WHERE DID D'AUBUISSON'S PAL COME UP WITH $6 MILLION IN CASH?

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000100260004-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 21, 2011
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: April 15, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sl Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/12/21: CIA-RDP90-00965R000100260004-2
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ARTI CLS LY?EAR1
ON PAGE,J
NEW REPUBLIC
15 April 1985
Where did d'Aubuisson's pal come up with 56 million in cas
INSIDE DOPE IN EL SALVADOR
BY CRAIG DYES AND LAURIE BECR'LUND
O N FEBRUARY 6 several U.S. Customs agents
stopped a sleek white Sabreliner jet as it was fuel-
ing up at the Kleberg County Airport, 60 miles out-
side of Corpus Christi, Texas. They suspected it
was carrying the cash profits from a series of major
drug deals. The plane had made two suspicious flights
to Panama and El Salvador in the previous three weeks.
There were four men traveling on the plane, all of
whose names appeared on police computers as suspected
narcotics smugglers. When customs agents attempted to
search the men's luggage, the apparent leader, a self-
possessed 34-year-old businessman from Central America
named Francisco Guirola, resisted. "It would cause
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sociates
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tr ll Dit, he VvQ141 u ...~ -0 ----- __
Q AubuisJVi1 as
He He swore he was not carrying drugs or arms
Regalado, a tdent t who is
and the mataDad Antonio ctorPickerin
that he was entitled to diplomatic imm t} ,
showed a Costa Rican diplomatic passport to prove it. d'Aubuisson's personal security adviser and who is
Customs officials checked with the State Department and known as "Dr. Death," was behind the plot. His pri-book vate phoe was found in Ga's
that, although Guirola's passport was
Tgenuine, he he a ents Presidenn Reaganedispatched spec 11 envoy General Ver-
was not protected by diplomatic immunity g
opened Guirola's eight large suitcases. Each one was non Walters to inform d'Aubuisson personally that the
of its
Onl}'would
fou~men are known to haverattended
stuffed with thousands of 520 and 5100 bimsoi than SeT9 ambassador. States
650 pounds of unmarred bills, a total of
million. Guirola and two of the men with him are now the meeting: Walters, Pickering, d'Aubuisson, and Chico
awaiting trial on charges of violating federal regulations
restricting the removal of money from the country.
In El Salvador, where Guirola lives, he was quickly nick-
named "the six-million-dollar man." He had been known
in Salvadoran political circles as one of a group of wealthy
young businessmen active in right-wing activities. Since
1979 he had served intermittently as a quiet and effective
fund-raiser for his close friend Roberto d'Aubuisson, the
leader of the Arena party and a man repeatedly charged
with organizing death-squad activities. Arena is the
country's largest and most extreme right-wing political
organization. (See "Mi Asesino, the Freedom Fighter,"
page 19). In March 1984 d'Aubuisson ran unsuccessfully
for president against the Christian Democratic candidate,
Jose Napoleon Duarte. During the campaign, he used
Guirola's home in San Salvador as his personal headquar-
ters. In their search warrant affidavit, the customs agents
cited Drug Enforcement Administration files that state,
"Guirola in March 1984 was reportedly involved in
Cocaine and arms smuggling in El Salvador and
Guatemala."
er circle
i
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nn
s
Guirola Clearly belongs to d'Aubuisson
Last spring the United States heard of a plot among
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huiruia.
D'Aubuisson was reportedly in no condition to meet
with anyone. One knowledgeable source recalls, "He's
known to take anything-full glasses of alcohol, cocaine,
you name it. He scares the hell out of people when he goes
on a bender. He goes crazy. For this meeting with Picker-
ing, [they) had to stand him in a shower and pour coffee
down his throat. He took Chico Guirola to the meeting) as
his witness. It Was real South Italian-Guirola was the
hombre de confianza to say d'Aubuisson didn't rat on
anyone."
The credentials and papers that Guirola was carrying at
the time of his arrest testified to his political connections.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/12/21 : CIA-RDP90-00965R000100260004-2