Source: San Francisco Examiner (CA) Contact: http://www.examiner.com/ Pubdate: Sun, 16 Aug 1998 Section: Page A 10 A SMUGGLER, THE DEA AND THE FBI SOURCE: U.S. Department of Justice Inspector General Report, July 1998 The strange career of Norwin Meneses. * 1963-1964: Meneses is convicted in San Francisco for shoplifting, misuse of slot machines and statutory rape. * 1976-1980: DEA hears that Meneses is smuggling cocaine from Nicaragua to the United States. * 1980-1985: San Francisco DEA office opens several probes of Meneses' cocaine ring. Nine people are arrested, but Meneses flees to Costa Rica. JULY 1986: Meneses offers to cooperate with Costa Rica DEA against other dealers, including Sandinista government officials. * FALL 1986: San Francisco FBI office begins separate probe of Meneses, not knowing he is a DEA source. * FEBRUARY-JULY 1987: San Francisco FBI office agrees to delay indictment of Meneses so Los Angeles drug task force can use him as an informant in a separate case. But Meneses refuses to testify, and task force ends with no prosecution. * JULY 1987: Costa Rica DEA office formally makes Meneses an informant. * FEBRUARY 1989: U.S. attorney and FBI in San Francisco obtain cocaine indictment of Meneses, unaware he is a DEA informant. * MAY-AUGUST 1989: Meneses travels to U.S. undercover for DEA, while FBI tries to find and arrest him. * DECEMBER 1989: Costa Rica DEA deactivates Meneses as informant because none of his cases "appears to have any chance of fruition." * SEPTEMBER 1991: While other DEA offices open new probes of Meneses, he meets with Costa Rica DEA agent to discuss being informant again. * NOVEMBER 1991: Nicaraguan police arrest Meneses in Managua with 1,500 pounds of cocaine, some of it packed in cars headed for the United States. * AUGUST 1992: Nicaraguan court sentences Meneses to 25 years in prison, but he is released in November 1997. * AUGUST 1998: San Francisco charges against Meneses from 1989 are pending. 1998 San Francisco Examiner Page A 10 - --- Checked-by: Mike Gogulski