Douglas Aukland was an [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] agent based in Riverside, [[California]], who received a walk-in informant exposing the [[Danilo Blandon|Blandón]]-[[Norwin Meneses|Meneses]] Contra-connected drug ring in 1986. Despite the gravity of the information, he was given minimal resources to investigate.[^1] ### The Walk-In Informant Aukland was sitting in his office when a stranger arrived with a story "right out of the movies": a monster drug ring, run by high-ranking [[Contras]], pouring cocaine into the ghettos of [[Los Angeles]], where it was being turned into crack and marketed through crack houses. According to Aukland's official report, the informant said the ring was being run by Blandón and Meneses, who "imported cocaine from Colombia, through Nicaragua, Honduras, and Costa Rica, and was one of the largest distributors of cocaine on the West Coast." The informant described a pilot named "Oklahoma Dick" who flew cocaine from South America, and identified [[Ronald Lister]] as delivering 100 kilos to L.A. rock houses in exchange for $2.6 million. "Blandón and Meneses were founding members of the [[FDN|Nicaraguan Democratic Force (FDN)]], a wing of the Contra movement headed by Calero, and Blandón and Meneses used their drug profits to help fund the FDN," the FBI report stated.[^1] ### Building the Case Though Aukland had never worked a drug case, he recognized a major crime. He checked on Meneses with San Francisco FBI agent Donald Hale, who confirmed years of frustrated surveillance and said he had three informants willing to testify against the drug lord. Convinced his informant was reliable, Aukland pleaded with supervisors for an off-site location, pen registers on Blandón's phones, and surveillance teams. He received permission to investigate and $10,000 for his informant - and nothing else. "Aukland said he did not get much help on the case from his supervisors or other agents, who were already spread thin," the Justice Department Inspector General wrote. [[DEA]] agent Thomas Schrettner was told to keep his eyes on heroin cases and let the FBI worry about the Contras.[^1] ### Partnership with the Majors When [[LASD Major Violators]] detective [[Thomas Gordon]] independently began investigating the same targets, Aukland initially objected, arguing the FBI was on it first. But Gordon was adamant - the drug ring was bringing in too much dope to wait. Once Gordon refused to back off, Aukland agreed to help. "Agent Aukland thought very highly of LASD Deputy Tom Gordon," police investigators later reported. "He said it was obvious Gordon was very knowledgeable and had extensive narcotics experience."[^1] ### OCDETF Application and Iran-Contra In November 1986, Aukland and DEA agent Tom Schrettner approached the Los Angeles U.S. Attorney's office and persuaded federal prosecutor [[Crossan Andersen]] to take their case to the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). On November 25, 1986, Andersen wrote to the IRS criminal investigation division describing "a narcotics investigation involving FBI, DEA, and LASO units in Riverside and Whittier, California. It is a sensitive matter since it involves allegations of drug running in support of the Contra movement in Nicaragua and wholly unconfirmed allegations of [[Central Intelligence Agency]] involvement."[^2] The same morning Andersen dictated his letter, President [[Ronald Reagan]] and Attorney General Edwin Meese publicly announced that millions from Iranian missile sales had been illegally diverted to the Contras by [[Oliver North]]. Aukland was temporarily assigned to "Operation Front Door," the FBI's Iran-Contra probe, and investigated possible connections between Ronald Lister and North's arms ring. Aukland interviewed a retired Secret Service agent who said Lister mentioned "selling arms to the Contras and that he worked for an Iranian." Lister's realtor told Aukland that Lister claimed to run a "CIA-approved" security business and was raising money for the Contras. When Aukland asked Lister point-blank if he was involved in Contra training, Lister refused to answer unless "an unidentified representative of 'another agency' be present." Despite these leads, the FBI's Los Angeles office declared there was "no connection" between Lister and Iran-Contra.[^2] ### Operation Perico While Aukland prepared the OCDETF application, the Costa Rican DEA office secretly launched "Operation Perico," sending Norwin Meneses and a CIA operative known as "Roberto" to infiltrate Blandón's organization. Aukland was never told. While staking out Blandón's auto dealership for eight straight days, Aukland watched an "unidentified male Latin" leaving with FDN official [[Ivan Torres]] and driving into L.A. Only later was Aukland told the man was Meneses. "Aukland said that he was particularly angry that he did not get a chance to debrief Meneses," the Justice Department Inspector General reported. Aukland fired off a cable to FBI headquarters and San Francisco. San Francisco FBI agent Gordon Gibler was "surprised. . .upset that the DEA had not shared this information with the FBI."[^2] ### Case Closure FBI agents Aukland, Don Hale, and Gordon Gibler assembled evidence to indict Meneses for running a continuing criminal enterprise, a racketeering offense carrying a possible life term. In February 1987, Aukland and Gibler met with San Francisco U.S. Attorney [[Joseph Russoniello]] and presented their case, detailing Meneses's long history of drug dealing and noting three informants willing to testify publicly. Russoniello's office rejected the proposal within a week, citing a supposed "cooperation agreement" between Meneses and the Justice Department. Justice Department investigators later found no record of any such deal, and prosecutors Crossan Andersen and Eric Swenson both denied an agreement existed.[^2] On July 17, 1987, Andersen pulled the plug on the OCDETF investigation, which had lasted less than seven months. In his September 16, 1987 case closing memorandum, Aukland wrote: "This case may have been viable with the assistance of DEA. However, without that assistance, further efforts will not be worthwhile." Aukland told the Justice Department he "was glad to get rid of it" and was not getting sufficient help from the FBI in Los Angeles, Miami, or elsewhere, or from the DEA in Costa Rica. He shipped Blandón's files to the Miami FBI office, but the Justice Department Inspector General found "no FBI records indicating that the Miami FBI office conducted any additional investigation of Blandón."[^2] ### Footnotes [^1]: Gary Webb, *Dark Alliance*, Chapter 16: "It's a burn" [^2]: Gary Webb, *Dark Alliance*, Chapter 20: "It is a sensitive matter"