Oscar Danilo Blandón | |
|---|---|
| Born | Oscar Danilo Blandón Reyes July 29, 1951[1] |
| Nationality | Nicaraguan |
| Occupation | Drug trafficker |
| Criminal charge(s) | Drug trafficking, arms trafficking |
| Criminal penalty | 24 months |
Oscar Danilo Blandón Reyes (born July 29, 1951[1]) is a Nicaraguan born drug trafficker who is best known as one of the main subjects of the 1996 newspaper series "Dark Alliance" by reporter Gary Webb.
Blandón was originally a director of agricultural markets in Nicaragua during the government of Anastasio Somoza. When the Somoza regime was overthrown in 1979, Blandón fled to the United States,[2] and then raised money for the Nicaraguan Democratic Force (FDN), a Contra group. As part of his fundraising activities Blandón began selling cocaine. Eventually Blandón became a major cocaine trafficker in the Los Angeles area.[3]
In May 1992, Blandón was arrested in San Diego on the federal charge of "conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute."[4] In prison awaiting trial, Blandón began cooperating with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in a number of drug cases. In a plea agreement, Blandón agreed to continue cooperating with the government in exchange for a substantial sentence reduction. Eventually Blandón was sentenced to 48 months.[4] In order to facilitate Blandón's work as an informant, the government further requested a reduction in Blandón's sentence to time served. Following his imprisonment, Blandón worked for the DEA as a confidential informant. He worked for the DEA to take down drug kingpin Rick Ross in a sting operation, for which Ross was convicted in 1997.[5][6]
In the 2014 film Kill the Messenger, Blandón was portrayed by actor Yul Vazquez.
References[edit]
- ^ a b c "The CIA-Contra-Crack Cocaine Controversy: A Review Of The Justice Department's Investigations And Prosecutions". Office of the Inspector General, Department of Justice. December 1997.
- ^ Schou, Nick (2006). Kill the messenger : how the CIA's crack-cocaine controversy destroyed journalist Gary Webb. New York. ISBN 978-1-56025-930-5. OCLC 72763448.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Bromwich, Michael R. "CIA-Contra-Crack Cocaine Controversy: Executive Summary Part II, Oscar Danilo Blandon". Retrieved 2016-11-20.
- ^ a b Bromwich, Michael R. "CIA-Contra-Crack Cocaine Controversy: Chapter 2: Oscar Danilo Blandon, Part K: Allegation that Blandon received special treatment in the 1992 San Diego prosecution". Retrieved 2016-11-20.
- ^ Ross, Rick; Scott, Cathy (2014). Freeway Rick Ross: The Untold Autobiography. Freeway Studios. ISBN 9781499651539.
- ^ Suro, Robert; Pincus, Walter (October 4, 1996). "THE CIA AND CRACK: EVIDENCE IS LACKING OF ALLEGED PLOT". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
Further reading[edit]
- USDOJ/OIG Special Report THE CIA-CONTRA-CRACK COCAINE CONTROVERSY: A REVIEW OF THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT’S INVESTIGATIONS AND PROSECUTIONS (December, 1997) Archived 2015-04-21 at the Wayback Machine United States Department of Justice—The Executive Summary has a section about Oscar Danilo Blandon and Chapter II is about Oscar Danilo Blandon
External links[edit]
- "Report of Investigation: The California Story". Archived from the original on January 15, 2006. Retrieved June 1, 2005.
- "Drugs". Archived from the original on April 9, 1997. Retrieved November 10, 2013. ()