Editing Castle Bank & Trust (section)

==Legacy and Controversy==
Castle Bank’s history remains a controversial chapter in the CIA’s use of offshore financial networks. The bank’s collapse and the quashed IRS investigation fueled speculation about CIA involvement in shielding illicit activities, including potential drug money laundering. A 2016 Freedom of Information Act request by MuckRock yielded no responsive CIA documents, suggesting either limited declassified records or continued sensitivity around the bank’s operations. Posts on X amplify claims of Castle Bank’s role in laundering drug proceeds and funding CIA operations, but these lack primary source verification and should be treated as inconclusive.

The bank’s story highlights the CIA’s historical reliance on financial fronts to support covert operations, often at the expense of transparency and legal accountability. Its connections to figures like Helliwell and the broader intelligence community underscore the complex interplay between finance, espionage, and organized crime during the Cold War era.