Editing Edwin P. Wilson (section)

==Office of Naval Intelligence and Task Force 157==
In 1971, with CIA knowledge, Wilson joined the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI), working for Task Force 157, a secret unit focused on Soviet naval activity but with a broader espionage mandate. Described as “the U.S. military’s only network of undercover agents and spies operating abroad using commercial cover,” Task Force 157 relied on front companies for logistics.

	•	World Marine, Inc.: Wilson established World Marine, Inc., another front company, to support Task Force 157’s operations. In 1973, he earned a $500,000 fee by delivering a spy ship to Iran under this cover. He also facilitated arms and ammunition shipments, including a 1974 deal with Nugan Hand Bank (a CIA-linked bank) for 10 million rounds of ammunition and 3,000 weapons to southern Africa.

	•	Retirement and Controversy: Wilson retired from ONI in 1976 after a dispute with Admiral Bobby Ray Inman, the Director of Naval Intelligence. Wilson reportedly offered congressional influence to secure ONI’s budget in exchange for leading Task Force 157, prompting Inman to shut down the unit and report Wilson to the FBI. However, Wilson claimed he continued providing covert services to the CIA post-retirement.