Inside DEA Operation Snowcap

by Bob Hartman

The “spine” of the Andes Mountain, which runs through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia, is the source of almost all of the world’s cocaine-based products, both legal and otherwise. In 1986, in the midst of the American “cocaine epidemic,” the Reagan administration decided that the drug problem needed to be attacked at its source. The result was an eight-year clandestine drug war known as Operation Snowcap. From 1987 through 1994, groups of twelve to fifteen DEA agents were dispatched to South American countries on ninety-day temporary duty tours. These DEA agents met with counterparts from their host nation and together rained destruction down on the infrastructure and transportation networks that supported the illegal cocaine trade. Author Bob Hartman was deployed ten times during the course of Operation Snowcap. Inside DEA is his gripping, firsthand account of America’s secretive drug war. In this true story, Hartman chronicles both his triumphs and tragedies and recounts his frustration with his superiors and the biased media portrayals of the operation. Prepare to be transported to the jungles of South America for an inside look at an often misunderstood chapter of history.

Genres: True Crime

157 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2011

Reviews

[Michael Slavin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book...the DEA in action in South America in the 80's mostly. Operation Snowcap.

What I liked:
-This was the true account of one DEA agent who fought the cartels in South America and the cocaine trade.
-The stories were honest and very interesting, almost like a novel.
-Look for the colonel who dove in the water shirtless and no one followed him.
-Also includes a lot of pictures that gives you a feel for the time.

What I didn't like:
Nothing...great stuff.