By John Solomon
How the government's punishing of the exposure of official wrongdoing can linger for years
An associate of convicted international arms dealer Viktor Bout has been arrested in Australia in connection with a conspiracy with Bout and others to illegally purchase two aircraft from companies located in the United States, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration boss Michele Leonhart said Thursday.
Katina Morgan's descent into drug dependency began in her mother's medicine cabinet, where she uncapped supplies of painkillers and anti-anxiety medicine as a teenager.
Ms. Leonhart said the arms Bout has sold or brokered have fueled conflicts and supported regimes in Afghanistan, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Sudan.
"The international law enforcement community has long recognized Richard Chichakli as a key criminal facilitator in Viktor Bout's global weapons-trafficking regime, and his arrest means the world is safer and more secure," Ms. Leonhart said. "Bout merged drug cartels with terrorist enablers, and his close associate, Chichakli, worked to ensure they could ship weapons and conduct illicit business around the world. DEA continues to forge strong partnerships worldwide and applauds our Australian police partners."
