who was caught red-handed by the Costa Ricans with several kilos of cocaine. . . . Assume from the overall tenor of [the cable] that drug case against [Gonzalez] is too weak to take to trial and that he is thereby to be cleared of the charges.

364. A March 1985, cable reported to Headquarters that ARDE's security chief had linked Gonzalez to Alpa Aviation. Alpa Aviation was reported to be partially owned by drug trafficker David Mayorga.
365. In May 1985, a Station reported its belief to Headquarters that Marcos Aguado, a Contra pilot, could provide "concrete evidence" of drug trafficking on the part of various Southern Front leaders, including Gonzalez. In August 1985, the Station reported to Headquarters that Alfonso Robelo had said that Gonzalez was linked to Tuto Munkel, a Nicaraguan who was reportedly engaged in drug trafficking, weapons smuggling and money laundering. Munkel, the cable said, reportedly supported Gonzalez' drug activities in Costa Rica.
366. In October 1985, a Station reported to Headquarters that it had been informed by the local DEA office that Hugo Spadafora had made vague allegations to DEA several weeks earlier that Gonzalez, Manuel Noriega and Jose Ortiz Robelo were engaged in drug trafficking. The chief of the local DEA office met Spadafora twice and, according to the cable, Spadafora had promised that he would provide evidence of drug trafficking by Gonzalez. Spadafora was murdered in September 1985 and no information has been found that Spadafora furnished any information to DEA after his second meeting with the chief of the local DEA.
367. An October 1985 cable to Headquarters discussed PDF requests that Gonzalez assist in:

     . . . defusing an effort by family members of slain rebel Hugo Spadafora to implicate Manuel Antonio Noriega in drug trafficking. [Gonzalez] has been asked to participate in a popular morning radio talk program scheduled for 21 Oct, in which [Gonzalez] will reveal and denounce a not yet public plan by Spadafora's brother, Winston, to obtain documents in Costa Rica which allegedly show that [Gonzalez] was involved in drug trafficking.

     A handwritten notation on this cable stated " . . . if the truth be known, we had reason to believe that [Gonzalez] has been involved in drugs about a yr [sic] - 1 1/2 yrs ago. . . ."

368. According to a June 1986 cable to Headquarters, the June 13 edition of the San Jose English language newspaper, the Tico Times, reported the sentencing of three people for drug trafficking. The article stated that local police had wiretapped conversations between Gonzalez and Horacio Pereira, one of those who had been arrested. Gonzalez allegedly had advised Pereira, described as a pool hall operator, to seek Edmundo Chamorro's assistance in providing logistics for transporting drugs.
369. According to a February 1988 Headquarters cable, former Panamanian Consul General in New York Jose Blandon had linked Gonzalez to narcotics trafficking in testimony before a congressional subcommittee the previous week. The Headquarters cable asked for comment on the allegation. In response, with regard to the narcotics allegation, a February 1988 cable replied:

     . . . .
     6. Regarding Blandon's accusation, we also have no details and I agree that whatever Blandon said could well relate to the earlier Costa Rican-related allegations.... Those allegations periodically arose . . . . Each time, [Gonzalez] firmly denied them, saying that the allegations originated with, as I recall, Eden Pastora or "El Negro" Chamorro to discredit him as a potential rival. We don't have any records here on that whole affair . . . .

There are fears that Corvo, who has received support from Frank Castro, may be exploiting the military infrastructure in northern Costa Rica as cover for engaging in drug trafficking.

Circa August to December 1984, Amador was flying the ARDE Islander on these flights and his copilot was Roberto Espinoza. Amador stopped flying for the [Southern Front] in early 1985 and worked with the FDN in Honduras for a short period. After this, he went into "private business."

• A February 1982 FBI report stated that Bolanos had claimed that a group of anti-Sandinistas he was affiliated with was responsible for a lethal bomb attack on the Nicaraguan Embassy in El Salvador.
• In May 1986, a cable reported to Headquarters that Bolanos was implicated in an FBI investigation into a 1981 shipment of "light weapons" from Miami to "anti-Sandinista forces." The cable did not state whether Bolanos was the subject of the investigation.

My recollection is that because of the NSC connection and the possibility that this could be somehow connected to the Private Benefactor program (otherwise known as the Iran Contra affair) a decision was made not to pursue this matter, but rather to turn it over to Judge Walsh [the Independent Counsel for Iran-Contra]. I don't recall exactly the decision making process; it is my recollection, however, that this was a group/consensus decision. Perhaps legal records will shed more light on this.

. . . was aware that [Vidal] had a record of misbehavior and general thuggery as youth. I do not recall nor do I believe that it was ever mentioned that this included a drug conviction.