Ex-CIA Freight Line Made 15 Flights to Contra Supply Base
A former CIA air transport company, which reportedly figured in both the arms sales to Iran and shipments to the Nicaraguan rebels, flew more than 400 tons of cargo this year into an air base used by an American-manned contra resupply operation, documents show.
The carrier, Southern Air Transport of Miami, reported making 15 flights into El Salvador’s Ilopango military airport in the first six months of 1986--flights that originated in Portugal, New Orleans, Miami and Washington, D.C., according to Transportation Department records.
The records show a total cargo weight of 406 tons aboard the planes, but not what types of supplies were shipped.
The flights coincided with creation of an air resupply wing to carry weapons to the contra forces. According to government sources, it was managed by then White House aide Lt. Col. Oliver L. North and financed with $10 million to $30 million in profits from secret U.S. arms sales to Iran.
Southern Air officials refused to talk about their operations.
The air operation came to light Oct. 5, when an American-manned transport was shot down over southern Nicaragua, killing two Americans aboard and leaving the third, Eugene Hasenfus, a prisoner of the Sandinista government.
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