What’s the story behind this idea? I’ve never looked into it so I don’t know if it’s a conspiracy theory or a well-documented event that is not common knowledge.

Edit: I also didn’t read the opioid article because I got paywall’d.

It is largely conspiracy theory.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIA_involvement_in_Contra_co...

I think it'd be accurate to say it's unresolved. The government agencies alleged to have been involved obviously had a powerful interest in refuting the claims. And it's a little hard to believe that while the CIA was engaged in arms dealing and other shenanigans in Central America they would never get involved with drugs. I would avoid interpreting the conclusions of heavily redacted reports with too much confidence.

Nice link. Browsing the related articles is interesting. I wasn't aware that the CIA was alleged to have trafficked opium during their secret and illegal war in Laos. Good to know.

The financial sector is also heavily involved in the drug trade. For example, HSBC (Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation) started off by laundering money for the opium trade of the East India Trading Company & has recently been caught laundering drug money. A number of other historical figures & powerful families were also involved.

http://greatgameindia.com/hsbc-bank/

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-hsbc-probe-idUSBRE8BA05M2...

Well, the CIA also conducted illegal human trials of LSD and a mixture of IV Barbiturate + Amphetamine on its own citizens, then tried coverup everything by attempting to destroy all their own records.

https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Project_MKUltra

Just a fun little fact: The Unabomber was a victim of Project MkUltra.

Operation Sea-Spray by the US Navy was a good one too. Hopefully for the sake of our fellow commenters the US government won't test bioweapons on San Francisco again.