Francisco Garola Baseli person
also: Chico Garola, Garola
Explore in graph → Export claims (CSV) ↓
Related entities (most co-mentioned)
Contrasorganization · 2Los Angelesplace · 2U.S. Customs Serviceorganization · 2DEAintelligence service · 2Panama Canalplace · 2Vernon Waltersperson · 1Los Angeles Timesorganization · 1Celerino Castillo IIIperson · 1Ilopango Air Baseplace · 1John Wayne Airportplace · 1Kingsville, Texasplace · 1Thomas Pickeringperson · 1CIAintelligence service · 1Ernest Allisonperson · 1Guatemalacountry · 1U.S. Department of Justiceorganization · 1San Salvadorplace · 1Anastasio Somozaperson · 1
Claims (3)
Francisco Garola Baseli trafficked
San Salvador documented
“When the agents announced that they were arresting the men for smuggling the cash out of the country, Garola claimed diplomatic immunity because his mother was a Costa Rican vice consul in New Mexico. In court records, federal agents charge…”
▶ The Colonels Corner Dark Alliance Part 14 @ 35:30
Francisco Garola Baseli pardoned
U.S. Department of Justice documented
“The investigation came to a sudden abrupt halt with a lot of questions left unanswered because U.S., that was according to U.S. Customs Agency, Ernest Allison. That was because the Justice Department had just made a quick deal with Garola. …”
▶ The Colonels Corner Dark Alliance Part 14 @ 37:55
Francisco Garola Baseli member_of
Salvadoran Armed Forces book_quoted
“very secretive meeting with former CIA Deputy Director Vernon Walters in May of 1984. According to the story, Walters was dispatched in a frantic attempt to talk the El Salvadoran president out of assassinating Thomas Pinkering, the U.S. am…”
▶ The Colonels Corner Dark Alliance Part 14 @ 36:26
Mentions (11)
▶ 32:29
And on other occasions, they came in on military aircraft from Panama. When Castillo typed the names of the Contra pilots Murga was giving to him into the DEA computers, nearly all of them came back as documented narcotic traffickers. Among…
▶ 33:02
Garola Baseli. He was one of El Salvador's most influential families. How Chico Garola wound up in El Opango flying for the Contras is an illuminating tell. He should have been sitting in federal prison in the United States.…
▶ 33:34
On the morning of February 1985, a white T-39 Sabre Liner jet took off from John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, with Garola and three other men, Cuban Americans, aboard. It stopped briefly in Kingsville, Texas, to refuel. It wa…
▶ 34:03
of U.S. Custom Service agents welding search arrests, search warrants. The agents had been tracking the men since the month before when they were spotted in the same plane leaving Orange County for Florida. In mid-flight, they had suspiciou…
▶ 34:32
million dollars. Garola and his crew were all listed in Customs Database as suspected drug traffickers, and their aircraft was on a watch list as being involved in smuggling. It turned out that was for good reason. In the Sabre Liner's carg…
▶ 35:02
He pulled out a Costa Rican diplomatic passport and advised the agents that they were not allowed to search the suitcases. He was right. They were bulging with cash, a total of $5.9 million, all in small bills. The largest cash seizure in T…
▶ 35:30
When the agents announced that they were arresting the men for smuggling the cash out of the country, Garola claimed diplomatic immunity because his mother was a Costa Rican vice consul in New Mexico. In court records, federal agents charge…
▶ 36:01
been repeatedly involved in cocaine and arms smuggling in El Salvador and Guatemala, and noted that he was a top aide to Salvadoran death squad leader that was then the president. The later claim was confirmed in a Los Angeles Times article…
▶ 36:26
very secretive meeting with former CIA Deputy Director Vernon Walters in May of 1984. According to the story, Walters was dispatched in a frantic attempt to talk the El Salvadoran president out of assassinating Thomas Pinkering, the U.S. am…
▶ 36:57
with one of Anastasio Samosa's nephews, and Samosa was the deposed dictator from Nicaragua, had allowed the El Salvadoran president to use his house as a campaign headquarters when he ran for Salvadoran president in 1984. Garola's passport,…
▶ 37:55
The investigation came to a sudden abrupt halt with a lot of questions left unanswered because U.S., that was according to U.S. Customs Agency, Ernest Allison. That was because the Justice Department had just made a quick deal with Garola. …