---
category: City
summary: Newport Beach, California was where Ron Lister lived and operated his security
  business that was connected to Danilo Blandón's cocaine trafficking and weapons
  procurement network.
tags:
- geography
- u.s.-city
- contra-war
---

Newport Beach, [California](/places/california/) was where [Ron Lister](/people/ron-lister/) maintained connections and operated in the Orange County area near his Laguna Beach base. The affluent coastal community was part of the geography of Lister's drug trafficking and weapons procurement activities with [Danilo Blandón](/people/danilo-blandon/).[^1]

### Lister's Operations

Lister operated Mundy Security Group from [Laguna Beach](/organizations/laguna-beach-police-department/) and lived in nearby Mission Viejo, with business activities extending throughout the Newport Beach area of Orange County. His operation bridged the gap between the affluent coastal communities and the drug trade in [Los Angeles](/places/los-angeles/), using his security business as cover for moving weapons and cocaine.[^2]

[^1]: Webb, Gary. *Dark Alliance: The CIA, the Contras, and the Crack Cocaine Explosion.* Seven Stories Press, 1998. Ch. 9.
[^2]: Webb, Gary. *Dark Alliance: The CIA, the Contras, and the Crack Cocaine Explosion.* Seven Stories Press, 1998. Ch. 9.