Former DEA Agent Wants George H. Bush, Negroponte And Other Higher-Ups Held Accountable For Illegal Drug Smuggling
Cele
Castillo made headlines in the 1980's for exposing illegal
government-sponsored cocaine trafficking. Although the responsible
parties were never brought to justice, Castillo is still speaking out
loud and strong in order to save his country.
5 Mar 2006
By Greg Szymanski
Cele Castillo played it tough with the "Big Boys" for a long time until the former DEA agent couldn't take it any more.
For
12 long years he fought hard against the drug lords in South America,
finally realizing in the late 1980's his fight was essentially for
nothing.
After
raiding jungle cocaine labs in the Amazon, conducting aerial
eradication operations in Guatemala and assembling and training
anti-narcotics units in several countries, Castillo finally went public
and blew the whistle after realizing the real kingpin drug dealers
worked in the White House, not in the jungles of Central and South
America.
"I
took an oath to defend my country and fight the war on drugs. When I
realized the enemy was within our own government, I took the path of
truth, trying to alert the American people," said Castillo, a former
Viet Nam veteran who recently appeared on Greg Szymanski's radio show,
The Investigative Journal.
"The
end of my career with the DEA took place in El Salvador. One day, I
received a cable from a fellow agent, saying to investigate possible
drug smuggling by Nicaraguan Contras operating from the Ilopango Air
Force Base.
"I
quickly discovered that the Contra pilots were, indeed, smuggling
narcotics back into the United States - using the same pilots, planes
and hangers that the Central Intelligence Agency and the National
Security Council, under the direction of Lt. Col. Oliver North, used to
maintain their covert supply operation to the Contras."
Instead
of playing along with the criminals inside government profiting from
cocaine trafficking, Castillo attempted to seek justice, naming many
high-level officials along the way, including North and former
President George H.W Bush.
In
fact, after Castillo blew the whistle, Bush made a point to seek out
Castillo during one of his South of the border visits, in essence
trying to "feel out" Castillo, but at the same time careful not to make
any incriminating statement.
"When
Bush confronted me and then just walked away after I told him some of
the evidence I had, it was obvious he knew what was going on and was
involved in the illegal drug trade," said Castillo.
And
when Castillo's allegations first went public, he was the first
government DEA agent with first-hand knowledge of North's drug dealing
sanctioned by Bush and other higher-ups.
At
the time of the allegations, North was in the process of running for
the U.S. Senate and Castillo was quoted as saying he "belongs in
prison," not in government.
"We saw several packages of narcotics, we saw several boxes of U.S. currency, going from Ilopango to Panama," Castillo said.
According to a statement made by Castillo on his web site, www.powderburns.org
, the entire drug program was run out of Ilopango's Hangars 4 and 5.
"Hangar 4, owned and operated by the CIA and run by Felix Rodriguez, or
'Max Gomez,' of the Contra operation directed by North.
"Basically
they were running cocaine from South America to the U.S. via Salvador.
That was how the Contras were able to get financial help. By going to
sleep with the enemy down there. North's people and the CIA were at the
two hangars overseeing the operations at all times," Castillo added.
Castillo
also fingered John Negroponte, now in the Bush administration and who
served from 1981-1985 as U.S. Ambassador to Honduras, as just another
drug smuggler covering up the illegal government activity as well as
illegally assisting the contra war and helping the Reagan
administration in the disappearance of more than 300 political
opponents in classic death squad fashion.
"In
Honduras, I saw first hand how Negroponte and General Alvarez committed
some of the worst human rights violations ever committed against
humanity in the Western Hemisphere" said Castillo, adding in 1994, the
Honduran Human Rights Commission charged Negroponte personally with
several human rights abuses.
"President
Bush then appointed Negroponte as ambassador to Iraq with the "Salvador
Option" in hand. The Salvador Option is a blue print of the Phoenix
Program that was utilized in Vietnam. And know it is being implemented
in Iraq.
"Today,
President Bush has named Negroponte, as headhunter, Director of
National Intelligence. He is now in charge of all intelligence
including the Pentagon. God help us in saving our world.
"I've
risked my life to demonstrate what I believe to be real. And, that is
that an armed struggle (with pen in hand) is in order for those who are
struggling in keeping their freedom at home. I've now become a veteran
of my third, and perhaps most dangerous war, the war against the
criminals in my own government."
Since
going public in the 1980's, Congress listened to Castillo's allegations
and the testimony of others in hearings held by Senator and former
Presidential candidate, John Kerry.
But
the watered down investigation did little to solve the problem, as the
kingpins in government were allowed "to walk" and, in fact, are still
running drug operations today, according to Castillo.
"The
same thing is going on today with the same people from the 1980's now
in charge of our government," reminded Castillo, adding billons of
dollars of drug money is being used by government for secret, covert
operations without congressional oversight.
"We,
ordinary Americans, can not trust the C.I.A. Inspector General to
conduct a full investigation into the CIA or the DEA. Let me tell you
why. When President Clinton (June, 1996) ordered The Intelligence
Oversight Board to conduct an investigation into allegations that US
Agents were involved in atrocities in Guatemala, it failed to
investigate several DEA and CIA operations in which U.S. agents knew
before hand that individuals (some Americans) were going to be
murdered.
"Some
people have asked, why I am doing this? A long time ago I took an oath
to protect The Constitution of the United States and its citizens. In
reality, it has cost me so much to become a complete human being, that
I've lost my family.
"In
1995, I made a pilgrimage to the Vietnam Wall, where I renounced my
Bronze Star in protest of the atrocities my government had committed in
Central America. I have now become a veteran of my third, and perhaps
most dangerous war --- a war against the criminals within my own
Government.
"Heads
have to roll for those who are responsible and still employed by the
government. They will be the first targets in an effective drug
strategy. If not, we will continue to have groups of individuals who
will be beyond any investigation, who will manipulate the press, judges
and members of our Congress, and still be known in our government as
those who are above the law."
Castillo has also authored a book about his life called Powderburns which can be purchased from his web site.
For more informative articles, go to www.arcticbeacon.com.
Greg Szymanski
Listen to my Radio Broadcast live Monday night at 8pm Pacific time on
LewisNews, returning Jan. 1 2006 Radio http://webs.lewisnews.com/radio/index.htm.
Greg is also regular on Rense.com the first Thursday of every month at 9pm pacific time.
Greg also has his own daily show on the Republic Broadcast Network. Go to www.rbnlive.com
and will be starting a daily program on the Genesis Communications Network soon at www.gcnlive.com
Greg Szymanski is an independent investigative journalist and his
articles can been seen at www.LewisNews.com. He also writes for
American Free Press and has his own site www.arcticbeacon.com
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