Inspector General Report Shows DEA Covering Up Its Role In A Shooting That Left Four Foreign Citizen

from the civilian-casualties-in-the-war-on-drugs dept
by Tim Cushing
Thu, Jun 1st 2017 1:12pm


Here's the latest on how we're winning the Drug War, stripped of the DEA's deceit and spin by the Office of the Inspector General. The report (PDF) takes a look at three incidents the DEA was involved with in Honduras during 2012. The DEA's FAST (Foreign-Deployed Advisory and Support Team) team was supposed to help Honduran drug warriors (TRT-- Tactical Response Teams) fight the local drug war. It was only supposed to act in an advisory role, but it took a much more hands-on approach.

A seized boat loaded with cocaine lost power in the middle of a river on its way back to the nearest village. While drifting around awaiting rescue, a passenger boat "made contact" with the seized boat (called a "pipante&quot . All hell broke loose.

Video recorded by a CBP surveillance plane shows that, following contact, officers in the pipante fired at the passenger boat. The gunfire continued for about 26 seconds, including several seconds when officers in the pipante appear to be shooting at people in the water who had fallen or jumped from the passenger boat.


The spin machine began shortly after this. First, the DEA claimed it wasn't a passenger boat, but rather drug dealers coming to reclaim their stash. Gunshots were fired by people on the boat, according to the joint task force, even though video of the incident showed otherwise. And the DEA apparently felt its advisory role included telling Honduran helicopter door gunners where to shoot.

More:
https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170527/11280637465/inspector-general-report-shows-dea-covering-up-role-shooting-that-left-four-foreign-citizens-dead.shtml?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+techdirt%2Ffeed+%28Techdirt%29