The uk reported an increase of 74% in seizures of crack cocaine in drug raids between 2000 and 2006. I has destroyed african american people, culture, and communities. Sean san jose play examines crack epidemic san francisco, ca. How crack cocaine widened the blackwhite education gap. Allegations of a cia connection to crack cocaine epidemic. Did the cia really introduce cocainecrack to the u. The reagan administration and the cia also collaborated with nicaraguan cocaine traffickers to support the contras led to the crack epidemic of the 1980s. Although snowfall is using the same cia technical adviser employed by the americans. The cia, contras, gangs, and crack based on a yearlong investigation, reporter gary webb wrote that during the 1980s the cia helped finance its covert war against nicaraguas leftist government through sales of cutrate cocaine to south central l. Outraged at cia role in drug trade duke university.
In his report, webb who had won a pulitzer in 1989 for a different story claimed that the cia was partly responsible for bringing crack cocaine to the united states in the 1980s. While the use of coca leaves as an intoxicant dates. The charges of cia involvement in contra cocaine trafficking were revived in 1996, when a newspaper series by reporter gary webb in the san jose mercury news claimed that the trafficking had played an important role in the creation of the crack cocaine drug problem in the united states. It has long been known that the cia has illegally toppled foreign governments. With richard stratton, ty hurley, celerino castillo iii, christopher glover. The crack epidemic had particularly devastating effects. On august 18, 1996, the san jose mercury news published the first installment of a threepart series of articles concerning crack cocaine, the central intelligence agency cia. Decadesold cia crackcocaine scandal gains new momentum.
The cia, the drug dealers, and the tragedy of gary webb telegraph. The full story of the 1980s crack epidemic is still yet to be told. Crack, a potent form of smokeable cocaine developed in the early 1980s, begins to flourish in the new york region. Back in 1996, gary webb of the san jose mercury news broke a story stating not only that the nicaraguan contras supported by the united states in a rebellion against their leftleaning government were involved in the us crack cocaine epidemic of the 1980s, but also that the cia knew and turned a blind eye to the operation.
The crack epidemic in the united states was a surge of crack cocaine use in major cities across the united states between the early 1980s and the early 1990s. Americas war on drugs is an immersive trip through the last five decades, uncovering how the cia, obsessed with keeping america safe in the fight against communism, allied itself with the. Dark alliance, gary webbs landmark 1996 newspaper series alleging cia involvement in the crack cocaine epidemic, created a firestorm of controversy that ultimately drove webb out of. Cia involvement in contra cocaine trafficking wikipedia. The contra rebels were in full flow in nicaragua, and reportedly the cia turned a blind eye to the rebels exporting significant amounts of. The crack epidemic the history of crack cocaine drugfree world. Thirty years of americas drug war drug wars frontline. Snowfall is compelling and believable which is why it. In this crack in america, featurette, jeremy renner gary webb, director michael cuesta and others reveal the shocking real story of a cia cover up and crack epidemic. Cia and the crack epidemic documentary was a great piece of news journalism for mainstream america. Blandon and meneses were said to have used their drug trafficking profits to help fund the contra armys war effort. Dark alliance was a series written by californiabased reporter webb and published in the san jose mercury news in 1996. After reading about gary webb exposing the cia s potential complicity in l. Snowfall is compelling and believable which is why it could use a disclaimer.
In 1996 the agency was accused of being a crack dealer. The crack epidemic started by the assistance of the f. Freeway rick ross on how he introduced crack to the u. A november 1985 new york times cover story brings the drug to national attention. The cia, the drug dealers, and the tragedy of gary webb. The true story of the 1980s crack epidemic is still untold.
The cia, the drug dealers, and the tragedy of gary webb in 1996, journalist gary webb began looking into links between nicaraguas drugrunning contra rebels and the cia. Heres how the crack epidemic brought a city to its knees. By 2002, the united kingdom was experiencing their own crack epidemic, with the number of crack addicts seeking help climbing nearly 50% that year. Jump shot is a fantastic documentary on the man who introduced us to the jumper. We propose the rise of crack cocaine markets as an explanation for the end to the convergence in blackwhite educational outcomes beginning in the mid1980s.
Good documentaries on 80s crack epidemic discussion in movie alley started by mjocdgal, jun 30, 2015. America is fascinated by tales of the exploits of gangsters, hustlers, dealers, and killers, but america is very rarely. During the 1980s, the war on drugs became defined by cocaine and crack. Fx series pins crack epidemic on the cia the salt lake. The ghastly disease aids burst upon the scene in the early 1980s. How one journalist linked the cia to the crack epidemic. Documentary about cia drug trafficking from central america a number of allegations have been written about and several local, state, and federal investigations have taken place related to the notion of the mena intermountain municipal airport as a cia drop point in large scale cocaine trafficking beginning in the latter part of the 1980s. In this episode, chris calton explains how the potent mix of politicans and. This led to the us having the highest incarceration rate in the world. Special reports cocaine, conspiracy theories and the cia in. Americas war on drugs is an immersive trip through the last five decades, uncovering how the cia, obsessed with keeping america safe in the fight against communism, allied itself with the mafia and foreign drug traffickers. So begins the controversial three part series, published last august, by gary webb in the san jose mercury news. Did the cia really introduce cocaine crack to the u.
Good documentaries on 80s crack epidemic lipstick alley. Special reports cocaine, conspiracy theories and the cia. I dont think well see docs like that on tv anytime soon. It was inspired by the late journalist gary webbs investigational series, published in the san jose mercury news in 1996, which revealed the shocking connection between the cia and the crack cocaine epidemic that ravaged the africanamerican community here, starting in the 1980s. Crack epidemic, the significant increase in the use of crack cocaine, or crack, in the united states during the early 1980s. More specifically touching upon its effect on black america and the role of. Webbs series led to three federal investigations, none of. Crack has destroyed families and, in many ways, destroyed communities, which still suffer the effects of crime, druguse, and incarceration. The crack epidemic the history of crack cocaine drug. Crack epidemic united states history 1980s britannica. The secret flow of drugs and money, webb reported, had a direct link to the crack epidemic that devastated californias most vulnerable african american neighborhoods. Based on a yearlong investigation, reporter gary webb wrote that during the 1980s the cia helped finance its covert war against nicaraguas leftist. Key figures in ciacrack cocaine scandal begin to come. Fueled by the findings of an investigation by san jose mercury news reporter gary webb in 1996, many would come to believe that the cia had actually created the crack epidemic in.
In this case, the cia s activities led to the crack epidemic in americas inner cities, which caused american citizens much pain and misery. In 1996, a bombshell report by journalist gary webb claimed that the central intelligence agency cia supported cocaine trafficking into the u. Crack cocaine was popularized because of its affordability, its immediate euphoric effect, and its high profitability. At the center of it all is the rise, fall and redemption of freeway rick ross, a street hustler who became the king of crack, and journalist gary webb. Here are 10 things to know about gary webb and his report that linked the cia to crack cocaine.
This documentary by awardwinning filmmaker marc levin slam, mr. Untouchable, brick city exposes how the infiltration of crack cocaine destroyed innercity neighborhoods across the country. Key figures in ciacrack cocaine scandal begin to come forward. Moore, and craig garthwaite presents one explanation for the decline in black highschool graduation rates beginning in the 1980s. The high amount of people in jail is a direct result of the crack epidemic, which was started by the cia. The cia, contras, gangs, and crack institute for policy. Kill the messenger crack in america in theaters friday. A powerful series by investigative reporter gary webb of the san jose mercury news says the answer may be yesand the charge. Are there any good documentaries focusing on the 80s crack epidemic.
This resulted in a number of social consequences, such as increasing crime and violence in american inner city neighborhoods, as well as a resulting backlash in the form of tough on crime policies. Hello reddit, i was doing a little research on the crack epidemic of the 1980s and from what i read the cia introduce crack cocaine to the u. A complete history of crack cocaine drug rehab options. In october 1998, the cia released a declassified version of hitzs twovolume report, and the cia was cleared of its alleged complicity in the spread of crackcocaine in to the innercities. In the article there is a story told to banks by a police officer where he states he had arrested a 9yearold for stealing food from a liquor store and then found that the boy was trying to feed his three young. The cia, the contras, and the crack cocaine explosion, the book by journalist gary webb, which expanded on webbs 1996 investigative series in the san jose mercury news.
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