Editing Edwin P. Wilson (section)

==CIA Career==
Wilson joined the CIA in 1956, leveraging his psychology background and military experience. Over 15 years, he became a specialist in covert operations, particularly in setting up front companies to mask CIA activities.

	•	Early Assignments (1956–1960):
	◦	Wilson’s initial role was in the CIA’s Office of Security, including a stint in 1956 guarding U-2 spy planes in Turkey, a critical early reconnaissance program.
	◦	In 1960, the CIA sent him to Cornell University for graduate studies in labor relations, preparing him for work in the International Organizations Division (IOD). He used his psychology expertise to destabilize communist-influenced trade unions in Europe, employing tactics like collaborating with Corsican mobsters and releasing cockroaches into union leaders’ hotel rooms.
	◦	While on the CIA’s payroll, Wilson worked as an international representative for a major U.S. labor union in Europe and served as an advance man for Hubert H. Humphrey’s 1964 presidential campaign, blending covert intelligence with partisan politics.

	•	Special Operations Division (1964–1971):
	◦	Wilson’s most significant contributions came in the CIA’s Special Operations Division (SOD), where he established front companies like Maritime Consulting Associates (1964) and Consultants International (1965). 

These firms covertly shipped supplies worldwide, including:

	▪	Disassembled boats to Lake Tanganyika to intercept Soviet arms for Congolese rebels.
	▪	Arms to Angola.
	▪	Crowd-control gear to Chile, Brazil, and Venezuela.
	▪	Equipment for intelligence-gathering facilities in Iran.
	▪	Supplies for a planned coup in Indonesia.
	▪	Barges to Vietnam.

	◦	As a contractor running these firms, Wilson amassed significant wealth, investing in properties across the U.S., Europe, Lebanon, and Mexico. By 1967, he listed his net worth at $1 million, growing to $2 million by 1976, far exceeding his CIA salary of $25,000 annually.

	•	Connection to Air America:
	◦	Wilson’s front companies likely interacted with [[Air America]], the CIA’s covert airline, which transported supplies for CIA operations in Southeast Asia and beyond. His shipments to Vietnam, Indonesia, and Angola would have relied on air logistics, and Air America was the primary CIA asset for such tasks during the 1960s. For example, barges sent to Vietnam likely involved Air America’s C-123s or C-130s for delivery. However, no declassified documents explicitly confirm Wilson’s direct oversight of Air America, though his role in SOD and logistics suggests he coordinated with its operations under figures like Ted Shackley, who managed Air America in Laos.

	•	End of CIA Tenure: In 1971, Wilson’s official CIA career ended under disputed circumstances. He received a year’s severance pay and retained ownership of some front companies, suggesting the CIA approved his transition to private operations.