COCAINE KINGPIN SAYS HE WORKED FOR CIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000605610006-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 30, 2010
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: August 21, 1984
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/30: CIA-RDP90-00552R000605610006-9
NEW YORK POST
21 August 1984
COCAINE
KINGPIN
SAYS HE
WORKED
FOR CIA
ATLANTA - Prosecu-
tors charged yester-
day that an- escaped
federal prisoner mas-
terminded a vast co-
caiip operation while
living as a fugitive--in
Colombia, and tried-to
arrange the murder of
U.S. and Colombian
agents after his arrest.
Harold Rosenthal is on
trial with 18 others in
federal court on
charges - -= . stemming
from an operation that
-smuggled 5 tons of co-
caine
into the U.S. over
a three-year period.
Rosenthal claims he
was working for the
CIA. gathering infor-
mation on Marxist ter-
rorist groups.
Rosenthal contends he'
had government per-
mission to smuggle
-drugs as a cover for
his work as a CIA
agent in Colombia.
He was arrested last
September in Bogota
by Colombian . police
and U.S. agents while a
fugitive from a federal
prison in. Memphis,
Tenn., where he ea-
caped in September
1981 while serving a
drug sentence
Asst. U.S. Attorney
Craig Gillen said that
the prosecution will
produce evidence of
conversations in which
Rosenthal, after being
expelled from Colom-
bia, tried to direct "the
assassination of the
minister of justice of
Colombia."
He also said Rosenthal
wrote letters from the
federal prison in At-
lanta spying;. "Tell No.
1. to get-the motorcy-
cles to shoot some
agents - there- - -U.S.
and':t:-olombiana." Gil-
Aen did. not identify
The defense contends
that' the CIA ehgi-
neered Rosenthal's es-
cape- from the Mem-
phis prison and then
gave'him clearance to
deal cocaine in ex-
-change - for informa-
tion on ties between
.Colombian Marxist
terrorist groups and
the Soviet Union. .
An -attorney for co-
de-fendant. Philip Bona-
donna said that Rosen-
thal. was - working for
U.S. intelligence.
Tight- security was set
up for the trial with
metal detectors at the
entrance to. the court-
house?and courtroom.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/30: CIA-RDP90-00552R000605610006-9