Stephen Trott was the Associate Attorney General who intervened to reduce the sentence of Contra-connected drug trafficker José Bueso Rosa. Trott's intervention was part of the pattern of high-level government officials protecting criminals connected to the [[Contras|Contra]] war.[^1] ### The Bueso Rosa Case Bueso Rosa, a Honduran general connected to the Contras, was convicted of drug trafficking charges that carried a potential life sentence. [[Oliver North]] and other administration officials were outraged that Bueso Rosa had been charged at all, given his support for the Contra cause. Trott claimed he did not know why he intervened other than the request from the State Department. The intervention resulted in a dramatically reduced sentence, demonstrating how the Reagan administration's commitment to the Contra war overrode its stated commitment to fighting drugs.[^2] ### Footnotes [^1]: Gary Webb, *Dark Alliance*, Ch. 20. [^2]: Gary Webb, *Dark Alliance*, Ch. 20.