---
category: Iran-Contra
summary: Rob Owen was Oliver North's courier and liaison to the Contra leadership
  who reported on drug trafficking by Contra supply companies.
tags:
- person
- u.s.-government
- contra-war
---

Rob Owen was [Oliver North](/people/oliver-north/)'s courier and liaison to the Contra leadership who reported on drug trafficking by Contra supply companies. Owen served as North's eyes and ears on the ground in [Central America](/places/central-america/), carrying messages and funds between the White House and the Contra commanders.[^1]

### Reports on Drug Trafficking

Owen reported to North that a DC-6 owned by [Mario Calero](/people/mario-calero/), brother of [FDN](/organizations/fdn/) leader [Adolfo Calero](/people/adolfo-calero/), which was being used for runs out of [New Orleans](/places/new-orleans/), "is probably being used for drug runs into U.S." Owen also relayed information about [Dagoberto Nuñez](/people/dagoberto-nunez/)'s intelligence-gathering operations against the Sandinistas. His memos to North documented the overlap between drug trafficking and the Contra supply chain, providing some of the most direct evidence that the [National Security Council](/organizations/national-security-council/) operation knowingly used drug-connected companies like [SETCO](/organizations/setco/) and Hondu Carib Cargo for logistical operations.[^2]

[^1]: Webb, Gary. *Dark Alliance: The CIA, the Contras, and the Crack Cocaine Explosion.* Seven Stories Press, 1998. Ch. 15.
[^2]: Webb, Gary. *Dark Alliance: The CIA, the Contras, and the Crack Cocaine Explosion.* Seven Stories Press, 1998. Ch. 15, Ch. 7.