Did the CIA Actually Sell Crack in the 1980s? | The War On Drugs

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Published 2021-08-17
The rumours have circulated for decades. Did the CIA flood the inner cities of the US with crack cocaine in the 1980s? Was the American government actually responsible for the crack epidemic?

Often dismissed as a conspiracy theory, but passionately believed by huge sections of the population – the idea that US intelligence agencies knowingly protected drug traffickers and played a role in bringing cocaine into the US is one of the most often repeated stories of the War on Drugs.

But what is the truth to these allegations? It turns out the real story is perhaps even stranger than the street-level gossip.

This is how one reporter exposed a web of CIA cover-ups, and how the rest of the media destroyed him for doing so.

00:00 Intro
01:16 Where it All Began
03:32 ‘Freeway’ Rick Ross
05:21 Dark Alliance
08:36 CIA Report

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All Comments (21)
  • @VICE
    ¿Quieres ver el video en español? Haz clic en el botón de configuración para cambiar la pista de audio. Want to watch this in Spanish? Head over to the settings button to change the audio track. Full playlist/playlist completo: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDbSvEZka6GHjbVHnmtJQ20…
  • @cloudy_xDD
    “How are we supposed to trust the CIA to investigate.. THEMSELVES?” She’s got a point!
  • @koreanenemy4577
    Vice: “Did the CIA sell crack?” The CIA: “Yeah lmao”
  • @nosidenoside2458
    Weird how large newspapers defended the government instead of looking into a possible once-in-a-lifetime story. Funny how that goes.
  • @Sigmacum97
    It was Reed Thompson who Sold coke in the 80s, he worked alongside Franklin Saint.
  • @burritobob69
    "He died by suicide in 2004" >Shot himself in the head TWICE Oh okay.
  • @REDACTED9494
    CIA: "Well we investigated ourselves and conclude that we did nothing wrong."
  • @keithgray4891
    One of the most devastating drugs ever manufactured… I’m pleased i am drug free , for the past 15 years… and yes I was crack addicted 🙏🏿
  • @TeezyHadaBaby
    Its crazy how EVERYONE knows about it yet the government has never been held accountable. WE out number THEM.
  • @loubega5140
    Vice in 2030: did the CIA sell fentanyl in the US? Answer: yes
  • @newjack1982
    Being a 80s baby myself born in 1980 I remember how crack hit my hood. Watching responsible mothers and fathers totally abandoned their families. I was lucky because my mom tried it but seen what it was doing to her friends so decided to stop early. My homies weren’t so fortunate. And Gary Webb didn’t commit suicide he was killed by the CIA. YOU CANT SHOOT YOURSELF IN THE HEAD TWICE SMH!
  • When crack hit the black community it was devastating I remember I was in college came home visit some friends I didn’t even recognize them they look like someone else that I didn’t even know It was scary and sad that drug broke up a lot of families
  • I lived in Nicaragua during and after the revolution and I can tell you, that many Nicaraguans were totally and utterly dismayed, when they heard the names of the people manning the contra leadership. Nicaragua was a country of 2,8 million people and everyone knew the names of these Managua gangsters. (Which is also why the Sandinistas got so much support from the normal people - they did NOT want these names to be back in Managua). Imagine how the Americans would have reacted, if an "American Liberation Front" had been formed in Mexico and Canada and the defenders of American democracy would be Sonny Barger, Whitey Bulger and some guy called Genovese.
  • "How are we supposed to TRUST the c.i.a official to investigate THEMSELVES?!" i lol at that. that was the most common sense statement ever
  • @Fugazi2988
    "we would like to congratulate drugs for winning the war on drugs" gives me goose bumps everytime I hear that, it's the definition of a deep multi leveled statement.
  • @CristiandlfDeval
    Crack addiction actually destroyed my life. I started doing drugs since my teenage, got addicted to Crack. spent my whole life fighting Crack addiction. I suffered severe depression and mental disorder. Not until my wife recommended me to psilocybin mushrooms treatment. Psilocybin treatment saved my life honestly. 8 years totally clean. Never thought I would be saying this about mushrooms.
  • @cdoe3395
    RIP Gary Webb. A hero who told the truth and was assasinated by the CIA for it
  • @DRightOne4888
    I've got family that are still in jail from the effects of crack. One got 45years. I haven't seen him since I was 18. I'm 55 now. Got a cousin who got off crack after decades of drug addiction. Reagan and Nixon really did a number on the black community. At least two entire generations lost. Thank God we're a resilient bunch.
  • This is an amazing well put together video about something that affected my childhood greatly. And seeing Jim Norton Interview Freeway Ricky Ross is just a legendary 10 second bit to add to this. Beautiful.