California is the most populous state in the [[United States]] and was the primary theater of operations for the Contra-connected [[cocaine]] trafficking networks on the West Coast during the 1980s.[^1] ### Contra Drug Trafficking Both [[San Francisco]] and [[Los Angeles]], California's largest cities, served as bases for [[Norwin Meneses]]'s and [[Danilo Blandon|Danilo Blandón]]'s drug operations. Meneses operated from San Francisco and Pacifica from 1980 to 1984, while Blandón ran his distribution network from the Los Angeles area from 1981 to 1987. The [[Frogman Case]], the largest cocaine bust in West Coast history at the time, occurred in San Francisco in 1983.[^2] ### Law Enforcement Multiple California law enforcement agencies investigated the Nicaraguan drug ring, including the [[LAPD]], the [[LASD Major Violators|L.A. County Sheriff's Majors unit]], and the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]]. The Freeway Rick Task Force was formed in Los Angeles in January 1987. U.S. Attorney [[Joseph Russoniello]] in San Francisco declined to prosecute Meneses in 1987.[^3] ### Crack Epidemic [[South Central Los Angeles|South Central L.A.]] became the epicenter of the [[Crack Cocaine|crack]] explosion, fueled by Blandón's cocaine supply. The L.A. City Council unanimously approved a resolution calling for a federal investigation after the [[Dark Alliance]] series was published in 1996.[^4] ### Footnotes [^1]: Gary Webb, *Dark Alliance*, Prologue: "It was like they didn't want to know" [^2]: Gary Webb, *Dark Alliance*, Chapter 5: "God, Fatherland and Freedom" [^3]: Gary Webb, *Dark Alliance*, Chapter 20: "It is a sensitive matter" [^4]: Gary Webb, *Dark Alliance*, Chapter 27: "A very difficult decision"