Francisco Aviles Saenz was a U.S.-educated Nicaraguan attorney, [[Central Intelligence Agency]] asset, and [[UDN-FARN]] official who played a central role in the attempt to recover drug money seized during the [[Frogman Case]].[^1] ### Background Aviles was the brother-in-law of [[Horacio Pereira]], [[Norwin Meneses]]'s top cocaine dealer in [[Costa Rica]]. He was educated in the [[United States]] and served as the international relations secretary for UDN-FARN. He helped set up the Committee in Defense of Democracy in [[Nicaragua]], described as a CIA front in San José, Costa Rica, with money from Venezuelan sources.[^2] ### The Frogman Case Intervention When [[Julio Zavala]] was arrested in February 1983, police seized $36,020 from his nightstand. Aviles wrote to U.S. District Judge Robert Peckham identifying himself as a UDN-FARN official and claiming the money belonged to the Contras. Zavala, he stated, was the assistant treasurer of the Conservative Party of Nicaraguans in Exile (PCNE) and a longtime member of UDN-FARN, which "fights for the restoration of the democratic system in the Republic of Nicaragua...under the slogan 'God, Fatherland and Freedom.'" Aviles offered to testify to Zavala's position.[^2] Aviles provided supporting documents including Zavala's UDN-FARN credentials, a letter appointing him as assistant treasurer of PCNE, a receipt showing the group had given him $45,000, and Aviles's own sworn statement.[^2] ### CIA Protection The CIA's Costa Rican station cabled Langley warning that Aviles was a Contra official and CIA asset belonging to an organization that had "unwittingly received CIA support." CIA headquarters discovered Aviles had attended an August 1982 conference in [[Miami]] where he was elected to the board of directors of the PCNE, which was receiving CIA money.[^2] CIA lawyer Lee Strickland flew to [[San Francisco]] to ensure the depositions did not proceed. Strickland told prosecutor Mark Zanides the CIA "would be immensely grateful if these depositions did not go forward." The government ultimately returned the $36,020 to Aviles and Zavala in October 1984.[^2] After the case, Aviles was appointed to the general staff of UDN-FARN in 1985. The 1998 CIA Inspector General's report claimed that repeated references to Aviles as a CIA asset in the 1984 cables were "mistakes." Aviles was working for the Nicaraguan government as of 1998.[^1] ### Footnotes [^1]: Gary Webb, *Dark Alliance*, Cast of Characters [^2]: Gary Webb, *Dark Alliance*, Chapter 5: "God, Fatherland and Freedom"