Title: Powderburns
Subtitle: Cocaine, Contras & the Drug War
Description: The truth about the remaining dark secret of the Iran-Contra scandal -- the United States government's collaboration with drug smugglers. *Powderburns* is the story of Celerino Castillo III who spent 12 years in the Drug Enforcement Administration. During that time, he built cases against organized drug rings in Manhattan, raided jungle cocaine labs in the Amazon, conducted aerial eradication operations in Guatemala, and assembled and trained anti-narcotics units in several countries. The eerie climax of Agent Castillo's career with the DEA took place in El Salvador. One day, he received a cable from a fellow agent. He was told to investigate possible drug smuggling by Nicaraguan Contras operating from the ilpango air force base. Castillo quickly discovered that Contra pilots were, indeed, smuggling narcotics back into the United States -- using the same pilots, planes, and hangars that the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council, under the Direction of Lt. Col. Oliver North, used to maintain their covert supply operation to the Contras.
Subjects: Drug traffic, Cocaine industry, Political corruption, Iran-Contra Affair, 1985-1990, United States. Drug Enforcement Administration, Narcotic enforcement agents, United States, Drug enforcement agents
Places: Central America, United States
People: Celerino Castillo (1949-)
Time periods: 1985-1990