San Diego
Southern California city where Ricky Ross was prosecuted, Danilo Blandón served as a DEA informant, and the pivotal DEA meeting with Gary Webb took place in October 1995.
San Diego is a city in southern California near the Mexican border that was the site of Ricky Ross's arrest, trial, and sentencing on federal cocaine conspiracy charges.1
DEA Sting and Trial
The DEA reverse sting that arrested Ross took place in National City and Chula Vista, suburbs south of San Diego, on March 2, 1995. Ross was held without bail at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in downtown San Diego.2
DEA Meeting with Webb
On October 19, 1995, Gary Webb met with six DEA agents at the National City regional office, including SAC Craig Chretien and Blandón's handlers Chuck Jones and Judy Gustafson. Chretien asked Webb to omit Blandón's DEA ties from his story. Eight days later, Robert Nieves resigned as head of the DEA's International Division and Chretien was promoted to replace him.3
Trial and Sentencing
Ross's trial took place in federal court in San Diego before Judge Marilyn Huff in March 1996. Prosecutor LJ Oneale filed a motion to prevent any mention of the CIA at trial. At sentencing, Huff told O'Neale she wanted answers from the CIA before passing sentence and ordered deportation proceedings against Blandón.4
Sources
- Webb, Gary. Dark Alliance: The CIA, the Contras, and the Crack Cocaine Explosion. Seven Stories Press, 1998. Chapter 24: "They're gonna forget I was a drug dealer" ↩
- Webb, Gary. Dark Alliance: The CIA, the Contras, and the Crack Cocaine Explosion. Seven Stories Press, 1998. Chapter 24: "They're gonna forget I was a drug dealer" ↩
- Webb, Gary. Dark Alliance: The CIA, the Contras, and the Crack Cocaine Explosion. Seven Stories Press, 1998. Chapter 25: "Things are moving all around us" ↩
- Webb, Gary. Dark Alliance: The CIA, the Contras, and the Crack Cocaine Explosion. Seven Stories Press, 1998. Chapter 27: "A very difficult decision" ↩
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Mentioned in 38
- Event2015 Charleston Church Shooting
- Event2019 Christchurch Mosque Shootings
- Event2026 Islamic Center of San Diego Shooting
- PersonAlan Fenster
- PersonBrenton Tarrant
- PlaceCabazon Indian Reservation
- PersonCain Clark
- PersonCaleb Vazquez
- PersonChuck Jones
- PersonCommander Narut
- PersonCraig Chretien
- PersonDanilo Blandon
- PersonDave Fravor
- OrganizationDEA
- OrganizationDepartment of Justice
- PersonFelix Saborio
- PersonGary Webb
- ConceptGreat Replacement Theory
- PersonHector Bermudez
- PersonIan Stuart Spiro
- PersonJames McCord
- PersonJesse Katz
- PersonLeroy Brown
- PersonLJ Oneale
- PersonMarilyn Huff
- PersonMike Murphy
- OrganizationOdyssey Systems
- PersonPeter Attia
- PersonRafael Cornejo
- PersonRicky Ross
- PersonRobert Nieves
- PersonRoger Sandino
- PersonRonald Lister
- PersonRumaldo Valdez
- ConceptSaints Culture
- PersonTim LaFrance
- ConceptUSS Nimitz
- PlaceUSS Princeton