CIA Drug Trafficking: Town Hall with Director John M. Deutch (Part 2)

November 15, 1996 Various sources allege the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has been involved in several drug trafficking operations. The CIA is accused of working with groups which it knew were involved in drug trafficking, so that these groups would provide them with useful intelligence and material support. In order to provide covert funds for the Kuomintang (KMT) forces loyal to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek, who were fighting the Chinese communists under Mao, the CIA helped the KMT smuggle opium from China and Burma to Bangkok, Thailand by providing airplanes owned by one of their front businesses, Air America. The Central Intelligence Agency was involved in smuggling opium produced in Western Vietnam and Eastern Cambodia to heroin producers in the United States. Agents of the US Government used drug production and trafficking operations to fund covert military activities in Vietnam. Large amounts of this heroin were sold to US soldiers in Vietnam. The CIA worked in concert with the Corsican crime families, and Laotian drug lords, who assisted the CIA in their fight against communists. One of the CIA’s primary contacts was Hmong leader Vang Pao, who was attempting to gain complete control of the local opium trade, and was using the income from this to fight against Laotian and Vietnamese communist forces. The CIA supported various Afghan drug lords, such as Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, who were fighting against the Soviets. Historian Alfred W. McCoy stated …