Editing Pablo Escobar (section)

===Allegations of CIA Collusion===
====Drug Trafficking Facilitation====
Some sources, including whistleblowers and investigative journalists, have claimed that the CIA turned a blind eye to or actively facilitated drug trafficking by figures like Escobar to advance broader geopolitical goals. For instance, the Medellín Cartel’s cocaine routes through Central America overlapped with CIA-supported operations, such as those involving Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega, who was a CIA asset and a known drug trafficker until his ousting in 1989.
====Escobar’s Own Claims====
Escobar himself alleged in the 1980s that U.S. agencies, including the CIA, were complicit in the drug trade, possibly to discredit his enemies or deflect blame. These claims are unreliable, given his interest in manipulating narratives, but they align with broader allegations about U.S. intelligence tolerating drug lords to serve anti-communist agendas.
====Pilot Testimony====
Former Medellín Cartel associates, such as pilot Carlos Lehder, have suggested that U.S. agencies were aware of cocaine smuggling routes but allowed them to operate to gather intelligence or fund covert operations. However, these accounts lack direct evidence tying Escobar to CIA operatives.