The Lacuna Project

lacuna (n.) a gap in a record where something should be

Independent research. Not affiliated with any government, agency, or company.

Exhibit 314

Report of Investigation: Allegations of Connections Between CIA and the Contras in Cocaine Trafficking to the United States, Vol. I, The California Story (96-0143-IG)

Exhibit 314 ยท Inspector general report

Report of Investigation: Allegations of Connections Between CIA and the Contras in Cocaine Trafficking to the United States, Vol. I, The California Story (96-0143-IG)

A CIA cable indicates that approximately $36,000 seized from Zavala at the time of his arrest was returned to Zavala--based on the claim they were Contra funds--by the prosecutors at CIA's request.

Overview of Volume I; team of 17 reviewed 250,000 pages and conducted over 365 interviews; found no CIA relationship with Ross, Blandon or Meneses, and that $36,000 seized from Zavala was returned at CIA's request per a CIA cable while prosecutors gave other reasons.

Source
CIA Office of Inspector General
Date
29 January 1998
Quoted from
Vol. I Overview, Conclusions
Grade
Primary record
Document
https://irp.fas.org/cia/product/cocaine/overview.html
Accessed
2026-11-09
Cited by
Findings citing this exhibit

Cited by

Finding INF-2.9
Primary record The CIA Inspector General's Volume II report, unclassified on 8 October 1998, found "No information has been found to indicate that CIA as an organization or its employees conspired with, or assisted, Contra-related organizations or individuals in drug trafficking to raise funds for the Contras or for any other purpose," and Volume I found no CIA relationship with Ricky Ross, Danilo Blandon or Norwin Meneses.
Finding INF-5.3
Primary record Volume I of the CIA Inspector General's 1998 report found no information that any CIA employee or anyone acting for the CIA had "any direct or indirect dealing with Ricky Ross, Oscar Danilo Blandon or Juan Norwin Meneses." Volume II found that the CIA "acted inconsistently in handling allegations or information" that Contra-related individuals and organizations were involved in drug trafficking, and that it did not inform Congress of eight of ten Contra-related individuals during the fiscal year 1987 statutory prohibition.
Finding DEF-6.6
Primary record The CIA Inspector General found no information that the CIA or its employees conspired with Contra-related persons in drug trafficking, and found that the CIA acted inconsistently when it learned of trafficking allegations.