MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Eugene Hasenfus, who played a key role in unraveling the Iran-Contra affair after his CIA-backed supply plane was shot down over Nicaragua in 1986, has died.
Hasenfus died on Nov. 26 in Menominee, Michigan, after a nine-year battle with cancer, according to his obituary from the Hansen-Onion-Martell Funeral Home in Marinette, Wisconsin. He was 84.
Born January 22, 1941, in Marinette, he served with the Marines in Vietnam and had a career in aviation before becoming a critical figure in the Cold War’s Iran-Contra scandal.
In 1981, President Reagan authorized the CIA to back the Contras, an anti-communist force in Nicaragua, after Congress cut off military support in 1984. In response, the Reagan administration secretly provided support until Congress could be convinced to resume funding.
The operation's secrecy was shattered when Hasenfus' plane was shot down in October 1986, resulting in the deaths of three crew members while he managed to parachute to safety and evade authorities for over 24 hours. Captured by the Nicaraguan government, he faced several charges, including terrorism.
Following his capture, Hasenfus revealed that the CIA was overseeing the flights, prompting initial denials from Reagan’s administration. Congress subsequently launched an investigation into the affair.
Convicted in Nicaragua, Hasenfus was sentenced to 30 years in prison but was pardoned by President Daniel Ortega a month later, allowing his return to Wisconsin.
In 1988, after the scandal, he pursued a lawsuit for $135 million against those involved in the arms deals but was unsuccessful.
In 2003, he faced legal issues again, pleading guilty to lewd behavior in Brown County Circuit Court, which resulted in jail time after a probation violation in 2005.
Hasenfus is survived by four children and eight grandchildren.
