Barry Seal Using Theoretical Perspectives On Organized Crime

Analyzing the crime of Barry Seal using theoretical perspectives on organized crime.

Emma Griffin 100745272 Ontario Tech University CRMN3026U: Organized Crime Dr. Jordan Harel TA: Kriti Shah March 27, 2024

Introduction Crime is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon in society that has routinely been researched in depth by various disciplines. In criminological fields, organized crime is one particular niche that many academics have analyzed in order to offer tangible theoretical explanations of its existence and operation. Over the course of history, there have been countless organized crime operations, whether it be drug smuggling, gangs, weapons, fraud, and so on. One of the most infamous cases of organized crime in North America

By 1977, Barry Seal had begun smuggling drugs by 1977, only five years after his arrest in 1972 (Thornton, 1986). As a result of losing his job, Seal then turned to smuggling various illicit substances such as marijuana, pills, and cocaine (Kaplan, 2017). He utilized airstrips located in the states of Arkansas and Louisiana (Kaplan, 2017). Seal had not conducted these operations solely on his volition either. During this time, Seal had come to work for the notorious Medellin cartel of Columbia under the name of ‘El Gordo’, famously led by drug kingpin Pablo Escobar (Ferranti, 2016). In particular, Barry Seal smuggled excessive amounts of cocaine under the guidance of the Ochoa brothers. This proved to be a heavily lucrative endeavour, reportedly making Seal millions of dollars in profits (M, 2023). In the 1980’s, Seal reportedly proudly recalled how he had smuggled 200,000 pounds of Medellin cartel cocaine into the United States of America, allegedly earning $2,700 per pound (Kaplan, 2017). In spite of his financial success, Seal’s profitable career in smuggling would later come to an end in 1983, after being caught by the DEA on possession, conspiracy and intent to distribute quaaludes (Berman, 2017). In an effort to avoid a prison sentence, the DEA and Seal reached an agreement where Seal would give information on key Medellin cartel figures such as Pablo Escobar and Jorge Ochoa

Seal smuggled hundreds of thousands of Columbian cocaine into the United States of America before becoming a DEA informant against the very organized crime organization whom employed him, resulting in his eventual murder. When analyzing his case from a theoretical perspective, both alien conspiracy theory and illegal enterprise theory offer differing explanations and different levels of efficacy. Alien conspiracy theory utilizes historical moral quandries surrounding immigration as a method of explaining organized crime groups as a single alien or foreign identity. It offers partial explanation for motivations in dominating particular markets, the bribing of public officials, and so on. However, its other tenants are less unbiased and attempt to blame the existence of organized crime on outside influences. In the case of Barry Seal, it offers explanation on the source of his employment, but not how an American pilot of no known ethnic minority became involved in substantial drug smuggling with little prior foreign influence. Moreover, it does not account for an individuals motivation in organized crime, but rather uses prejudice to group individuals together into one mob mentality that is not necessarily reflective of every organized crime group. In contrast, illegal enterprise theory