1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:11,760 Speaker 1: Murder in Miami is a production of Iheartram. In this 2 00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:15,520 Speaker 1: week's bonus episode, Leslie Bickerton lays out a case for 3 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:19,920 Speaker 1: the complicated connections between the drug trade and the balance 4 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:21,880 Speaker 1: of world power and unrest. 5 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:30,560 Speaker 2: I'm recognizing more and more, Lauren, is this connection, this 6 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:34,519 Speaker 2: web of connection, and it's intimately connected from what happened 7 00:00:34,560 --> 00:00:39,440 Speaker 2: forty two years ago, which involved directly not only the 8 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:44,120 Speaker 2: drug smuggling and the CIA and the subcontractors, but also 9 00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:50,680 Speaker 2: Central America and South America, which also has a connection 10 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:55,360 Speaker 2: at the same time with Afghanistan, so tracing it back 11 00:00:55,440 --> 00:01:00,360 Speaker 2: even with Vietnam. It's an ongoing scenario in one sense, 12 00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:04,280 Speaker 2: a greater insight into the Cold War that it has 13 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:09,040 Speaker 2: never ended, it continues to this day. And so part 14 00:01:09,040 --> 00:01:13,080 Speaker 2: of this has to do with these alliances from the 15 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:17,160 Speaker 2: Iran contract. Just that alone has been documented that the 16 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:22,560 Speaker 2: CIA's direct involvement with an alliance with drug lords and 17 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:27,880 Speaker 2: with ruthless dictators such as Samosa right from Nicaragua, which 18 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:31,520 Speaker 2: we had been talking about, but the secret funding these 19 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:37,440 Speaker 2: covert warfare, which then also the alliance with the Colombian cartels, 20 00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:44,959 Speaker 2: also the drug lords of Afghanistan, and the existence from 21 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:49,520 Speaker 2: the Vietnam War is the heroin trade, right, the poppy trade, 22 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:53,040 Speaker 2: the heroin trade, the catapulted to all of this from 23 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:57,160 Speaker 2: Vietnam and Laos and the covert funding that was happening 24 00:01:57,240 --> 00:02:00,480 Speaker 2: back then. But that ties in both of the Columbian 25 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:05,480 Speaker 2: cartels and to the heroin cartels that the CIA was 26 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:09,880 Speaker 2: involved in with Afghanistan in fighting Russia. Of this is 27 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:15,320 Speaker 2: documented starting back in nineteen seventy nine the National Security 28 00:02:15,360 --> 00:02:18,320 Speaker 2: Advisor to Carter. And again I say this as a disclaim. 29 00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:22,120 Speaker 2: I'm not a Republican, I'm not a Democrat because I 30 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:24,280 Speaker 2: know that somebody can say, well, you're this side of 31 00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:27,400 Speaker 2: that side. No, I'm telling you all of it. So 32 00:02:27,440 --> 00:02:30,079 Speaker 2: back in nineteen seventy nine, it was about getting back 33 00:02:30,080 --> 00:02:33,720 Speaker 2: at Russia. Revenge for the Russians involvement in the Vietnam 34 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:38,959 Speaker 2: War was a motivating factor. And there's a quote from Brazinski, 35 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:44,240 Speaker 2: who was the National Advisor quote, destabilizing Central Asia would 36 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:50,120 Speaker 2: then bring Russia into Afghanistan. So then with that, how 37 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:53,200 Speaker 2: do you fund any kind of a covert war? Right? Well, 38 00:02:53,240 --> 00:02:55,799 Speaker 2: you need arms. So how do you get arms, Well, 39 00:02:55,840 --> 00:02:58,760 Speaker 2: you have to pay for illegal arms shipments in the 40 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:02,000 Speaker 2: way that you do that to the drug trade is 41 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:05,840 Speaker 2: beyond a business. This is a commodity, just like oil is. 42 00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:11,119 Speaker 2: The war on druggs. And what has transpired is that 43 00:03:11,240 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 2: initially the first money came out of the Iran Contra, 44 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:21,800 Speaker 2: the contras in Nicaragua. Five hundred million dollars was brought 45 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:27,480 Speaker 2: into Afghanistan to start funding the so called Northern Alliance, 46 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:30,239 Speaker 2: which has different elements to it. And I really want 47 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:32,800 Speaker 2: to make this clear. It's really important because we always 48 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:33,960 Speaker 2: hear about Musha Haddeen. 49 00:03:34,280 --> 00:03:38,080 Speaker 1: A quick aside, Musha Hadeen refers to members of various 50 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:42,200 Speaker 1: gorilla groups operating in Afghanistan during the Afghan War, which 51 00:03:42,360 --> 00:03:44,800 Speaker 1: took place in nineteen seventy eight to nineteen ninety two 52 00:03:45,360 --> 00:03:49,600 Speaker 1: that opposed the invading Soviet forces and eventually toppled the 53 00:03:49,640 --> 00:03:55,400 Speaker 1: Afghan Communist government. Rival factions thereafter fell out amongst themselves, 54 00:03:55,520 --> 00:03:59,440 Speaker 1: precipitating the rise of the Taliban and their countering faction, 55 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:00,800 Speaker 1: an Alliance. 56 00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:03,400 Speaker 2: But what they don't tell you is that the funding 57 00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:07,200 Speaker 2: came through go arm's length and this is how they 58 00:04:07,200 --> 00:04:10,240 Speaker 2: get around. Our country gets around no accountability or no 59 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:16,960 Speaker 2: transparency and really complete impunity. Is that you fund, so 60 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:21,000 Speaker 2: directly funding you fund through another country, and we were 61 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:27,680 Speaker 2: funding even back then through Pakistan and Pakistan's military intelligence 62 00:04:28,120 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 2: who were also Islamic fundamentalists, and that money was going 63 00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:35,400 Speaker 2: to one of the most two of the most ruthless 64 00:04:35,920 --> 00:04:41,480 Speaker 2: drug lords in Afghanistan, the Hakani network and then Googluden Heckmeyer. 65 00:04:42,360 --> 00:04:45,960 Speaker 2: That goes back to nineteen seventy nine. How all of 66 00:04:45,960 --> 00:04:51,520 Speaker 2: this got started in this whole Cold War that's been ongoing. 67 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:57,880 Speaker 2: And this brings us then to funding elements such as 68 00:04:58,160 --> 00:05:02,919 Speaker 2: these terrorist groups, the Taliban and the Kaida became exponentially 69 00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:06,960 Speaker 2: with all the billions of dollars that are government in 70 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:09,599 Speaker 2: a CIA and the Department Offense, all the White House 71 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:13,880 Speaker 2: had a direct involvement in funding some of the worst 72 00:05:13,920 --> 00:05:17,400 Speaker 2: people in the world and these terrorist groups that have 73 00:05:17,520 --> 00:05:22,720 Speaker 2: now become so powerful because they've got the arms. And 74 00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:27,320 Speaker 2: this has been in the works for over twenty years. 75 00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:30,280 Speaker 2: And this is something that I know that the American 76 00:05:30,760 --> 00:05:34,599 Speaker 2: public doesn't know about because it hasn't been told to 77 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:39,160 Speaker 2: any of us. And as a result of this, this 78 00:05:39,240 --> 00:05:43,320 Speaker 2: is the blowback. Okay, what goes around comes around. It's 79 00:05:43,360 --> 00:05:47,640 Speaker 2: an anguish because Afghanistan was used as a pawn. 80 00:05:47,839 --> 00:05:52,000 Speaker 1: And Leslie links today's current crisis in Afghanistan to another 81 00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:53,800 Speaker 1: region covered in the podcast. 82 00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:58,280 Speaker 2: Back in Nicaraguan, Central America. Thea Saudis were involved with 83 00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:04,920 Speaker 2: illegal funding these wars in Central America and destabilizing countries 84 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:11,560 Speaker 2: and full knowledge of Saudi's funding our war against Russia 85 00:06:11,720 --> 00:06:17,599 Speaker 2: in Afghanistan and destabilizing that entire area. Arabs were also 86 00:06:17,720 --> 00:06:23,680 Speaker 2: fighting back then in Afghanistan and what transpired out of 87 00:06:23,720 --> 00:06:29,279 Speaker 2: that is the horrific events that happen in our country 88 00:06:29,440 --> 00:06:35,080 Speaker 2: called nine to eleven. Those Arabs, the extreme groups never 89 00:06:35,120 --> 00:06:38,120 Speaker 2: went away. They never went away. They're there, They've always 90 00:06:38,120 --> 00:06:40,880 Speaker 2: been there. And the United Nations just came out with 91 00:06:40,880 --> 00:06:46,200 Speaker 2: a report November twenty twenty two resolution United Nations quote, 92 00:06:46,560 --> 00:06:49,520 Speaker 2: according to the latest statistics, the Taliban hosts more than 93 00:06:49,640 --> 00:06:54,880 Speaker 2: ten thousand foreign fighters including Arabs, Cheans, ISIS and al Qaeda, 94 00:06:54,920 --> 00:06:58,280 Speaker 2: which is increasing day by day. And based on the 95 00:06:58,360 --> 00:07:01,760 Speaker 2: United Nations reporting to twenty twenty one, the income from 96 00:07:01,839 --> 00:07:04,400 Speaker 2: drugs in the hands of the Taliban reach more than 97 00:07:04,440 --> 00:07:08,600 Speaker 2: two billion dollars and they say it's ninety seven percent 98 00:07:08,640 --> 00:07:12,120 Speaker 2: of the people in Afghanis Center now below the poverty rate, 99 00:07:12,200 --> 00:07:15,360 Speaker 2: and that doesn't even account for all the disappearances and 100 00:07:15,400 --> 00:07:18,119 Speaker 2: the genocide we've been told. I mean, I was raised 101 00:07:18,120 --> 00:07:21,120 Speaker 2: this way too, right, you know, we're the good guys, right, 102 00:07:21,240 --> 00:07:26,640 Speaker 2: we're saving the world from evil. In what has transpired 103 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:29,520 Speaker 2: such a long period of time as sort of this 104 00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:35,040 Speaker 2: deadly combination of power and ego and greed and political 105 00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:39,640 Speaker 2: ambitions and economic ambitions on such a global scale, with 106 00:07:39,720 --> 00:07:45,440 Speaker 2: complete impunity and catastrophic results that are still ongoing. 107 00:07:46,080 --> 00:07:50,160 Speaker 1: And that's something that brings Leslie back forty two years. 108 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:53,520 Speaker 2: The shadow wars, the subcontrast. So like people like Lamar 109 00:07:53,760 --> 00:07:56,400 Speaker 2: caught up in all of this. This has become such 110 00:07:56,440 --> 00:08:00,160 Speaker 2: a huge business. And you think of a black is 111 00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:05,120 Speaker 2: it Blackwater? And the in dyne core. And now there's 112 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:11,200 Speaker 2: now this legal loophole that's been created called one two 113 00:08:11,560 --> 00:08:14,760 Speaker 2: seven E. Please look it up. 114 00:08:15,360 --> 00:08:19,200 Speaker 1: Among other things, United States Code one seven E permits 115 00:08:19,240 --> 00:08:22,240 Speaker 1: the Secretary of Defense to spend up to one hundred 116 00:08:22,280 --> 00:08:26,280 Speaker 1: million dollars per fiscal year in support of special operations 117 00:08:26,320 --> 00:08:27,400 Speaker 1: to combat terrorism. 118 00:08:28,280 --> 00:08:34,160 Speaker 2: What our country has been doing, besides covert activities, is funding, arming, 119 00:08:34,200 --> 00:08:38,040 Speaker 2: and training mercenaries. All of I call it mercenaries. 120 00:08:37,840 --> 00:08:42,200 Speaker 1: Which to Leslie presents the possibility of those efforts backfiring, 121 00:08:42,760 --> 00:08:45,080 Speaker 1: just as they did during her lone Star era. 122 00:08:45,720 --> 00:08:48,280 Speaker 2: It's really the tip of the iceberg. There's so many 123 00:08:48,280 --> 00:08:51,520 Speaker 2: elements with just the stories about drugs and guns and 124 00:08:51,640 --> 00:08:58,120 Speaker 2: foreign places right exotic islands, and spies, corrupt officials, this 125 00:08:58,160 --> 00:09:02,360 Speaker 2: whole web of deception and lies. But there's a lot 126 00:09:02,480 --> 00:09:06,400 Speaker 2: more to it, and it affects all of us. So 127 00:09:06,480 --> 00:09:10,559 Speaker 2: what has happened so many years ago, it's been ongoing 128 00:09:10,720 --> 00:09:13,760 Speaker 2: to the point where we really are on the brink 129 00:09:14,520 --> 00:09:18,480 Speaker 2: beyond what we can even imagine. Murder in Miami is 130 00:09:18,559 --> 00:09:21,640 Speaker 2: giving us a glimpse. But if you listen to it 131 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:26,280 Speaker 2: much more carefully and follow through with Joseph Trento and 132 00:09:26,320 --> 00:09:30,720 Speaker 2: what Happy was saying about the drugs, et cetera, I 133 00:09:30,840 --> 00:09:33,440 Speaker 2: really think that this is it could be a wake 134 00:09:33,559 --> 00:09:37,040 Speaker 2: up call for all of us. There is this dark 135 00:09:37,120 --> 00:09:42,120 Speaker 2: side to human nature, unfortunately and to mankind. And then 136 00:09:42,160 --> 00:09:46,560 Speaker 2: the question becomes like a David and Goliath. It's all 137 00:09:46,559 --> 00:09:49,040 Speaker 2: connected at nine to eleven, the war and drugs, the 138 00:09:49,040 --> 00:09:52,040 Speaker 2: war and terrorist the Cold War. What do we do 139 00:09:52,200 --> 00:09:55,440 Speaker 2: about this? Telling the truth, getting trying to get the 140 00:09:55,440 --> 00:09:58,280 Speaker 2: truth out there? The American public has the right to know. 141 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:00,120 Speaker 2: We have the right to know, and no matter how 142 00:10:00,200 --> 00:10:03,040 Speaker 2: comfortable it is and how much it hurts. We talked 143 00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:07,480 Speaker 2: about collateral damage, that there is this element out there, 144 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:11,320 Speaker 2: even within our own government that's not easy for me 145 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:16,480 Speaker 2: to say this, that we are Iris collateral damage from 146 00:10:16,520 --> 00:10:24,280 Speaker 2: Mars collateral damage, Afghanistana's collateral damage, Nicaragraa, and just Americans 147 00:10:24,360 --> 00:10:29,880 Speaker 2: as a whole, we're collateral damage. There's boback for all 148 00:10:29,920 --> 00:10:34,440 Speaker 2: of this, and awareness and education. The more that we 149 00:10:34,480 --> 00:10:35,720 Speaker 2: can be aware of it, and the more we can 150 00:10:35,840 --> 00:10:39,040 Speaker 2: educate ourselves about it, I think it's really important because 151 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:42,480 Speaker 2: what kind of a legacy do we want to leave 152 00:10:42,559 --> 00:10:44,000 Speaker 2: in this world. 153 00:10:51,280 --> 00:10:56,160 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 154 00:10:56,480 --> 00:11:00,000 Speaker 1: or wherever you get the stories that matter to you.