In the 1980s, cocaine use skyrocketed in the U.S. As hundreds of tons of cocaine began flooding American cities, the U.S. government focused more and more of its resources on combatting it, and the CIA played a major role. However, with millions of dollars at stake, and the opportunity to surreptitiously influence the political and military outcomes of conflicts around the globe, the CIA quickly subverted the goals of the Drug War to suit its own purposes. Many of these later came to light as part of the Iran-Contra scandal and the California CIA-Contra cocaine story that broke in the San Jose Mercury News. Others, such as Operation Pseudo Miranda, remained cloaked in secrecy . . until now. Appealing to his derring-do and his interest in criminal justice, the CIA recruited Ken Bucchi directly out of quiet Murray State University. They put him through a rigorous training program at a secret base in the Nevada desert, then sent him off to fight the Colombian cocaine cartels. Bucchi quickly became a key operative. He tells of meeting with then CIA director William Casey and developing a plan-Pseudo Miranda-to make a deal with the "coke lords" that would enable the CIA to simultaneously abet and control the major cartels and to seize half of the cocaine being smuggled into the U.S. The story that unfolds is gripping. It involves harrowing missions into Colombia to destroy coca labs and interdict drug flights, encounters with the "Cocaine Cowboys" of Medellin, and running gun battles on the high seas with smugglers. It is laced with mortal danger, profound ethical dilemmas, bravery, forbidden love, and betrayal. In the end, things go terribly wrong for the Miranda team, but Bucchi survives to tell the shocking truth about the CIA and America's war on drugs.
He tells about secret meetings
* With Vice President George Bush, CIA Director William Casey and agent Claire George.
* With mid-level officials from different government agencies, including the DEA, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the FBI and the Department of Defense.
* With the notorious "coke lords" Pablo Escobar, Manuel Noriega and Fabio Ochoa, among others.
He reveals secret missions
* To Zurich, Switzerland, to negotiate clandestine deals with heads of the dominant cartels.
* To Korea to feed disinformation to reporter Carl Bernstein.
He reveals some interesting tidbits about the media and the courts
* Frank Rubino, Manuel Noriega's defense attorney, said on "Larry King Live" that the operation had close ties to his client and mentioned Ken Bucchi by name.
* Sam Donaldson interviewed Ken Bucchi on "Prime Time Live," but the show was cancelled because it was too hot to air.
* Investigative journalist Carl Bernstein sought him out in regard to the CIA's illegal drug activity.
