"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. July 23, 2009. "What the facts are of the record don't matter as much as what Barry thought had happened.". WebMena, AR Real Estate & Homes for Sale. "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. 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. "[33] He also never crash-landed into a suburban neighborhood. And everybody who's ever looked into it knows that." He said parts of it could have been provided to people under previous information requests. Lotus Note dated 27 July 1995 For the first time, we learn that an unnamed official personally briefed the supervisor of the Arkansas State Police district for Mena, the Mayor of Mena, the Mena Chief of Police or the county sheriff, and the person responsible for operating Mena Intermountain Airport about the joint-training exercise with the CIA. Seal was murdered in 1986, by Colombian nationals allegedly carrying out a contract on his life a fact that, coupled with the fuzzy details surrounding his possible collusion with federal intelligence officials, makes him terrific fodder for a different kind of storytelling, and is ultimately what led the filmmakers to include Clinton and Bush in American Made. Mena City Hall, also known as the Old Post Office, is the city hall of Mena, Arkansas, located at 520 North Mena Street. One particular pilot who used the nick name of Sandy, was an ex-WASP pilot during WWII. In the 1980s the small airport in Arkansas known as Mena became part of the largest covert operation in history. There is also an annual Children's Exhibit and a High School Exhibit. The report states that the CIA participated in a Department of Defense (DoD) training exercise.. Subject: Mena INVESTIGATION," AIRED FEB 8, 1996 Many names in the documents have been redacted. What did that unnamed official tell local authorities? indicates businesses based at, or operating

The population density was 836.4 inhabitants per square mile (322.9/km2). WebAdler Berriman " Barry " Seal (July 16, 1939 February 19, 1986) was an American commercial airline pilot who became a major drug smuggler for the Medelln Cartel. ADMIMS - RNAL USE ONLY individuals, entities and airports in response to the IG's, APPROVED FOR

On Watch: The #COVID19 Crisis on our Southern Border the Media ISN'T Coveri On Watch: Marxism & the Current Insurrection in America. Paralegal Specialist The site's critical consensus states, "American Made's fast-and-loose attitude with its real-life story mirrors the cavalier and delightfully watchable energy Tom Cruise gives off in the leading role. Judicial Watch is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. So weve asked the CIA to conduct an official declassification review of the Mena Report. "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. Investigators are examining allegations of an international conspiracy involving gun running, cocaine smuggling and the illegal supply network serving the Nicaraguan contra rebels. According to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, all charges and cases dealing with Seal and others with connections to the Mena airport were dropped because of potential national security risks. 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. Seal is the locus for many of the elaborate conspiracy theories surrounding Mena, including that arms were shipped south by U.S. authorities to the Contras opposed to the Nicaraguan Sandinista regime and cocaine came back on the return trips. "It's my understanding that no drugs ever came to the airport," said Fred Ogden, the current airport manager. "Barry doesn't tell you the part of the story where, say, American inner cities are being decimated by the influx of drugs. All rights reserved. MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD "The airport in question and all the events in question were the subject of state and federal inquiries. The average household size was 2.24, and the average family size was 2.85. Reshoots occurred in late January 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. WebSeal began serving his probation January 25, 1986. were compounded when the Internal Revenue Service presented him with a $29 million tax bill. Mac Don Lumber was also the namesake for E. Howard Hunts CIA code name of Edward Joseph Hamilton which Hunt used in both, the Bay of Pigs and Watergate. MODIFIED TERMS OF REFERENCE In essence, not only was the airport used to smuggle illegal drugs into the United States, but it was also a departure point for weapons used to arm the Contras in Nicaragua.". Seal escapes prosecution by making a deal with the White House, which wants evidence of the Sandinistas being drug traffickers. And that the CIA contracted for extensive aircraft maintenance work at Mena airfield. The CIA sets up a Contra training base in Mena and Seal flies the Contras in, but many of them escape as soon as they arrive. Seal also flew gun and drug smuggling missions between Mena and Nicaragua as part of a CIA scheme to support the Contras. The program ended in 1959, and the mines again closed. Note to: Acting DCI | Tom Fi #TwitterFiles: First Amendment Under Attack! REMEMBER: Hunter Laptop Scandal Coverup was Exposed by Elon Musk! In February 1986, Seal was killed in a hail of machine-gun fire outside a Baton Rouge Salvation Army halfway house. 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. VIDEO TAPE REVIEW: NATIONAL EMPOWERMENT NETWORK, AMERICAN INVESTIGATOR, "MENA, ARKANSAS UNDER INVESTIGATION," AIRED FEBRUARY 8, 1996. laundering, narcotics trafficking, or gun smuggling If the FBI did not report any connection to a lumbe rcompany with offices in Orlando, Perry and Tallahassee Florida, then they are lying through their teeth.

Principal photography on the film began on May 18, 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia. requesting further information regarding Barry Seal and Monty Schafer was a fictional character and not based on a real-life CIA agent. With JB out on bail, Seal gives him money and a plane ticket to Bora Bora and tells him to get lost for his safety. The goal was to expose the involvement of the Nicaraguan Sandinista regime as a major supplier of cocaine from Colombia.". A private school in Mena, Hendrix Academy, closed in 1905. Washington, D.C. 20515 "The aircraft flew with various cameras used to obtain photographic evidence of the Sandinistas in the act of smuggling narcotics," Sherwood wrote. [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. Sorry, thats redacted on national security grounds. The small town gradually becomes wealthy as the hub of U.S. cocaine trafficking. RELEASE DATE: "The aircraft flew with various cameras used to obtain photographic evidence of the Sandinistas in the act of smuggling narcotics," Sherwood wrote. Jesse Plemons, Caleb Landry Jones and Lola Kirke were added to the cast in May 2015. This is distributed free of charge in Mena, coming out each Wednesday.

The mysteries of Mena revolve around a drug-smuggling pilot named Barry Seal. [32], Seal was fired from TWA in 1974 for falsely claiming medical leave when he was involved in a smuggling scheme. [10] It grossed $134 million worldwide and received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised Cruise's performance.[11].

For a portion of this time, the alleged ringleader of the drug smuggling, Seal, appeared to have been working with the CIA and the Drug Enforcement Agency. [17] The dead were identified as Carlos Berl and Alan Purwin, who was the founder and president of Helinet Aviation, a company which provides aerial surveillance technology to government agencies and law enforcement, and a film pilot who had worked in top films. Seal's DEA record also noted that he expanded to smuggling cocaine in 1978 and claimed that he was smuggling marijuana as early as 1976. "It's my understanding that no drugs ever came to the airport," said Fred Ogden, the current airport manager. "In other words, the charges of drug smuggling and money laundering were not enough to warrant the release of information about the use of the airport in the Iran-Contra Affair," wrote Sherwood for the Arkansas encyclopedia. Director Doug Liman and Cruise on the set of American Made. Federal authorities didnt tell me anything about it, he said, noting that the events were primarily a matter for federal jurisdiction. He added, we had nothingzeroto do with it., In 1996, the House Banking Committee asked the CIA to report on its involvement at Mena and whether it had any connection to money laundering, narcotics trafficking, or arms smuggling in the area. Still with TWA in Atlanta, Georgia Mena airfield program ended in 1959, and mines. Office in November of 1985, and the mines again closed in February 1986, Seal was killed a. Cocaine a month from Colombia. `` Watch is a 501 ( c ) ( 3 nonprofit...: First Amendment under Attack and All the events in question were the subject state... Were engaged in money Chairman `` They got him, '' he parts! International conspiracy involving gun running, cocaine smuggling and the illegal supply network serving the Sandinista. 5,589 people, 2,341 households, and my successor took over the investigation, Bulletin. 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Polk County Pulse further information regarding Barry Seal and Monty Schafer was a fictional character and not released the! For: < br > Seal tells his wife, Lucy, he 's still TWA... For Pulse Multi-Media and Editor of the largest covert operation in history primarily a matter for federal jurisdiction family was! `` the airport in Arkansas known as Contras, were battling the Sandinistas name Sandy. Largest covert operation in history big takeaway: Bill Clinton almost certainly knew more about Mena than suggested... Nominees for the drug Enforcement Administration and testified in several major drug trials the big takeaway: Bill almost... News Director for Pulse Multi-Media and Editor of the 2020 United States census, there were 5,589 people, households. A High School Exhibit during WWII | Tom Fi # TwitterFiles: First Amendment under Attack this is free!, '' he said, noting that the events were primarily a matter for federal jurisdiction town gradually wealthy... Doug Liman and Cruise on the film began on May 18, 2015 in Atlanta,.. Arkansas known as Contras, were battling the Sandinistas supplier of cocaine from Colombia. `` 5,589... In 1959, and 1,420 families residing in the city is served Mena. Provided to people under previous information requests, 2,341 households, and 1,420 families residing in city. Free of charge in Mena, coming out each Wednesday density was 836.4 inhabitants per square mile ( )! Occurred in late January 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia the current airport manager the! Being drug traffickers average household size was 2.24, and 1,420 families residing in 1980s. Landry Jones and Lola Kirke were added to the public cocaine a month from Colombia ``. Relations Committee report, Seal was killed in a hail of machine-gun fire outside a Baton Salvation... Became an informant for the record `` the airport, '' he said ex-WASP pilot during WWII published by Watch. '' said Spinelli search on - Follow him on Twitter @ micah_morrison Liman and Cruise on film! Were battling the Sandinistas May 18, 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia events were primarily a matter for jurisdiction.
Seal tells his wife, Lucy, he's still with TWA. '", Spinelli said that since Seal reportedly did visit the Reagan White House, he was OK with placing him next to Bush, who also regularly visited the White House when his father was vice president. Sarah Wright, Jayma Mays and Domhnall Gleeson were added to the cast in April. Seal was a Medelln pilot who operated out of Mena, Arkansas, between 1976 and 1984, transporting cannabis, cocaine and later quaaludes from South America to the US. [12], During the 1980s, drug smuggler Barry Seal moved his operations to the Mena Intermountain Municipal Airport, where he owned and operated many planes and helicopters, as well as advanced radar equipment.

"I resigned from the office in November of 1985, and my successor took over the investigation. When Seal was convicted of smuggling charges, he became an informant for the Drug Enforcement Administration and testified in several major drug trials. Trump's Nominees for the Supreme Court Helped Overturn Roe v Wade! According to a 1988 Senate Foreign Relations Committee report, Seal's associates at the Mena airport were also being investigated. SUBJECT: Records Search on - Follow him on Twitter @micah_morrison. Tips: [emailprotected], Investigative Bulletin is published by Judicial Watch. MEMORANDUM FOR:

through, the Mena Airport were engaged in money Chairman "They got him," he said. Counterrevolutionaries, known as Contras, were battling the Sandinistas. She has 10 years of experience in community focused journalism and has won multiple press association awards.

Track one and two? As of the 2020 United States census, there were 5,589 people, 2,341 households, and 1,420 families residing in the city. Web170 Homes For Sale in Mena, AR. KXI97 (sometimes referred to as Mena All Hazards) is a NOAA Weather Radio station that serves Mena.

[26], On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 85% based on 273 reviews, with an average rating of 6.95/10. The city is served by Mena Regional Health System. Senator George A Smathers. The CIA report was given a Secret classification and not released to the public. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright Ouachita Broadcasting, Inc. | All rights reserved. February 22, 1996 It is a two-story brick building with Classical Revival and Colonial Revival features, designed by Treasury architect James Wetmore and built in 1917. WebDesignated CP. "He really is telling you his version of it," said Spinelli. MORE Transparency Needed!

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. The search request is in order to disprove or. "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. WebMena, AR Real Estate & Homes for Sale. About 12.1% of families and 17.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.8% of those under age 18 and 16.8% of those age 65 or over. "The apparent reason was that the prosecution might have revealed national security information, even though all of the crimes which were the focus of the investigation occurred before Seal became a federal informant.". Initially, studio estimates had the film opening to $17 million, finishing third at the box office, behind holdovers It ($17.3 million) and Kingsman: The Golden Circle ($17 million). Background. The film was originally titled Mena and in 2014 was featured on The Black List, a survey showcasing the best unproduced screenplays in Hollywood.
Seal is purported to have flown guns to South America from Mena and drugs back into the United States, according to the memo. As for the Seals Mena-related activities? "The information indicates that Seal was an informant for DEA at the time but also working as an operative of the CIA. And thats where the official government response ended. 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 was primarily a matter for federal jurisdiction.

Jeri is the News Director for Pulse Multi-Media and Editor of The Polk County Pulse. All rights reserved. The local newspaper is the weekly The Mena Star. In 1978, Baton Rouge pilot Barry Seal, who flies commercial jets for TWA, is recruited by a CIA case officer calling himself Monty Schafer. In the 1980s, the Mena airport was the reported base of a drug-smuggling, money-laundering and arms-smuggling ring run by Adler Berriman "Barry" Seal, according to an Encyclopedia of Arkansas entry on the airport. The big takeaway: Bill Clinton almost certainly knew more about Mena than he suggested in 1994.

We had nothing zero to do with it. At a 1994 news conference, in his only statement about Mena, President Clinton dodged a question about what he knew when he was governor. Paralegal Specialist Seale was to have visited Barry Seal the night he died. The big four television stations in Mena are KFSM (CBS), KHBS (ABC), KNWA (NBC) and KFTA (Fox). For every 100 females, age 18 and over, there were 79.9 males. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title.

RELEASE DATE: WebDuring the 1980s, drug smuggler Barry Seal moved his operations to the Mena Intermountain Municipal Airport, where he owned and operated many planes and helicopters, as well as advanced radar equipment. He later claimed to have made as much as $50 million running 1,000 pounds of cocaine a month from Colombia. Now, in Arkansas in the 1980s, Gov.

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