Kill the Messenger

Public enemy number one in the United States...

is drug abuse.

In order to fight and defeat this enemy...

it is necessary to wage a new, all-out offensive.

For nearly a year, I have been devoting increasing attention...

to a problem which strikes at the very heart of our national well-being:

Drug abuse.

I did not condone any drug abuse,

and we'll do everything possible to reduce...

this serious threat to our society.

Drugs are menacing our society.

They're threatening our values and undercutting our institutions.

They're killing our children.

Thank you very much.

"And when it comes to drugs and alcohol, just say"no.”

Reagan says he will make it a priority of his presidency...

to stop drug abuse in the United States.

This is your brain on drugs.

Those who smuggle and sell drugs are as dangerous to our national security...

as any terrorist or foreign dictatorship.

The Reagan administration is spending billions on two wars...

the war on drugs at home and the struggle for.

Nicaragua abroad.

If we do not act decisively in defense of freedom...

new Cubas will arise from the ruins of today's conflicts.

We will consult closely with the Freedom Fighters.

"The anti-communist rebels known as the "contras”...

an army founded and funded by the CIA.

Crack cocaine...

a drug epidemic unlike any that's ever

probably existed in the history of the world.

For five dollars, you can begin the process of addicting people.

Waging the war on drugs has

one hundred billion dollars over the last ten years.

The crack trade has triggered a spasm of gang warfare in south-central L.A...

and DEA agents are swarming throughout.

How many of you have crack houses...

in your neighborhood?

No brave law enforcement officer...

no teacher, no doctor,

need be told how hard and cruel America's drug problem has become.

By nineteen eighty-four,

Congress was preparing to cut off funds to the Contras.

High-level government officials began looking

for other ways to continue the aid program.

There must be no Soviet beachhead in Central America.

Good morning.

Who the fuck are you?

Gary Webb. San Jose Mercury-News.

What do you want?

I called you about the government seizure of property of accused narcotics dealers?

Yeah. The accused. Yeah, that's me. Come on in.

Okay, great. Thanks.

- My last house, this sweet pad in Laguna... - Yeah?

Charges didn't stick and the feds still didn't give it back.

- But you did it? - Did what?

Well, off the record, I mean, you sold the dope.

Yeah, but you're missing the point. They took the freaking roof over my head.

Look, wait a sec...

All this stuff that you bought with the drug money - the houses,

the cars, what have you -

you lose it because it's the crime that paid for it, right?

Did it, didn't do it... Who gives a shit?

Can't take a man's shelter. Anyway, they didn't prove it, did they?

LA Sheriff's Department - nobody move!

Let me see your hands!

Christ. Here we go again.

- Down, motherfucker down! - Get the girl!

Secure the girl!

Look, I'm a reporter.

Shut the fuck up!

Better get that story out there.

- San Jose Mercury News... - Hey!

I'm a reporter!

Quite a ruckus over there, huh?

Yeah, this guy almost broke my fucking arm, the prick.

All right.

Hey, wait a minute.

Where...

Yeah, I'm sorry. We ran outta inches.

Look, you cut the kicker and you're gonna blow the whole point to this thing.

The government takes these people's shit, all right?

Their cars, their houses, they take everything forever.

This is before they're convicted.

Even if they're acquitted, they don't get it back.

They're drug dealers.

Alleged drug dealers, with rights. Because this is America.

Four minutes until deadline.

Well, take my name off the story.

God, you can be such an asshole.

I'm an asshole because I believe in due process?

Come on. This is our job.

Clock's ticking.

It's ticking.

It's still ticking.

And...

don't call back.

This guy just had a shotgun in his ear. Give him a break.

No, there was no shotgun. All right, look,

you're gonna have to wait to read the article.

Your son is sixteen. Just FYI.

I see you! Get rid of it. Honey?

Come on, don't do that.

- That's bad. - That's amazing parenting.

- "Don't do that.” - Don't do that.

It's really not a big deal.

Would somebody watch this?

I gotta show you guys something.

New addition to the family...

Oh my god!

Dad!

Holy...

This is a '71 Tiger Sports Triumph.

It's a beautiful bike or it was a beautiful bike...

and we're going to make it beautiful again.

This is the only deal.

- You and I have to rebuild it together, okay? - Hey, hotshot.

- Okay. I love you, Dad. - All right. I love you.

- We're happy. - Goddammit.

Yes?

- We talked about this. - Come on...

- "No, "come on." No. - Look at him.

- Look at this. Look at the bike... - I see it.

Look at this face.

Inside my head.

Me and my boy riding side by side, to the mountaintops...

- Touching the sky. - Isn't that right?

- Anything happens to him while he's on that bike. - Nothing's going to happen to him.

I will cut these off while you are sleeping.

- Wow. - I thought you already cut those off.

While I'm sleeping!

Dad, you hang out with some insanely bad people.

Don't eat your hair.

Well...

bad guys are usually more honest than good guys.

And more fun.

- Life lessons by Gary Webb. - No, Mom. You actually have to read this.

I did already. It's great.

You guys gotta go, come on.

You heard the lady!

Come on! Who wants to ride in the green machine?

- Dad's taking us? - I'm taking you.

You're not going in your PJ's, are you?

Come on, guys!

- Let's get smushed. - That's where I sit.

Got it? Step in like sardines.

Bye, Momma!

Bye Momma!

- Bye, Momma! - Bye.

Bye Momma!

- One, two, three... - Bye, Mom!

Here you go.

- It's probably cold. - Thank you.

Hey, I know how bad you want to do the Guv today.

Some real reporter work.

Yeah. How that shit gives you satisfaction, I'll never know.

Hey, that story this morning?

That was a big one.

- "But not "the" big one. - Yeah, what would that be?

Catching Clinton breaking into Watergate?

Hey.

Rich Kline, LA Times. How you doing?

My editors are pissed that we missed the drug forfeiture story.

I'm sure they are.

It's an amazing job, by the way. You got any advice for me, or...?

Ah, yeah. Don't let the assholes win? I don't know.

Hey, who's Coral Baca and why does she keep calling me?

Nobody?

She called five times...?

- Hola? - Hi, this is Gary Webb.

He finally calls. I like your work.

You follow my work?

I do now.

Okay, what can I do for you?

It's what I can do for you.

Okay, what can you do for me?

My boyfriend Raffie's in prison, for cocaine trafficking.

That's Rafael Cornejo.

Was that Columbian?

Nicaraguan.

Nicaraguan.

He has this gorgeous house the government just took.

Good story, no?

Yes, it is. I just wrote it.

But Raffie's story is different. He sold drugs for the government.

You want to say that again?

He brought four tons of cocaine into the country...

for the U.S. government.

Look, you have a very lovely voice.

- Thank you. - I've copied every piece of paper.

Selling drugs for the government.

Have you written that story?

This is the thing you need to see.

Wait a minute.

You gotta be kidding me.

Grand Jury transcript?

How'd you get ahold of it?

The government turned it over on discovery by mistake.

Yeah, some mistake.

It was Russell Dodson.