Quick Facts
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| Profession | History |
Barry Seal’s crimes are evidence that he was one man that had a lot of guts which was a trait that ensured he reigned as a drug lord from mid-1970s to early 1980s. He became a very wealthy man and it is on record that for every cargo he transported by air, he was paid thousands of dollars. However, his life actually came to an end during his attempt to make things right in his life of crimes. Barry eventually joined forces with the U.S Government to bring in about 6000 pounds of cocaine belonging to a Columbian Cartel.
There was however a catch to his change of heart and attitude and all fingers pointed to the fact that he was trying to escape his prison sentence. Barry Seal’s crimes which he knew would not only earn him prison sentence but also severe treatment pushed him to make a shady deal with the United States. This, however, put him in trouble as he was assassinated by hired assassins for double-crossing their deal. It was later discovered that the notorious Madelin Cartel which was led by the late King of Cocaine, Pablo Escobar was responsible for his death.
The Life of Barry Seal
His birth name was Adler Berriman Seal and he was born on the 16th of July 1939. However, he later became popularly known as Barry Seal among other nicknames like El Gordo and Thunder Thighs that he got as a result of his occupation. Barry was raised in a modest home in America by his parents, and he wasn’t an only child, having two other brothers; Benjy and Wendell.
From an early age, Barry picked interest in airplanes which propelled him to train and attain a pilot’s license at the young age of 16. Records have it that Barry is the youngest U.S pilot to have flown Boeing 707 and 747 Jets. It is also known that Barry Seal’s crimes had a connection with his passion for airplanes.
Crimes of The Renowned American Drug Dealer
As mentioned earlier, it was in the pursuit of his passion that Barry Seal’s crimes began to develop. At an air patrol camp that Seal attended, he got to meet two people that played a significant role in what he turned out to be, the first was David Ferrie and the second, Lee Harvey Oswald. Ferrie persuaded Seal into joining him in an illegal business, he asked Seal to help him transport boxes containing weapons by air with extraordinarily high pay. This was Barry’s initial introduction into shady deals and businesses however, the bright young man was quick to learn the hicks of the smuggling business. However, one of such trips went bad in 1972, as Barry was discovered and stopped at Mexico, this got him an immediate dismissal from his employers, Trans World Airlines (TWA).
Following this event, the young dealer took a three-year break and by the time he returned to his life of crimes in 1975, he was his own boss. A few years down the line and he was dealing with major drug dealers like of the Madelin Cartel, the famous Columbian drug lord with the alias, King of Cocaine. The dealer was once again caught and this time, it was in December 1979. Barry Seal’s crime landed him in jail but after 2 years he was discharged and this prompted his decision to relocate to Mena in Arkansas.
This transition heightened Barry Seal’s crime as he accumulated higher smuggling acumen, he had over 50 staff, purchased a Learjet, helicopters, ships, cargo planes, as well as other complex transportation, navigation and communication mediums. His crimes heighten at this point and he was moving tons of drugs worth billions of dollars. However, he eventually ran out of luck and got caught in Florida, in the verge of smuggling drugs. For all of Barry Seal’s crimes, the court meted out a 10-year jail sentence.
How Did Barry Seal Die?
In the bid to escape his 10 year-long sentences, Barry Seal agreed to cooperate with the FBI by giving useful information to them. In 1984, he allowed the CIA to position cameras in his plane, from this they were able to capture several drug smugglers loading tons of cocaine into the plane. The loaded cocaine was brought in by Seal and in return, he was given a six month probation period instead of the prison sentence.
The Columbian cartel started sensing foul play when their cargo never arrived. Their suspicion was later confirmed when the Washington Times published news concerning Barry Seal’s deal with the US Government. It was made known the drug dealer was used to have access to into the Medellin Cartel to bring useful information about the Nicaraguan government’s involvement in the drug smuggling.
Barry was shot dead by assassins identified to have been sent by the Madelin Cartel. This event occurred on the 19th of February 1986 and the shot came in from the window of a coffee shop. He was latter buried at the Greenoaks Memorial Park, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States.
Also Read: Top 10 Richest People in the world with full biography and details.
