From Sky Smuggler to DEA Informant

The drug gangs of South America are notorious worldwide, and none more so than the Medellin cartel, led by the infamous cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar. In the 1980s, this cartel dominated the global drug trade, spreading its sinister snow to all corners of the globe. Escobar commanded an army of loyal soldiers, numbering in the hundreds of thousands, and waged war on governments. Engaging in international drug trafficking was a deadly business that most sane individuals would avoid at all costs.

It's no secret that those who ventured into this illicit world could expect handsome rewards. One man who profited more than most was Adler Berryman Seal, better known by his intimidating cartel nickname, Barry. Hailing from the Deep South, Barry, an adrenaline-addicted aviator, decided to utilize his exceptional aerial expertise for nefarious purposes. He ferried loads of forbidden narcotics into the USA for Pablo Escobar himself, earning a staggering half a million dollars per flight at the peak of his operation.

However, when the law caught up with him and faced a lengthy prison sentence, Barry made a daring move to save his own skin. He betrayed his murderous masters and became one of the top informants in the U.S. government's War on Drugs. Spying on the largest and most brutal criminal empire on the planet was even more dangerous than swimming with sharks while wearing bacon-clad boxer briefs. Barry knew that capture would mean a watery grave.

Barry Seal's life was so extraordinary that it became the subject of a film starring Tom Cruise. But, as is often the case, real life doesn't turn out quite like the movies. For Barry Seal, betraying Pablo Escobar had dramatic and ultimately deadly consequences.

Born in Louisiana in 1939, Barry Seal took to the skies at a young age, undergoing flight lessons at just 15. His natural talent quickly became apparent, and after a mere eight hours of tutelage, his instructor allowed him to fly the plane solo. By the age of sixteen, he was a skilled pilot, dropping out of college to fly advertising banners over his hometown of Baton Rouge. In 1962, he joined the Louisiana Army National Guard, where his expertise earned him recognition as an all-weather ace.

After leaving the National Guard, Barry joined Transworld Airlines and became one of the youngest pilots in the entire fleet. However, his promising career came to an abrupt end in 1972 when he demonstrated a willingness to put money over morals. He became involved in a murky plot to smuggle a thousand tons of C4 from the U.S. to Mexico for a group claiming to be Cuban dissidents fighting Fidel Castro. Unfortunately for Seal, they turned out to be federal agents, and he fell into an elaborate sting operation.

While the subsequent trial should have been curtains for him, sloppy prosecution work led to a mistrial, allowing Barry to walk away a free man. However, his reputation suffered, and he was blacklisted by every airline in the U.S. Commercial piloting was no longer an option, but Barry soon discovered that his skills and lack of morals made him valuable in the thriving drug trade.

During the mid-70s, with disco and hippie culture in full swing, the drug trade was booming. Barry took to the skies once again, this time smuggling marijuana from Honduras into Louisiana. However, he soon realized that smuggling cocaine provided significantly higher profits per flight. Barry perfected his smuggling techniques, flying low over the Gulf of Mexico to avoid radar detection. Once on land, he would land in darkness, drop the narcotics into Louisiana's swamps, and coordinate pick-ups by boat.

Barry Seal's smuggling operation was bold, sophisticated, and far more advanced than anything the DEA had encountered. Together with his partner Roger Reeves, a prolific drug smuggler, Seal brought in massive amounts of cocaine for the Medellin cartel. By 1981, Seal had amassed around $25 million. However, his luck eventually ran out, and he was arrested for the third time. The DEA had been closing in on him, monitoring his movements and setting up wiretaps.

Facing a lengthy prison sentence, Barry Seal made a critical decision. He became a full-fledged DEA informant and embarked on a mission as perilous as smuggling cocaine. In Colombia, he set up a meeting with some of the most senior figures of the Medellin cartel, including the Acherro brothers and Pablo Escobar himself. These men were worth tens of billions of dollars and would later make the Forbes rich list.

Barry Seal's life was a rollercoaster of danger, betrayal, and unimaginable wealth. His story, turned into a movie, captures only a fraction of the excitement and risks he faced. From a natural-born pilot to a drug smuggler turned informant, Barry Seal's life was a testament to the extraordinary and unpredictable world of the drug trade.