05-03-2009, 01:32 AM
recap: copied from tape and notes August 2006
copy summation transcribe tape #10 by xxxxxxxx 1991; sensitive
Ref; XXXXX1705A (Sworn in to Committee August 2, 1990; classified committee sensitive; November 25, 1990)
(continued from tape two)
SECRET
CIA Asset William Robert, Tosh, Plumlee OMC-XXXBCXXX
William “Tosh” Plumlee.
(cont. from tape two)
After joining the army in Dallas Texas, he soon worked under several case officers with old OSS and CIA ties, including Captain Edward G. Seiwell. of the U.S. Army's Fourth Army, HDQ. Military INTELL.
In 1955, Plumlee received pilot training under the GI Bill at White Rock Airport in Dallas, Texas, while he was assigned to the Fourth Army Reserve at Dallas Love Field. Also at this time, he worked at Red Bird Airport south of Dallas, as an aircraft mechanic, becoming involved with several CIA-front companies. "XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxx ( Plumlee was 17 years of age at this time.
Sensitive documentation provided by law enforcement to this committee states:
"Plumlee was a former deep-cover military and CIA asset from 1956 to 1987 with a long history of CIA activities in Central America, Cuba, and Mexico.". (ref; 105-XXXX-XXX (note: and various other FBI 62 files)
Background Overview
Plumlee was sent to the Miami area where he became involved in covert operations in Cuba, the Caribbean and Central America. The record shows most of his time, while he was in the Miami Florida area, he flew guns and ammunition for various covert factions in half a dozen countries. Plumlee said he was driven by the adventure and the paychecks. He explained that in his covert operations he had to keep other federal agencies from knowing about the clandestine and usually illegal operations he was associated with.
He was one of a handful of North Americans fighting to overthrow Batista and install Fidel Castro. He described how covert activities have the ring of unreality to the public because of their lack of knowledge about the activities. "Those who work the 8 to 5 shift cannot comprehend what goes on in covert operations", he stated.
The record shows Plumlee was involved in the Cuban conflict of 1957 through 1964, while connected to military and CIA intelligence operations. In the early fifties, he supplied Fidel Castro’s rebel forces in Cuba with arms and ammunition; There were similar
sensitive reports indicating [size=12]that the CIA had armed Castro to overthrow the Batista government. However, the Committee has not been able to confirm those reports. [/SIZE]
[size=12][/SIZE] In the mid 1960s, Plumlee flew missions evacuating defecting Russian missile technicians out of Cuba, and earlier had trained Cuban pilots in Nicaragua and Happy Valley for the pending April 1961 Bay of pigs invasion,
Shortly thereafter, he flew covert missions, as a civilian pilot, in aircraft used in Southeast Asia by Air America. (1967)
At a later date, early 1980, he flew weapons to Central America and drugs on the return XXX XXXX "...as ordered by his government handlers...".
.
CIA and Military Personnel Involved in Drug Operations
Plumlee has told this Committee, he tried to leave covert operations after a short tour in Vietnam, but his handlers kept calling him for other deep-cover or “black” projects.
He wrote, in a manuscript in 1982, "Deep Cover; Shallow Graves "
"...It was in Mexico where I saw the widespread government corruption on both sides of the border. Someone in Washington was turning a blind eye toward drug shipments from Colombia being smuggled through Mexico and into the United States. It was obvious, our intelligence information was being tampered with at the highest level. Millions of dollars, dirty drug money, was being routed through Panama by the cartel, some of it to be used to influence the upcoming presidential election. Some of the illegal cargoes were flown and transported by other CIA operatives and military
personnel holding civilian status, thus covering their CIA-Military affiliations from public view. ...".
Plumlee had flown and had contacts with key people in the Contra and drug operations, including Bill Cooper (captain of the C-123 plane shot down over Nicaragua ). He worked for various CIA proprietary or front companies, including Riddle Airlines, the Dodge Corporation, Inter-Mountain Aviation, Evergreen Helicopters, Act Technology, AirAmerica, CGG American Services, In- Air, and other companies that he,"couldn't’t remember".
As a standard CIA procedure, Plumlee stated to this Committee, the agency gave him different aliases when working in different undercover operations, including Buck Pearson, James Plumlee, James H. Rawlings, William H. Pearson, Juan Carbello, and some that he couldn't’t remember anymore. In the early 1970s Plumlee was attached to an operation in Miami called, "OVERHAUL" at JM/WAVE, (WAVE STATION, MIAMI) which involved assassination attempts upon Fidel Castro.
Other documentation received indicates Plumlee was involved in "black operations" within the Pentagon while also working with the CIA. He became a CIA contract pilot, taking orders from the Pentagon and XXXXXXXXXXX had associations with and through the National Security Council and its staff. Plumlee stated he worked with John Martino and John Roselli in another CIA J/M WAVE operations of the 1960's, which, he stated, was another CIA operation to assassinate Castro.
U.S. Military Working with Mafia People?
Documentation and other testimony from other pilots and operatives indicate, Plumlee flew many black operations, including flying arms to Central America in the early eighties and drugs back into the United States, being advised that these activities were sanctioned operations and were in the national interest.XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX the Pentagon, and the staff of the National Security Council, in these drug activities.
He described in detail how the military and intelligence groups worked with Mafia people and casino-associated crime groups.
He described early assassination attempts on Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo, and again Fidel Castro, and kidnapping people in foreign countries. He described how these illegal operations were given the pious-sounding name of national security, the same label used to support secrecy on subversive and criminal activities
against the United States.
Attempt to Assassinate Eden Pastora; Captain, "ZERO"
Plumlee described to this Committee how one of the Contra commanders on the Southern Front, Eden Pastora, also known as Commander Zero, refused to engage in drug trafficking as the other XXXXXXX The CIA then tried to assassinate Pastora
during a media conference held at La Penca, Costa Rica, during which Pastora was expected to expose the CIA-DEA drug trafficking. The record shows the conference started in chaos as a bomb exploded and killed several people.
Mr.Plumlee confirmed to this Committee the existence of Operation Whale Watch and Operation Watchtower, drug smuggling operations involving the CIA, U.S. military, with knowledge of the National Security Council, He mentioned drug flights from Central America to the United States for the CIA, with stops at places he marked on maps that he provided to Senator Gary Hart and Staff.
Plumlee testified under oath that there was close cooperation between Mexican and U.S. government personnel in drug smuggling (there is other evidence in later testimony from XXXXXX. which confirms sections of Plumlee's testimony. This defies comprehension, Plumlee described his undercover activities to this Committee, including the practice of the Mexican police and its military protecting drug traffickers, something that will be described in considerably more detail in later testimony.
Mr.Plumlee described one of the drug corridors used by the CIA that ran the length of Baja California with a refueling stop at an airstrip north of Cabo San Lucas. He described another common drug route that he flew, starting in Panama, with stops at Santa Elena, known as "Point West" in Costa Rica, His flights took him north of Puerto Escondido in Southern Mexico, and then up through Baja California to Mexicali.
He stated to this Committee, he had delivered drugs to airfields throughout the Southwest, including Borrego Springs, a xxxxx airstrip, and another one near Humboldt Mountain in Arizona where drugs would be pushed out of the aircraft. He provided this Committee with a detailed map of an airstrip near Buckskin Mountain close to the Colorado River, and at abandoned mine sites between Parker and Havasu City, Arizona.
Mr.Plumlee described to this Committee some of the code words used in radio and other communications:
“Apples” was the code word for small arms and ammunition.
“Oranges” referred to C-4 explosives and primer cords.
“Pears” referred to electronics.
“Bananas” referred to personnel. For instance, if he was to deliver a
government agent, he would say on the radio, “Bananas are delivered.”
“Code 6” referred to the flyway through Central Mexico and crossing the U.S. border at Piedres Negras, and then into the Big Bend region of Texas.
“Code 7” referred to the air route along the Baja Peninsula, through San Felipe and Mexicali, to drop points in the Anza-Borrego Desert, Twenty Nine Palms, or the former Patton bombing range east of the Salton Sea.
Mr.Plumlee mention in passing the Delgado Ranch near San Felipe: Carlos Quintero and a major drug deal in 1984 involving Quintero that involved the Contras. Plumlee's information corroborated what several other sources who stated they also flew drugs into these locations.
Mr.Plumlee provided the Committee with various documents relating to the drug trafficking by U.S. forces, one of which was marked DEA, Secret, dated February 13, 1990, which stated in part:
(SECRET)
"....Apparently one month ago (January 1990), and AVINA-Batiz were engaged
in conversation when AVINA-Batiz told that the flow of drugs into the
United States is the best solution to Latin America’s problems. The poisoning
of American youth is the best answer to the down-trodden Latin American
masses in retaliation against the imperialistic actions of the United
States.... has learned that the reporter from Vera Cruz (FNU) Valasco, before
his death (1985) was allegedly developing information that, using the
DFS as cover, the CIA established and maintained clandestine airfields to
refuel aircraft loaded with weapons which were destined for Honduras and
Nicaragua.
Pilots of these aircraft would load up with cocaine in Barranquilla,
Colombia and enroute to Miami, Florida, refuel in Mexico at narcotictrafficker-
operated and CIA-maintained airstrips.... XXXXXX were working
a similar type of refuel operations, picking up cocaine in Medellin, Colombia and flying it thru Cuba into Miami. ....".
Smuggling Arms Into Mexico ATF Report
An August 10, 1976 FBI report from the special agent in charge of the
Phoenix office (62-2116) to the FBI director confirmed that, "Plumlee had flown a large shipment of arms to Albuquerque for later flight to San Diego, XXXXXX stated there was also a 1963 government report on a matter found in Phoenix file 26-20103, however, that “file has been destroyed.” The FBI report further stated, “This would fit
into the time frame PLUMLEE alleged on 8-10-76 wherein he was instructed to leave a plane loaded with arms in New Mexico.” The 1976 date suggests that the United States was clandestinely shipping arms to Mexico. The Committee asked Mr. Plumlee if, in his view, was this an attempt of the CIA to destabilize or overthrow another government? (the record shows Mr. Plumlee did not have an opinion)
Plumlee provided the Committee a picture of him seated in the pilot’s seat of a Cxxxxx ID-669-P, which was taken by pilot William Cooper who was shortly thereafter shot down over Nicaragua in a C-123, exposing the U.S.’s role in undermining the Nicaraguan government. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XX. Plumlee explained that he personally delivered that C- 130 to Crittenden of Crittenden Air Transport, which provided support for Crittenden’s CIA connections.
Operation Grasshopper: A COVERT Government Drug Operation :
Mr.Plumlee described an operation known as Operation Grasshopper which usedgovernment contract pilots to fly drugs, including an undercover pilot, Barry Seal. Plumlee described the protection given to the CIA drug trafficking by other government agencies.
Mr.Plumlee described the brutal murder of a former Air America pilot, Scott Wheeler aka Maurice Louis Gonzales, in Quedo Loco Lobo, near Oaxaca in Southwestern Mexico, by Pepe Suequez. Plumlee described how an informant sought to report the killing to American authorities, who then allowed an American State Department representative and a Mexican police officer to be present while he was ask questions by XXXXXXXXXXX.
Later, Mexican police retaliated against the informant for reporting the
killing to American authorities by horribly mutilating him and leaving him to slowly die in a Mexican prison yard.
Mr. William Holden of Senator Gary Hart's staff received additional information and has confirmed that Mr. Plumlee gave precise details, documents, and other CIA sensitive information to the Senator.
XXXXXXXX maps, field maps, coded flyways, names, military codes, that left no doubt that these activities did exist. This information was passed on to various congressional committees, none of who allowed the American public to know about it. Senator Hart conveyed the information to Senator John Kerry (D-MA),
chairman of the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Narcotics and International Communications.
In a February 14, 1991, letter to Senator John Kerry, Senator Hart stated:
".... Mr. Plumlee raised several issues including that covert U.S. intelligence agencies were directly involved in the smuggling and distribution of drugs. He provided my staff with detailed maps and names of alleged covert landing strips in Mexico, Costa Rica, Louisiana, Arizona, Florida, and California where the alleged aircraft cargoes of drugs were off-loaded and replaced
with Contra military supplies. He also stated that these operations
were not CIA operations but rather under the direction of the White House, Pentagon and NSC personnel. My staff brought these allegations to the attention of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Intelligence Committee at the time, but no action was initiated by either committee. ...".
note: The Committee had received another letter from a reporter:
Journalist Art Goodtimes of the Telluride Times-Journal wrote a letter,at the request of Mr. Plumlee:
(January 13, 1991) to Senator John Kerry offering to provide maps, data, and
testimony of former CIA agent Tosh Plumlee. The letter advised that Plumlee
was involved in flying in Central America and had evidence of the U.S. government’s
involvement in illegal drug trafficking through Mexico, El Salvador
and Panama. The letter stated in part:
Government’s involvement with illegal drug operations, infiltrated by military
undercover operatives...Plumlee intent to get a federal investigation
into the illegal covert activities instigated by various agencies of our government
in Central America. ...".
DEA report in part, recap:
A DEA report dated February 13, 1990, marked SECRET, stated in part:
"....BUENDIA had allegedly gathered information on...the relationship the CIA
had with known narcotic traffickers in Vera Cruz area....the CIA narcotic
trafficker situation was very delicate (not to be spoken about)....information
on CIA arms smuggling and the connection the CIA had to narcotic
traffickers....Shortly thereafter, Eden Pastora, aka Commander ZERO, who had given BUENDIA information on CIA arms smuggling allegedly suffered a CIA sponsored bomb attack while traveling in Costa Rica....It was later learned that BUENIDA had allegedly obtained information that would expose high ranking members of the PRI political party who were assisting the CIA with arms smuggling and knew of the CIA link to narcotics
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXX XXXXXXXXX
and high officials of Mexico’s PRI party, was killed by elements of the Mexican DFS security detail...".
Picture of Plumlee in a C-130 provided by DEA xxxxxxx xxxxxx