# Oliver North **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 29, 2004, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oliver-north/231789 "2004-02-29T20:46:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![saluki\_fan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@saluki\_fan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saluki_fan)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2004, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oliver-north/231789/1 "2004-02-29T20:46:37Z")
I recently heard a rumor about Oliver North and being involved in a drug smuggling operation. Can somebody please help elaborate on what exactly Oliver North did in terms of drug smuggling? ---
**Author:** ![Gnome\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/2acd7d/32.png) [@Gnome\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gnome_1)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2004, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oliver-north/231789/2 "2004-02-29T20:50:48Z")
This may seem stupid But who is Oliver North? ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2004, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oliver-north/231789/3 "2004-02-29T20:55:59Z")
I was only six when Iran-Contra was going on and so I’m not too familiar with all its intricacies but could that be what you’re referring to? **-Gnome-** : [Oliver North](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_North) ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2004, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oliver-north/231789/4 "2004-02-29T20:59:30Z")
> [@\-Gnome-](#): > > This may seem stupid > > But who is Oliver North? I was just about to say Dennis the Menece, but that was Jay North. Nevermind. Was it that porn star with the big…Peter North nevermind again. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2004, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oliver-north/231789/5 "2004-02-29T21:12:06Z")
[The Contras, Cocaine, and Covert Operations](http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB2/nsaebb2.htm) From North’s notebook: > [@](#): > > In his entry for August 9, 1985, North summarizes a meeting with Robert Owen (“Rob”), his liaison with the contras. They discuss a plane used by Mario Calero, brother of Adolfo Calero, head of the FDN, to transport supplies from New Orleans to contras in Honduras. North writes: “Honduran DC-6 which is being used for runs out of New Orleans is probably being used for drug runs into U.S.” ---
**Author:** ![paperbackwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@paperbackwriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paperbackwriter)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oliver-north/231789/6 "2004-03-01T00:29:45Z")
Oliver North was the National Security Council liason to the Nicaraguan _contra_ rebels. After Congress passed a law forbidding any direct military funding of the _contras_, the Reagan White House set up a covert funding mechanism. The National Security Council was the co-ordinating body for this illicit funding, and Lt. Col. Oliver North (USA) was the officer who was in closest contact w/the _contras_. The _contras_ supplemented their income by moving cocaine into the US, as **Squink** indicates. Furthermore, North and the CIA were fully aware of this, and short-circuited DEA investigations that were closing in on _contra_ members or contacts. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UncleBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBill)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oliver-north/231789/7 "2004-03-01T03:42:25Z")
> [@paperbackwriter](#): > > Lt. Col. Oliver North (USA) If you meant United States of America, that is correct, but not United States Army. He was in the USMC at the time. I’m not proud of that fact, just stating it. ---
**Author:** ![paperbackwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@paperbackwriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paperbackwriter)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oliver-north/231789/8 "2004-03-01T15:51:52Z")
My condolences, and thanks for the correction.