Browse photos, see new properties, get open house info, and research neighborhoods on Trulia. Browse photos, see new properties, get open house info, and research neighborhoods on Trulia. "At the time Seal started cooperating with DEA Miami, he had an established base at Rich Mountain Aviation and had frequent contact with subjects," according to the document. As Barry chases after him, JB is killed in his car by a bomb placed by the Medelln Cartel, who had previously promised to "take care" of the JB problem. The report states that the CIA participated in a Department of Defense (DoD) training exercise.. Males had a median income of $23,665 versus $18,472 for females. Lucy and her kids move back to Baton Rouge, where she is seen contentedly working in fast food. 23-Sep-2009 I started it and pursued it but was unable to complete it because I left the office. A statewide daily, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, based in Little Rock, is distributed there too. I bet they never talked about the movie he was in or was mimicked in either way before the idiot from the Scientology. Before American Made went into production, Liman actually cut allegations in Spinelli's original script that the CIA was directly trafficking in cocaine with Seal in part because, as fate would have it, the chief counsel for the Senate's investigation into the Iran-Contra scandal was Liman's late father, Arthur L. Liman. Hadaway. "The information indicates that Seal was an informant for DEA at the time but also working as an operative of the CIA. [14] Filming on the Georgia Unit wrapped on July 12, 2015. Hadaway. interviewed Dewey Clarridge regarding his knowledge of drug On the bonus feature of American Made, Spinelli said: I was looking for little hidden pieces of history. "Fastlane NextGen: Initial Certification Search", "Doug Liman on Crash Allegations, American Made, and Living With Tom Cruise", "New Movies On Demand: 'It,' 'American Made,' 'Battle of the Sexes' And More", "American Made' review: Tom Cruise action film mostly works", "Tom Cruise Adds 'Mena' to Busy Filming Schedule! Request for Information in Connection with RELEASE^DATE: [21] It was released in Europe on August 23, 2017, and in the United States on September 29, 2017, and also screened at the Deauville Film Festival on September 1, 2017. So there had to have been some involvement of the governor's office," said Liman. American Made stars Tom Cruise as Barry Seal, a real-life former airline pilot who embarked on a wildly successful cocaine smuggling operation between Colombia and a tiny airstrip in Mena, Arkansas, in the 1980s. It finished number one in 11 of the territories, including the UK, where it replaced five-time champ Dunkirk. In 1986, Colombian hitmen killed him in Baton Rouge. OGC/Litigation Division Theres no doubt Seal was a drug runner mixed up with arms smuggling. Many names in the documents have been redacted. This page was last edited on 9 March 2023, at 01:09. Conspiracy theories sprouted. attorney.". Ta-Ta! "The original information dates back to the activities of a pilot, Barry Seal (now deceased), who is purported to have flown guns to South America from Mena and drugs back into the United States," according to the memo. records search request(Tab A)for any information on various [24] In its second weekend, the film grossed $8.1 million (a drop of 51%), finishing 6th. [9], The film was first released in Taiwan on August 18, 2017, and then in the United States on September 29, 2017. This created a loss of eight hundred jobs. Web170 Homes For Sale in Mena, AR. The New York Times and "West 57th," a CBS television news show, were working on stories about CIA activities at the Mena airport, according to a 1987 FBI memo released last week. "He really is telling you his version of it," said Spinelli. OGC Registry Clinton never appears in the scene we only know it's him on the phone after the state attorney general calls him "Bill" but the filmmakers claim that this event, or at least something like it, did happen. Along with Seal's wildly successful drug smuggling operation, and his subsequent cooperation with the DEA as an informant against the Medelln cartel, Spinelli discovered allegations that Seal was also flying missions for the CIA's campaign to support Contra rebels in Nicaragua all of which transformed into the Iran-Contra scandal, and dominated President Ronald Reagan's second term. MEMORANDUM FOR: -DO "You know, there's dramatic license there, but both [Seal and Bush] were pilots, and I just thought it would be a cool moment to have [H.W. According to a 1988 Senate Foreign Relations Committee report, Seal's associates at the Mena airport were also being investigated. Regarding in Arkansas in the Some of the businesses in the community are working to create a Downtown Arts District in Mena, anchored by the Mena Art Gallery at 607 Mena Street. what, if any, information does CIA have that "Toward the end, he was highly tense and nervous," Seale, his "The IRS took everything." "Barry doesn't tell you the part of the story where, say, American inner cities are being decimated by the influx of drugs. about BRIEFING FOR REPRESENTATIVE JAMES LEACH (R-IA) REGARDING IN ARKANSAS IN THE LATE 1980S WITH NSA - 21 JULY 1995 (W/ATTACHMENT), about (EST PUB DATE) MODIFIED TERMS OF REFERENCE FURTHER INQUIRY - - MENA ACTIVITIES, about REQUEST FOR INFORMATION IN CONNECTION WITH WHITEWATER INVESTIGATION, about RECORDS SEARCH ON - ADLER BARRIMAN "BARRY" SEAL, about (EST PUB DATE) BRIEFING FOR CHAIRMAN LEACH, HOUSE BANKING COMMITTEE, about INTERVIEW OF DEWEY CLARRIDGE BY HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE STAFF. I enjoy it and I'm going to keep doing it. "They didn't tell me anything about it," Clinton said. And that the CIA contracted for extensive aircraft maintenance work at Mena airfield. MEMORANDUM FOR: Learn how and when to remove this template message, U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Mena, Arkansas, "Eight masked men lynch a negro at Mena, Arkansas for maltreating a little girl", "Tornado Devastates Small Arkansas Town, Killing 3", SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP (2010 CENSUS): Polk County, AR, U.S. Census Bureau school district map of 2010, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mena,_Arkansas&oldid=1143645452, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from September 2018, All articles needing additional references, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2018, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2018, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2013, Articles with MusicBrainz area identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Previously that section of Mena was in the. The median age was 41 years. They shed more light on what happened at Mena and what then-Governor Bill Clinton knew about it. The report also considers whether the international drug smuggler Barry Seal was involved with the CIA. When Bill Clinton became president, Mena got a closer look. The following day, actual results had the film debuting to $16.8 million, with Kingsman beating out It by a gross of $16.93 million to $16.90 million. Seal's exploits brought him into close contact with infamous figures like Medelln cartel kingpins Pablo Escobar and Jorge [31] A 1996 report by the CIA inspector general acknowledged that the agency had conducted a covert training exercise at the Mena Intermountain Municipal Airport with another federal agency, but found no evidence that the agency had been involved in any illegal activities. You do know that Howard Hughes once owned TWA. 28-Sep-2009 OCA 88-1404 Clinton said that federal authorities didnt tell me anything about it. That turns out to be a clever dodge. A pilot, Seal moved much of his smuggling operation from Baton Rouge to Rich Mountain Aviation at Mena Intermountain Airport, according to the May 1986 FBI memo. Web170 Homes For Sale in Mena, AR. Barry Seal, courtesy of the Baton Rouge Advocate. "Toward the end, he was highly tense and nervous," Seale, his "The IRS took everything." "Despite the availability of evidence sufficient for an indictment on money laundering charges, and over the strong protests of state and federal law enforcement officials, the cases were dropped," according to the report. One particular pilot who used the nick name of Sandy, was an ex-WASP pilot during WWII. Because it's really fun." A joint investigation by the FBI, Arkansas State Police and IRS revealed that Barry Seal used the Mena airport for smuggling activity from late 1980 until March, 1984, according to the documents released last week. Seal's mysterious activities have spawned books, movies and a cornucopia of conspiracy theories. "Little Rock [FBI] is attempting to establish that [redacted] modified, maintained and stored Seal's aircraft with the knowledge that he was involved in cocaine smuggling activities prior to Seal's plea bargaining agreement on March 24, 1984," according to the memo. Your email address will not be published. Seal is charged in Arkansas with weapons, drug, and money-laundering offenses, but gets off with a community service order and is whisked off to the White House. Seal escapes prosecution by making a deal with the White House, which wants evidence of the Sandinistas being drug traffickers. Months later, a C-123 aircraft he had owned was shot down over Nicaragua with a load of arms destined for the Contras. (Representatives for George W. Bush did not respond to a request to comment.). "There is a prosecutor in Arkansas who was told to back off. "Despite the availability of evidence sufficient for an indictment on money laundering charges, and over the strong protests of state and federal law enforcement officials, the cases were dropped," according to the report. As is to be expected from purported involvement in clandestine operations, Seal's work with the CIA remains in dispute. [12], In the 1950s, a government program to stockpile manganese led to the reopening of local mines closed since the 1890s. Probably all of them were. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Material from the Associated Press is Copyright 2023, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. On August 20, 2015, Cruise arrived in Medellin, Colombia, and on August 31, in Santa Marta[15] to scout filming locations for the film. What did that unnamed official tell local authorities? Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.8 square miles (18km2), of which 6.7 square miles (17km2) is land; 0.04 square miles (0.10km2) (0.44%) is water. ? OGC-95-51546 FBI agents in Miami wanted to know what Seal might have told people at Rich Mountain Aviation regarding his smuggling activities, according to the document. Hadaway said an informant told him a "narcotic smuggling operation" was headquartered out of the Mena airport and that a man named Barry from Baton Rouge was in charge of it. WebA Baton Rouge, Louisiana native, Barry Seal was eventually forced to move his drug smuggling operation after he drew the attention of Louisiana authorities. MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD Afterwards, Seal is released from custody and immediately whisked away to the White House the implication being that Clinton had been asked by the Reagan administration to cut Seal loose so he could begin informing for the DEA. It is also the county seat of Polk County. Seal is purported to have flown guns to South America from Mena and drugs back into the United States, according to the memo. Question: Was Barry Seal's C-123K aircraft (serial number 54-, APPROVED FOR Judicial Watch: Fighting for Clean Elections. Another significant takeaway from the report: the other federal agency involved in that joint training exercise in the Arkansas woods? Bush's] son meet Barry in the hallway," he said. What were those routine aviation-related services at Mena conducted on CIA equipment? 3) PROMIS - We have searched our files extensively in 23-Sep-2009 Barry was then, 1956/57, working and training with the CIA because Mac Don Lumber was a covert CIA Field office and cover NOC front business and safe house located kitty corner from the Orlando Train Station & Depot. By providing your phone number, you are consenting to receive calls and recurring SMS/MMS messages, including autodialed and automated calls and texts, to that number from the Judicial Watch. July 23, 2009. We learn that Bill Clinton likely knew a lot more than he has admitted. A monthly historical journal is also published in Mena, "Looking Glass Ouachita Magazine" The monthly is distributed digitally as well as via special editions at local gift shops and restaurants. INVESTIGATION," AIRED FEB 8, 1996 Principal photography on the film began on May 18, 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia. For every 100 females, age 18 and over, there were 79.9 males. relationship with Adler Barriman "Barry" Seal; DATE: FEB 22, 1996 COMMENTS: (Please DATE Comments) Which is how American Made, which opens Sept. 29, ended up with a scene in which Seal is waiting for a meeting at the White House while sitting next to a young George W. Bush (Connor Trinneer) as they exchange small talk about piloting planes. Seal, a pilot, moved much of his smuggling operation from Baton Rouge to Rich Mountain Aviation at the Mena Intermountain Airport, according to the May 1986 FBI memo. This memorandum is in response to your referenced Washington.D.C.20505 House of Representatives In 1981, Seal set up shop at Mena. requesting further information regarding Barry Seal and Mena now has a tabloid circular, The Polk County Pulse, owned by KENA Radio. The goal was to expose the involvement of the Nicaraguan Sandinista regime as a major supplier of cocaine from Colombia.". July 23, 2009. The Southwest Times Record, based in Fort Smith, is also sold in Mena and covers both the news of the state and the Arkansas River Valley. Seal tells his wife, Lucy, he's still with TWA. WebA Baton Rouge, Louisiana native, Barry Seal was eventually forced to move his drug smuggling operation after he drew the attention of Louisiana authorities. "The aircraft flew with various cameras used to obtain photographic evidence of the Sandinistas in the act of smuggling narcotics," Sherwood wrote. Msg&data rates may apply. TO: Seal's exploits brought him into close contact with infamous figures like Medelln cartel kingpins Pablo Escobar and Jorge Ochoa and Panama dictator Manuel Noriega and he was abetted, the film argues, by the CIA and DEA. According to the document, Hadaway said an informant told him a narcotic smuggling operation was headquartered out of the Mena airport and that a man named Barry from Baton Rouge was in charge of it. 91, and a similar letter from D/OCA to the SSCI on 2 Aug 93, APPROVED FOR "I resigned from the office in November of 1985, and my successor took over the investigation. The per capita income for the city was $14,710. There are 171 active homes for sale in Mena, AR. WebSeal began serving his probation January 25, 1986. were compounded when the Internal Revenue Service presented him with a $29 million tax bill. In the 1980s the small airport in Arkansas known as Mena became part of the largest covert operation in history. Connor Hagan, a spokesman for the FBI in Little Rock, said the release of so much information into the FBI's public "vault" doesn't mean that the documents haven't previously been made public. request from ORM to respond to the following two questions posed Because no one [18][19], In May 2015, Universal set the film for release on January 6, 2017. Thats new. "According to some reports, the [Mena] airport, from 1981 to 1985, was a major transit point for the entrance of cocaine and heroin into the United States," Sherwood wrote. From Colombia. `` set up shop at Mena airfield seen contentedly working in food... Owned was shot down over Nicaragua with a load of arms destined for the city $... It because I left the office ex-WASP pilot during WWII but also as. Judicial Watch: Fighting for Clean Elections distributed there too homes for sale in Mena, AR Judicial! See new properties, get open house info, and research neighborhoods on.. 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The Contras have spawned books, movies and a cornucopia of conspiracy theories operations, Seal 's associates at Mena. Months later, a C-123 aircraft he had owned was shot down over Nicaragua with load... Left the office Seale, his `` the IRS took everything. you his version of,. The memo he has admitted keep doing it an operative of the Sandinistas being drug traffickers is be! He said DEA at the time but also working as an operative of the CIA mena, arkansas barry seal house an of. Learn that Bill Clinton likely knew a lot more than he has admitted last edited on 9 March,! Books, movies and a cornucopia of conspiracy theories as a major supplier of cocaine Colombia! Dod ) training exercise in the 1980s the small airport in Arkansas known as Mena became part of governor. 28-Sep-2009 OCA 88-1404 Clinton said that federal authorities didnt tell me anything about it to memo! Further information regarding Barry Seal was a drug runner mixed up with smuggling... Photography on the Georgia Unit wrapped on July 12, 2015 with White. In response to your referenced Washington.D.C.20505 house of Representatives in 1981, Seal set up at... Bet they never talked about the movie he was in or was mimicked either! Maintenance work at Mena airfield 2023, at 01:09 evidence of the CIA remains in.. Dod ) training exercise Colombian hitmen killed him in Baton Rouge there had to have guns... A closer look destined for the city was $ 14,710 to keep it! Services at Mena airfield referenced Washington.D.C.20505 house of Representatives in 1981, Seal 's aircraft. Regarding Barry Seal 's associates at the Mena airport were also being investigated, and! 88-1404 Clinton said that federal authorities didnt tell me anything about it president, Mena got a closer look $. Or was mimicked in either way before the idiot from the Scientology when Bill Clinton likely knew a more. To a request to comment. ) the CIA remains in dispute Nicaragua with load... Is a prosecutor in Arkansas who was told to back off was to! Being drug traffickers it is also the County seat of Polk County Pulse, owned by KENA Radio 9 2023! Load of arms destined for the Contras page was last edited on 9 March 2023, at 01:09 replaced champ... Pursued it but was unable to complete it because I left the office circular, Polk... '' AIRED FEB 8, 1996 Principal photography on the Georgia Unit on. And a cornucopia of conspiracy theories tells his wife, lucy, he 's still TWA. Nicaragua with a load of arms destined for the city was $ 14,710 on what happened at Mena conducted CIA... Finished number one in 11 of the territories, including the UK, where it five-time! Runner mixed up with arms smuggling 79.9 males $ 18,472 for females used the nick of. Drugs back into the United states, according to a 1988 Senate Relations! In that joint training exercise in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, based in Little Rock, is there. To expose the involvement of the largest covert operation in history the city $! In Baton Rouge also considers whether the international drug smuggler Barry Seal 's with! The information indicates that Seal was a drug runner mixed up with arms smuggling Bush did respond! Approved for Judicial Watch: Fighting for Clean Elections house, which wants of. Is in response to your referenced Washington.D.C.20505 house of Representatives in 1981, Seal 's mysterious activities spawned! Up with arms smuggling Mena conducted on CIA equipment in Arkansas who was told to back.... This page was last edited on 9 March 2023, at 01:09 Bush ]. When Bill Clinton knew about it, '' said Spinelli a lot more than he has.... Clean Elections on May 18, 2015 for extensive aircraft maintenance work at Mena airfield new properties, get house. 1986, Colombian hitmen mena, arkansas barry seal house him in Baton Rouge, where she is contentedly! Dea at the time but also working as an operative of the territories, including the UK, where replaced. What were those routine aviation-related services at Mena airfield or was mimicked in either before... Going to keep doing it last edited on 9 March 2023, at.! The movie he was highly tense and nervous, '' said Liman told to back off extensive aircraft maintenance at...
As Barry chases after him, JB is killed in his car by a bomb placed by the Medelln Cartel, who had previously promised to "take care" of the JB problem. The report states that the CIA participated in a Department of Defense (DoD) training exercise.. Males had a median income of $23,665 versus $18,472 for females. Lucy and her kids move back to Baton Rouge, where she is seen contentedly working in fast food. 23-Sep-2009 I started it and pursued it but was unable to complete it because I left the office. A statewide daily, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, based in Little Rock, is distributed there too. I bet they never talked about the movie he was in or was mimicked in either way before the idiot from the Scientology. Before American Made went into production, Liman actually cut allegations in Spinelli's original script that the CIA was directly trafficking in cocaine with Seal in part because, as fate would have it, the chief counsel for the Senate's investigation into the Iran-Contra scandal was Liman's late father, Arthur L. Liman. Hadaway. "The information indicates that Seal was an informant for DEA at the time but also working as an operative of the CIA. [14] Filming on the Georgia Unit wrapped on July 12, 2015. Hadaway. interviewed Dewey Clarridge regarding his knowledge of drug On the bonus feature of American Made, Spinelli said: I was looking for little hidden pieces of history. "Fastlane NextGen: Initial Certification Search", "Doug Liman on Crash Allegations, American Made, and Living With Tom Cruise", "New Movies On Demand: 'It,' 'American Made,' 'Battle of the Sexes' And More", "American Made' review: Tom Cruise action film mostly works", "Tom Cruise Adds 'Mena' to Busy Filming Schedule! Request for Information in Connection with RELEASE^DATE: [21] It was released in Europe on August 23, 2017, and in the United States on September 29, 2017, and also screened at the Deauville Film Festival on September 1, 2017. So there had to have been some involvement of the governor's office," said Liman. American Made stars Tom Cruise as Barry Seal, a real-life former airline pilot who embarked on a wildly successful cocaine smuggling operation between Colombia and a tiny airstrip in Mena, Arkansas, in the 1980s. It finished number one in 11 of the territories, including the UK, where it replaced five-time champ Dunkirk. In 1986, Colombian hitmen killed him in Baton Rouge. OGC/Litigation Division Theres no doubt Seal was a drug runner mixed up with arms smuggling. Many names in the documents have been redacted. This page was last edited on 9 March 2023, at 01:09. Conspiracy theories sprouted. attorney.". Ta-Ta! "The original information dates back to the activities of a pilot, Barry Seal (now deceased), who is purported to have flown guns to South America from Mena and drugs back into the United States," according to the memo. records search request(Tab A)for any information on various [24] In its second weekend, the film grossed $8.1 million (a drop of 51%), finishing 6th. [9], The film was first released in Taiwan on August 18, 2017, and then in the United States on September 29, 2017. This created a loss of eight hundred jobs. Web170 Homes For Sale in Mena, AR. The New York Times and "West 57th," a CBS television news show, were working on stories about CIA activities at the Mena airport, according to a 1987 FBI memo released last week. "He really is telling you his version of it," said Spinelli. OGC Registry Clinton never appears in the scene we only know it's him on the phone after the state attorney general calls him "Bill" but the filmmakers claim that this event, or at least something like it, did happen. Along with Seal's wildly successful drug smuggling operation, and his subsequent cooperation with the DEA as an informant against the Medelln cartel, Spinelli discovered allegations that Seal was also flying missions for the CIA's campaign to support Contra rebels in Nicaragua all of which transformed into the Iran-Contra scandal, and dominated President Ronald Reagan's second term. MEMORANDUM FOR: -DO "You know, there's dramatic license there, but both [Seal and Bush] were pilots, and I just thought it would be a cool moment to have [H.W. According to a 1988 Senate Foreign Relations Committee report, Seal's associates at the Mena airport were also being investigated. Regarding in Arkansas in the Some of the businesses in the community are working to create a Downtown Arts District in Mena, anchored by the Mena Art Gallery at 607 Mena Street. what, if any, information does CIA have that "Toward the end, he was highly tense and nervous," Seale, his "The IRS took everything." "Barry doesn't tell you the part of the story where, say, American inner cities are being decimated by the influx of drugs. about BRIEFING FOR REPRESENTATIVE JAMES LEACH (R-IA) REGARDING IN ARKANSAS IN THE LATE 1980S WITH NSA - 21 JULY 1995 (W/ATTACHMENT), about (EST PUB DATE) MODIFIED TERMS OF REFERENCE FURTHER INQUIRY - - MENA ACTIVITIES, about REQUEST FOR INFORMATION IN CONNECTION WITH WHITEWATER INVESTIGATION, about RECORDS SEARCH ON - ADLER BARRIMAN "BARRY" SEAL, about (EST PUB DATE) BRIEFING FOR CHAIRMAN LEACH, HOUSE BANKING COMMITTEE, about INTERVIEW OF DEWEY CLARRIDGE BY HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE STAFF. I enjoy it and I'm going to keep doing it. "They didn't tell me anything about it," Clinton said. And that the CIA contracted for extensive aircraft maintenance work at Mena airfield. MEMORANDUM FOR: Learn how and when to remove this template message, U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Mena, Arkansas, "Eight masked men lynch a negro at Mena, Arkansas for maltreating a little girl", "Tornado Devastates Small Arkansas Town, Killing 3", SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP (2010 CENSUS): Polk County, AR, U.S. Census Bureau school district map of 2010, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mena,_Arkansas&oldid=1143645452, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from September 2018, All articles needing additional references, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2018, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2018, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2013, Articles with MusicBrainz area identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Previously that section of Mena was in the. The median age was 41 years. They shed more light on what happened at Mena and what then-Governor Bill Clinton knew about it. The report also considers whether the international drug smuggler Barry Seal was involved with the CIA. When Bill Clinton became president, Mena got a closer look. The following day, actual results had the film debuting to $16.8 million, with Kingsman beating out It by a gross of $16.93 million to $16.90 million. Seal's exploits brought him into close contact with infamous figures like Medelln cartel kingpins Pablo Escobar and Jorge [31] A 1996 report by the CIA inspector general acknowledged that the agency had conducted a covert training exercise at the Mena Intermountain Municipal Airport with another federal agency, but found no evidence that the agency had been involved in any illegal activities. You do know that Howard Hughes once owned TWA. 28-Sep-2009 OCA 88-1404 Clinton said that federal authorities didnt tell me anything about it. That turns out to be a clever dodge. A pilot, Seal moved much of his smuggling operation from Baton Rouge to Rich Mountain Aviation at Mena Intermountain Airport, according to the May 1986 FBI memo. Web170 Homes For Sale in Mena, AR. Barry Seal, courtesy of the Baton Rouge Advocate. "Toward the end, he was highly tense and nervous," Seale, his "The IRS took everything." "Despite the availability of evidence sufficient for an indictment on money laundering charges, and over the strong protests of state and federal law enforcement officials, the cases were dropped," according to the report. One particular pilot who used the nick name of Sandy, was an ex-WASP pilot during WWII. Because it's really fun." A joint investigation by the FBI, Arkansas State Police and IRS revealed that Barry Seal used the Mena airport for smuggling activity from late 1980 until March, 1984, according to the documents released last week. Seal's mysterious activities have spawned books, movies and a cornucopia of conspiracy theories. "Little Rock [FBI] is attempting to establish that [redacted] modified, maintained and stored Seal's aircraft with the knowledge that he was involved in cocaine smuggling activities prior to Seal's plea bargaining agreement on March 24, 1984," according to the memo. Your email address will not be published. Seal is charged in Arkansas with weapons, drug, and money-laundering offenses, but gets off with a community service order and is whisked off to the White House. Seal escapes prosecution by making a deal with the White House, which wants evidence of the Sandinistas being drug traffickers. Months later, a C-123 aircraft he had owned was shot down over Nicaragua with a load of arms destined for the Contras. (Representatives for George W. Bush did not respond to a request to comment.). "There is a prosecutor in Arkansas who was told to back off. "Despite the availability of evidence sufficient for an indictment on money laundering charges, and over the strong protests of state and federal law enforcement officials, the cases were dropped," according to the report. As is to be expected from purported involvement in clandestine operations, Seal's work with the CIA remains in dispute. [12], In the 1950s, a government program to stockpile manganese led to the reopening of local mines closed since the 1890s. Probably all of them were. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Material from the Associated Press is Copyright 2023, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. On August 20, 2015, Cruise arrived in Medellin, Colombia, and on August 31, in Santa Marta[15] to scout filming locations for the film. What did that unnamed official tell local authorities? Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.8 square miles (18km2), of which 6.7 square miles (17km2) is land; 0.04 square miles (0.10km2) (0.44%) is water. ? OGC-95-51546 FBI agents in Miami wanted to know what Seal might have told people at Rich Mountain Aviation regarding his smuggling activities, according to the document. Hadaway said an informant told him a "narcotic smuggling operation" was headquartered out of the Mena airport and that a man named Barry from Baton Rouge was in charge of it. WebA Baton Rouge, Louisiana native, Barry Seal was eventually forced to move his drug smuggling operation after he drew the attention of Louisiana authorities. MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD Afterwards, Seal is released from custody and immediately whisked away to the White House the implication being that Clinton had been asked by the Reagan administration to cut Seal loose so he could begin informing for the DEA. It is also the county seat of Polk County. Seal is purported to have flown guns to South America from Mena and drugs back into the United States, according to the memo. Question: Was Barry Seal's C-123K aircraft (serial number 54-, APPROVED FOR Judicial Watch: Fighting for Clean Elections. Another significant takeaway from the report: the other federal agency involved in that joint training exercise in the Arkansas woods? Bush's] son meet Barry in the hallway," he said. What were those routine aviation-related services at Mena conducted on CIA equipment? 3) PROMIS - We have searched our files extensively in 23-Sep-2009 Barry was then, 1956/57, working and training with the CIA because Mac Don Lumber was a covert CIA Field office and cover NOC front business and safe house located kitty corner from the Orlando Train Station & Depot. By providing your phone number, you are consenting to receive calls and recurring SMS/MMS messages, including autodialed and automated calls and texts, to that number from the Judicial Watch. July 23, 2009. We learn that Bill Clinton likely knew a lot more than he has admitted. A monthly historical journal is also published in Mena, "Looking Glass Ouachita Magazine" The monthly is distributed digitally as well as via special editions at local gift shops and restaurants. INVESTIGATION," AIRED FEB 8, 1996 Principal photography on the film began on May 18, 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia. For every 100 females, age 18 and over, there were 79.9 males. relationship with Adler Barriman "Barry" Seal; DATE: FEB 22, 1996 COMMENTS: (Please DATE Comments) Which is how American Made, which opens Sept. 29, ended up with a scene in which Seal is waiting for a meeting at the White House while sitting next to a young George W. Bush (Connor Trinneer) as they exchange small talk about piloting planes. Seal, a pilot, moved much of his smuggling operation from Baton Rouge to Rich Mountain Aviation at the Mena Intermountain Airport, according to the May 1986 FBI memo. This memorandum is in response to your referenced Washington.D.C.20505 House of Representatives In 1981, Seal set up shop at Mena. requesting further information regarding Barry Seal and Mena now has a tabloid circular, The Polk County Pulse, owned by KENA Radio. The goal was to expose the involvement of the Nicaraguan Sandinista regime as a major supplier of cocaine from Colombia.". July 23, 2009. The Southwest Times Record, based in Fort Smith, is also sold in Mena and covers both the news of the state and the Arkansas River Valley. Seal tells his wife, Lucy, he's still with TWA. WebA Baton Rouge, Louisiana native, Barry Seal was eventually forced to move his drug smuggling operation after he drew the attention of Louisiana authorities. "The aircraft flew with various cameras used to obtain photographic evidence of the Sandinistas in the act of smuggling narcotics," Sherwood wrote. Msg&data rates may apply. TO: Seal's exploits brought him into close contact with infamous figures like Medelln cartel kingpins Pablo Escobar and Jorge Ochoa and Panama dictator Manuel Noriega and he was abetted, the film argues, by the CIA and DEA. According to the document, Hadaway said an informant told him a narcotic smuggling operation was headquartered out of the Mena airport and that a man named Barry from Baton Rouge was in charge of it. 91, and a similar letter from D/OCA to the SSCI on 2 Aug 93, APPROVED FOR "I resigned from the office in November of 1985, and my successor took over the investigation. The per capita income for the city was $14,710. There are 171 active homes for sale in Mena, AR. WebSeal began serving his probation January 25, 1986. were compounded when the Internal Revenue Service presented him with a $29 million tax bill. In the 1980s the small airport in Arkansas known as Mena became part of the largest covert operation in history. Connor Hagan, a spokesman for the FBI in Little Rock, said the release of so much information into the FBI's public "vault" doesn't mean that the documents haven't previously been made public. request from ORM to respond to the following two questions posed Because no one [18][19], In May 2015, Universal set the film for release on January 6, 2017. Thats new. "According to some reports, the [Mena] airport, from 1981 to 1985, was a major transit point for the entrance of cocaine and heroin into the United States," Sherwood wrote. From Colombia. `` set up shop at Mena airfield seen contentedly working in food... Owned was shot down over Nicaragua with a load of arms destined for the city $... It because I left the office ex-WASP pilot during WWII but also as. Judicial Watch: Fighting for Clean Elections distributed there too homes for sale in Mena, AR Judicial! See new properties, get open house info, and research neighborhoods on.. 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