Plain-English summaryIn this memorandum, Director of Central Intelligence John Deutch requests that the CIA Inspector General investigate allegations of money laundering and illegal activities in Mena, Arkansas, following an inquiry from House Banking Committee Chairman Leach. The memo instructs the Inspector General to address specific questions regarding CIA contacts with local individuals or businesses, ties to Adler Berriman "Barry" Seal, potential interference in Justice Department investigations, and operational activities in Mena or Nella, Arkansas. Deutch also notes that he will defer decisions on providing classified documents to committee staff until the inquiry is complete.
Key line (verbatim from the document)“Chairman Leach of the House Banking Committee wrote and requested that the Inspector General investigate various allegations of money laundering in connection with activities in and around Mena, Arkansas”
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Full text (2,350 characters)
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APPROVED FOR ise
RELEASEUDATE: COR Perea PE.
23-Sep-2009 13 March 1996
MEMORANDUM FOR: Inspector General
FROM: Director of Central Intelligence
SUBJECT: Allegations of Money Laundering and
Other Activities in Mena, Arkansas
1. Chairman Leach of the House Banking Committee wrote
and requested that the Inspector General investigate various
allegations of money laundering in connection with
activities in and around Mena, Arkansas. I have told the
Chairman your office would investigate the issues raised in
his letter. I request that you issue a report, including an
unclassified version, if possible, which will address the
following core issues:
e What, if any, information does CIA have that
indicates it had any contact with the individuals
or businesses identified in the Chairman’s letter
of $8 February, or of money laundering, narcotics
trafficking, arms smuggling, or other illegal
activities (including illicit aircraft
modifications) based at, or operating through, the
airport at Mena, Arkansas, from 1980 to the
present;
e What was the extent of CIA’s contact or
relationship with Adler Berriman “Barry” Seal;
e Whether CIA tried to directly or indirectly
influence or request that the Department of Justice
or other Federal agencies alter any investigations
or prosecutions of money-laundering in or around
Mena, Arkansas;
® Whether CIA, or anyone acting on CIA‘s behalf, has
carried out any activities in Mena, Arkansas, or the
area north of Mena, known as Nella, Arkansas, and if
so, did CIA brief, or otherwise communicate this
information to Arkansas state officials in the
1980s.
2. The Chairman has also requested that all related
documents be made available to appropriate Committee staff.
I will wait until your inquiry is completed before acting on
this request since traditionally classified documents
SUBJECT: Allegations of Money Laundering and
Other Activities in Mena, Arkansas
involving operational matters are provided only to our
oversight committees, and I have shared this view with
Chairman Leach,
4. Once you have an opportunity to review the Banking
Committee request, please provide me with an estimate of
when you will be able to produce a report, and I will
provide that estimate to Chairman Leach.
John Deutch
