Pubdate: Sun,  9 May 2004
Source: Amarillo Globe-News (TX)
Copyright: 2004 Amarillo Globe-News
Contact:  http://amarillonet.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/13
Author: Kris Abbey
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)

FORMER DEA AGENT SPEAKS

Celerino Castillo and former Marine Corps colonel Oliver North have several 
things in common.

Both claim to be patriots and both have a penchant for military uniforms.

Castillo, a retired agent for the Drug Enforcement Agency, spoke at the 
Amarillo Public Library Saturday about the Iran-Contra scandal and his work 
in Central America in the 1980s.

Castillo told the audience of about 30 he comes from a family of war veterans.

He fought in Vietnam, where he saw drug addiction among his fellow soldiers 
and vowed to become a DEA agent, Castillo said.

But his 13 years with the agency changed the course of his life. While 
working as lead agent in Guatemala, he discovered and documented what he 
described Saturday as the American government's direct involvement with 
cocaine trafficking, Castillo said.

He said he also saw numerous human rights violations, many connected with 
death squads trained by Americans.

"I don't know how many times I warned the American government. I warned the 
ambassadors about the atrocities, the torturing of prisoners, the killing 
of innocent people," Castillo said. "And they laughed at me."

Castillo said North and others were aware of and involved in cocaine 
trafficking, allegedly to raise money for the anti-Communist Contra 
fighters of Nicaragua.

He left the DEA in 1992 and since has continued to document and lecture on 
the actions of North and other people involved in Iran-Contra, Castillo said.

On Saturday, Castillo said the human rights violations in Iraq under 
deposed leader Saddam Hussein were nothing compared to half a million 
people killed in Central American in the last 30 years.

"Why does the Middle East hate us? Because this is what we do," Castillo 
said. "We trained the death squads (in Central America). Every country we 
touched has turned to garbage."

Castillo also commented on North's scheduled appearance in Amarillo on May 
13, when North will be guest speaker in honor of the Salvation Army's 100th 
birthday.

North will receive $25,000 for his appearance.

"I really don't blame Oliver North," Castillo said. "I blame the people who 
paid money to go hear him lie to them about what a patriot is."

Castillo waived his normal $5,000 speaking fee, but sponsors raised $1,000 
to pay him.

Capt. Lewis Reckline, executive director of the Salvation Army's local 
chapter said previously the agency did not intend to offend anyone with 
North's appearance.

Reckline said North's visit is not intended to be political but instead is 
to kick off a year's campaign to educate the community on the Salvation 
Army's work with the less fortunate.

Allen Finegold of Amarillo was in Castillo's audience Saturday. He said 
Castillo's descriptions of what he saw in Central America rang true.

"When he's specific, he's right on the mark," Finegold said.

He did not agree, however, with Castillo's take on why world opinion has 
turned against America.

A group called the Amarillo Coalition Against Terrorism sponsored 
Castillo's lecture on Saturday. The coalition formed recently to protest 
North being paid by the Salvation Army to speak in Amarillo.

Karl Snyder, a coalition organizer, said he didn't see anyone known to be a 
North supporter in Castillo's audience Saturday.
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager