Barry Seal | The $500,000 Pilot

The life of "Barry" Seal, also known as Adler Berryman Seal, was indeed extraordinary and has been the subject of fascination and adaptation in films, including the one starring Tom Cruise called "American Made." Seal was involved in smuggling drugs, particularly cocaine, for the notorious Medellín Cartel led by Pablo Escobar during the 1980s. He used his exceptional piloting skills to transport illegal narcotics into the United States, earning significant profits in the process. At his best he was making $500,000 per flight.

Seal started his flying career at a young age and displayed remarkable talent as a pilot. However, his involvement in illegal activities began in 1972 when he participated in a smuggling plot to transport C4 explosives to Mexico. The operation turned out to be an elaborate sting, but Seal managed to walk away due to a mistrial. Nevertheless, his reputation was tarnished, and he was blacklisted by major airlines, effectively ending his commercial piloting career.

In the mid-1970s, Seal turned to smuggling marijuana from Honduras to Louisiana, but he soon realized that cocaine was much more lucrative. He developed sophisticated smuggling techniques, such as flying at extremely low altitudes over the Gulf of Mexico to avoid radar detection and dropping his cargo in Louisiana swamps for later retrieval. His methods were highly advanced compared to what law enforcement agencies were accustomed to at the time.

Seal's success as a smuggler attracted the attention of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). In 1984, he was arrested for the third time after being ensnared in a deal involving fake quaalude tablets. Facing a potentially lengthy prison sentence, Seal made a deal with the DEA to become an informant. His first mission as an informant involved gathering evidence against the Medellín Cartel.

Seal set up a meeting with senior members of the cartel, including the Ochoa brothers and Pablo Escobar himself. He agreed to fly a massive shipment of 15,000 kilograms of cocaine from Colombia to the United States. However, his plane was intercepted by the Nicaraguan military during a scheduled pit stop, and Seal was arrested. With the help of cartel connections in the Nicaraguan government, he was eventually released and returned to the United States.

On his next trip to Nicaragua, Seal's plane was equipped with hidden cameras by the DEA, with the hope of capturing evidence of the cartel's involvement in drug smuggling. Despite some technical malfunctions, Seal managed to obtain incriminating photos, including images of Nicaraguan soldiers loading drugs onto his plane and even Pablo Escobar handling sacks of cocaine. These photos implicated the Nicaraguan government in drug trafficking and were leaked to the press, putting Seal's life at great risk.

The cartel quickly discovered Seal's involvement and placed a bounty on his head. Despite being under probation and minimal protection, Seal was unable to evade his assassins. Only three weeks into his probation period, he was gunned down outside a Salvation Army Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Following Seal's death, charges were filed against top members of the Medellín Cartel, including Pablo Escobar. Although Escobar was not brought to justice in the United States, he was eventually killed while attempting to evade capture by Colombian authorities.

Barry Seal's life and activities had significant implications for both the drug trade and the U.S. government's involvement in South America during that period. His story opened up debates about covert operations, regime change, and the extent of America's role in drug smuggling and revolution in the region. Seal's legacy endures as one of the most notorious and audacious smugglers in aviation history.

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Adam Allison