On Monday’s ‘Scarborough Country,’ we told you about the tragic case of a 2001 CIA mission gone horribly wrong in the jungles of Peru. The result was the murder of Christian missionary Roni Bowers, a Baptist missionary, and her 7-month-old daughter, Charity. Now, after four long years, the Justice Department has suddenly decided to drop the secret investigation.
Below is the series of events that led to what may be a government cover-up:
- In 1994, Bill Clinton authorized U.S. military action against suspected drug flights in Peru to stem the flow of narcotics coming across U.S. borders.
- On April 20, 2001, a Peruvian military jet under the supervision of CIA agents mistakenly identified a missionary plane for drug runners. And with the Bowers family aboard, the Peruvians shot down the aircraft, killing Roni Bowers and her 7-month-old daughter, Charity. Pilot Kevin Donaldson was shot in both legs, and was able to make a miraculous landing on the Amazon with his plane on fire.
- In August 2001, a joint U.S.-Peruvian investigation blamed poor communications and shortcuts in procedures.
- Several months later, a Senate investigation found that the CIA failed to properly oversee the anti-drug operation in Peru. In the wake of that Senate investigation, the Department of Justice opened up a secret inquiry into whether CIA agents involved lied to Congress in order to cover up details of what went wrong in the murderous affair.
- In July of 2002, the Bush administration paid $8 million to survivors.
- Last week, the investigation was dropped by the Justice Department. No charges were ever filed, and all involved are still employed by the CIA. They’re not talking, and neither is the Department of Justice.