Sandra Smith was a [[DEA]] agent who filed an affidavit in November 1981 documenting [[Norwin Meneses]]'s involvement in [[cocaine]] trafficking. Smith's affidavit stated: "The Drug Enforcement Administration has evidence that Meneses is a major narcotics trafficker."[^1] ### Early Warnings Smith's affidavit was one of the earliest official law enforcement documents establishing Meneses as a major drug trafficker. Despite this knowledge, Meneses was never prosecuted by federal authorities and continued to operate freely in [[San Francisco]] and [[Los Angeles]] for years. The DEA's awareness of Meneses's activities as early as 1981, combined with the failure to act, raised questions about whether his role as a Contra political figure and possible intelligence asset protected him from prosecution.[^2] ### Footnotes [^1]: Gary Webb, *Dark Alliance*, Ch. 2. [^2]: Gary Webb, *Dark Alliance*, Ch. 2.