In 1982, CIA operative and drug trafficker Barry Seal set up a drug smuggling operation based in Mena, Arkansas. The tiny Mena airport was used to transport weapons to the CIA backed Nicaraguan Contras and as a base from which to transport cocaine throughout the United States. This operation during the 1980s and 1990s became one of the largest, if not the largest, cocaine trafficking operations in US history.

It is estimated that Seal and his crew smuggled between 3 billion and 5 billion dollars worth of cocaine through Mena between 1982-1986. Seal was killed in 1986 but the operation continued. This was an operation run by the highest levels of state and federal government, which is why it operated openly and brazenly with nothing ever done about it. Congressman Bill Alexander of AR stated: “The CIA contracted with various partners to transport arms to Central America, allowing them to bring drugs to Mena.”

Bill Clinton was governor of Arkansas during this time and helped set up the Arkansas Development Finance Authority(ADFA). ADFA was developed ostensibly to provide low interest bond loans for churches, schools, and colleges. According to Larry Nichols, a former employee of ADFA, ADFA was the heart of the Clinton political machine and was really a money laundering operation. Nichols stated that 100 million dollars worth of cocaine was coming through Mena every month during the 80’s and that ADFA played a major role in laundering that money through US banks in Florida, Atlanta, New York and the Bank of Credit and Commerce International in Luxembourg, Karachi, and London. The “loans” that ADFA made was just money being transferred and laundered. According to Nichols, the first loan ADFA made was to Park-O-Meter based in Russellville, AR, for 2.85 million dollars. POM used that money to retro-fit nose cone compartments for planes to be used for drug transport in and out of Mena. As well, Don Tyson, president and CEO of Tyson foods donated approximately $700,000 to Clinton’s gubernatorial campaign and in return received a 10 million dollar loan from ADFA. A number of independent investigators concluded Don Tyson was involved in cocaine distribution, money laundering, and murder for hire schemes. Attorney General Janet Reno was approached with this information but she shut down any further investigation into Tyson. Clinton and Tyson were part of the criminal power structure and were thus protected by the highest levels of government. This is one example of how all investigations into everything connected with Mena would be sabotaged and never bear fruit.

IRS agent Bill Duncan and Arkansas State Police investigator Russel Welch compiled an extensive amount of evidence for indictments against Barry Seal and many others involved in the Mena trafficking operation but nothing ever came of their work. They eventually realized nothing would ever come from their work as their respective agencies disavowed their investigations and destroyed their careers. Bill Duncan stated: “No indictments were ever returned against any of the individuals, and I can tell you, there was extensive evidence.” And also that he had never in his career experienced anything remotely akin to the type of interference regarding the Mena investigation. Bill Clinton stated that Mena was a federal issue and yet, when he became president he never did anything. In regards to judges, prosecutors, local attorneys, and law enforcement, former Saline county detective John Brown stated: “These are the people that enforce the drug laws, and yet, they are webbed in with the drug trade in the state of Arkansas.” 

Former Saline County Deputy Prosecutor, Jean Duffey, was tasked with heading up the 7th Judicial District Drug Task Force. She stated that on her first day on the job, her superior Gary Arnold told her that she was not to use the task force to investigate any public official. She initially found this odd because she assumed public officials were upstanding citizens. Her investigation led exactly where she was warned not to go. She stated: “A great number of people came to me with testimony about astonishing criminal activity of very high level public officials” and also, that “drug trafficking in Arkansas was linked to government officials in frightening proportions.” Duffey was eventually forced to leave the state in fear for her life.

In addition to Mena, there were numerous drop sites in clearings in forested areas around the state. One such site was near Alexander, AR, bordering Saline and Pulaski counties. Just after midnight on August 23rd, 1987, 16 year old Don Henry and 17 year old Kevin Ives witnessed a drug drop. The boys attempted to flee but were captured and murdered. They were placed on railroad tracks and a train mutilated their bodies. Arkansas Medical Examiner Fahmy Malak ruled their deaths an accident in that they had smoked marijuana and fallen asleep directly on the tracks. The crime lab backed Malak’s ruling but never tested the boys for drugs. Kevin’s mother, Linda Ives, disagreed with this absurd ruling and the boys’ bodies were later exhumed. Forensic pathologist and Atlanta Medical Examiner Dr. Joseph Burton concluded Ives had been stabbed to death and Henry’s skull had been crushed prior to their placement on the tracks. Malak was notorious for his rulings of suicide and accident in cases of obvious homicide and Clinton backed him because he was part of the Clinton crime machine. Linda Ives was met with consistent resistance from law enforcement and the State Crime Lab as she pressed for better answers. Linda Ives, Jean Duffey, and Saline County constable Harmon Reeves all testified and publicly stated that they believed the killers of Ives and Henry were deputies Jay Campbell and Kirk Lane of the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office. 

In addition, there were several people who had knowledge of the Ives/Henry case and were all subsequently murdered themselves. Gregory Collins died of a shotgun blast in January, 1989. Jeff Rhodes died of a gunshot to the head in April, 1989. Richard Winters died of a shotgun blast in July, 1989. Jordan Ketelson died of a shotgun blast in June, 1990. There were eyewitnesses to a man named Keith McKaskle as being present at the time of the boys’ death but it is not clear what he was doing there. McKaskle later died from 113 stab wounds in November, 1988. No arrests were made in any case. 

This is but a small fraction of the events surrounding Mena in the 80’s and 90’s. Bill Clinton was not only aware of what was going on but was part of the money laundering operation and a known cocaine user. There are scores of people who have been “suicided” over the decades who were deemed a threat to the Clintons in one way or another. If this system were legitimate, world class criminals like Bill Clinton would never rise to power. People like Clinton thrive under this system because the nature of the system is criminal and the US government is a criminal empire. As well, this has nothing to do with Clinton’s party affiliation. The Republican administration in the White House during the 1980’s did nothing to intervene in the Mena operation either. Judgment is on the horizon.

“For YaHuWaH shall bring every work into judgment, including all that is hidden, whether good or whether evil.”   (Ecclesiastes 12:14)