Los Angeles Times

The Los Angeles Times is the largest newspaper in the western United States, based in Los Angeles. It published a three-day series in October 1996 attacking the Dark Alliance investigation.¹

Coverage of Ricky Ross

Reporter Jesse Katz spent months interviewing Ricky Ross in 1994 and produced extensive coverage of the L.A. crack trade, repeatedly describing Ross as the first and biggest crack dealer in South Central. After the Dark Alliance series, Katz reversed his earlier reporting and described Ross as a minor figure who had little impact on the crack explosion.¹

Attack on Dark Alliance

Washington bureau chief Doyle McManus wrote the L.A. Times' story absolving the Central Intelligence Agency of involvement with Blandón and Meneses, relying on unnamed sources including former CIA director Robert Gates and former CIA official Vincent Cannistraro. The story declared "no solid evidence has emerged" of Contra drug money contributions after 1984, ignoring the 1986 sheriff's affidavit and DEA reports. Rafael Cornejo scoffed at the Times' unnamed-source claim that only $50,000 to $60,000 went to the Contras: "Sixty thousand? You can raise that in an afternoon."¹

1984 CIA Leak

In 1984, McManus played a central role in spreading a CIA leak falsely accusing Nicaraguan government officials of cocaine trafficking, timed to support Reagan's Contra aid request. The story was later proven to be a hoax.¹