Chuck Jones

Chuck Jones was a DEA agent who served as Danilo Blandón's primary handler from 1993 to 1995 and participated in the October 1995 meeting with Gary Webb at the DEA's National City regional office.¹

Denial of Contra Knowledge

During the meeting, Jones firmly denied any knowledge of Blandón's history of selling cocaine to fund the Contras. "I can tell you that I have never, ever heard anything about Blandón being involved with that," Jones said. "Not once. His only involvement with the Contras was that his father was a general or something down there." When Webb informed Jones that Blandón had testified under oath before a federal grand jury about selling cocaine for the Contras, Jones's face turned red and his voice rose: "I cannot believe that those two U.S. attorneys up there, if they had him saying that before a grand jury, that they would ever, ever, ever put him on a witness stand!" When Webb pointed out that the government had pulled Blandón from the witness stand at the last minute, Jones blurted: "That's because the judge ordered them to turn over all that unredacted material!" before catching himself and falling silent.¹

Jones's outburst confirmed to Webb that the DEA knew all about Blandón's Contra connection and had nixed his testimony because Rafael Cornejo's attorney had discovered it and the government had been ordered to turn over the files.¹

Response to Webb's Story

Jones argued passionately against publication, questioning why Webb would print a story that could compromise DEA investigations. "Even after what we just told you, you'd still go ahead and put it in the paper? Why? Why would you put a story in the paper that would stop us from keeping drugs out of this country?" Jones demanded. When Webb said he had three children, Jones pressed: "So you'll screw up an investigation we've been working on for a long time, just so you can have a story?"¹

Prior Grand Jury Testimony

Jones had previously testified before a federal grand jury in 1995, where Assistant U.S. Attorney L.J. O'Neale asked him whether Blandón was "considered to be probably the largest Nicaraguan cocaine dealer in the United States." Jones replied: "I believe so, sir."²

Trial Attendance

Jones attended Ross's 1996 trial in San Diego, sitting with prosecutor LJ Oneale. During cross-examination of Blandón by defense attorney Alan Fenster, who was using questions secretly supplied by Gary Webb, Jones repeatedly turned and gave Webb what the reporter described as "the evil eye." Jones knew the cross-examination questions were coming from Webb.³