Gary Webb

Gary Webb was an American investigative journalist known for the 1996 "Dark Alliance" series in the *San Jose Mercury News*, which examined connections between Nicaraguan Contra-linked drug trafficking and the U.S.

Gary Stephen Webb was an American investigative journalist. He became widely known for the 1996 "Dark Alliance" series in the *San Jose Mercury News*, which argued that drug traffickers linked to the Contras and the CIA had connections to the U.S. crack cocaine trade. Webb died in 2004; the Sacramento County coroner ruled the death a suicide.

Early life and career

Gary Webb was born in Corona, California, in 1955 and built his career as an investigative reporter at regional newspapers before joining the *San Jose Mercury News*. Sources note earlier work at the *Kentucky Post* and the *Cleveland Plain Dealer*.

"Dark Alliance" investigation

In 1996, Webb published the "Dark Alliance" series, which alleged connections between Contra-linked cocaine trafficking and the spread of crack cocaine in the United States. The reporting made him nationally prominent and also drew intense criticism and dispute.

Later work and recognition

Webb later expanded the series into a book titled *Dark Alliance: The CIA, the Contras, and the Crack Cocaine Explosion*. He had also been part of a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporting team at the *San Jose Mercury News* for coverage of the 1988 San Francisco earthquake.

Death

Webb died in 2004 at age 49. The Sacramento County coroner ruled the death a suicide, although some later accounts discussed continuing public doubts about the cause.