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