Editing Air America (section)

==Drug Smuggling==
Air America has been linked to allegations of involvement in drug trafficking, particularly opium and heroin, during the Laotian Civil War. These claims remain controversial and debated.

	•	Allegations: Historian Alfred W. McCoy and others, including former CIA paramilitary officer Anthony Poshepny and some Air America pilots, alleged that the airline transported opium and heroin, particularly for Hmong leader Vang Pao, or turned a blind eye to the Laotian military’s drug activities. The Hmong, allied with the CIA against the Pathet Lao, relied on poppy cultivation for income after the Plain of Jars was captured in 1964, limiting access to traditional transport routes. McCoy claimed Air America flew opium from northern Laos to Vang Pao’s headquarters at Long Tieng.

	•	Denials: Aviation historian William M. Leary, citing physician Joseph Westermeyer (resident in Laos from 1965–1975), argued that Air America did not knowingly transport drugs or profit from the trade. Historian Curtis Peebles also denied employee involvement. McCoy clarified that the CIA’s role was more about “complicity, tolerance, or studied ignorance” rather than direct trafficking, providing transport and protection to drug lord allies.

	•	Context: The CIA’s covert war in Laos relied on local allies like Vang Pao, whose economic survival depended on opium. The agency’s focus on anti-Communist operations may have led to overlooking drug activities to maintain alliances. The 1990 film Air America, starring Mel Gibson, dramatized these allegations but was criticized for inaccuracies.

The full extent of Air America’s involvement in drug trafficking remains inconclusive due to limited declassified records and conflicting accounts.