ARDE (Alizana Revolucionaria Democrática)—Contra faction based in Costa Rica and commanded by Edén Pastora, a former Sandinista.
Bloods—The smaller conglomeration of loosely affiliated L.A. street gangs. Formed in the early 1970s from the combination of the West Coast chapter of the Chicago-based Black Peace Stone Rangers and the L.A.-based Brim Blood Army and Pirus gangs. Blood colors are red.
Brigade 2506—U.S.-based organization made up primarily of Cuban veterans of the CIA-trained Bay of Pigs invasion forces.
CIA (Central Intelligence Agency)—The U.S. government’s primary intelligence-gatherers. Its covert action side, the Directorate of Operations, has been the chief culprit behind Agency scandals and outrages.
Crips—The largest group of informally affiliated L.A. street gangs. Started in the late 1960s. Like the Bloods, the Crips are actually a loose confederation of smaller gangs, called “sets,” which generally take their names from streets in their neighborhoods (ie. “Grape Street Crips,” “Rollin’ Forties Crips.”) Crip colors are blue.
DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration)—A branch of the U.S. Department of Justice and the principal federal agency responsible for the enforcement of anti-drug laws. Successor to the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (BNDD).
DIA (Defense Intelligence Agency)—Formed in 1961 as part of the Department of Defense. The primary intelligence service of the U.S. military. The DIA was heavily involved in Central America in the 1980s.
FDN (Fuerza Democrática Nicaragüense)—Contra faction created by the CIA, based in Honduras, and commanded by Enrique Bermúdez, a former National Guardsman. The FDN was the largest, most well-armed and best-trained of all the Contra factions.
FMLN (Frente Farbundo Marti Liberacion Nacional)—Leftist revolutionary group based in El Salvador and supported by the Sandinistas.
Frigorificos de Puntarenas—Costa Rican shrimp fishery set up by the Medellín cartel to launder drug money and transport cocaine shipments. Later purchased by Cuban anti-Communists and suspected drug traffickers and used by Oliver North and the Contras to launder humanitarian aid funds.
Ilopango—Airbase in El Salvador secretly used by the Contras, the CIA, and Oliver North’s “Enterprise” to funnel weapons and supplies to the Contra units operating on the Southern Front in Costa Rica. Both the CIA and DEA had reports that Ilopango was used to transship cocaine.
LAPD—Los Angeles Police Department.
Legion of September 15—An early Contra group made up primarily of ex-National Guardsmen. Based in Guatemala where it committed crimes and political kidnappings and assassinations. Commanded by Ricardo (El Chino) Lau and Enrique Bermúdez, it later became the core of the FDN.
M-3 (Movimiento Tercera Via)—Tiny Contra splinter group based in Costa Rica. Commanded by Sebastian “Guachan” González and staffed mainly with Cuban anti-Communist mercenaries.
Majors—The nickname of three elite detective units formed by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s office in the mid-1980s to combat major criminal organizations. Short for Major Violators.
NHAO (Nicaraguan Humanitarian Aid Office)—A State Department operation set up to distribute Congressionally authorized humanitaran aid to the Contras.
NSC (National Security Council)—Ostensibly; the President’s advisors on national security matters. Under the Reagan Adminstration, it became an operational intelligence agency based inside the White House.
Nicaraguan National Guard (La Guardia Nacional)—Anastasio Somoza's army which also ran the national police, state security and intelligence services, the postal service, and customs agency.
OIJ (Organismo de Investigacion Judicial)—Costa Rican law enforcement agency similar in function to the FBI.
OSN (Oficina Seguridad Nacional)—Anastasio Somoza’s secret police unit that monitored political dissidents.
Sandinistas (FRS)—Informal name of the Frente Revolucionario de Sandino, the leftist revolutionary guerrilla group that overthrew the U.S.-supported dictatorship of Anastasio Somoza in 1979.
UDN-FARN (Union Democrática Nicaragüense—Fuerzas Armadas Resistencia Nicaragüenses)—Early Contra faction based first in Honduras and then in Costa Rica, commanded by the erratic former Sandinsta Fernando “El Negro” Chamorro. UDN-FARN first joined forces with the FDN, left to link up with Pastora and ARDE, then left Pastora and rejoined the FDN under the umbrella group UNO.
UNO (United Nicaraguan Opposition)—A later CIA-inspired attempt to brush up the Contra's public image and gather all Contra factions under one group. UNO existed mostly as a fa_ade, as the FDN did the bulk of the fighting and retained most of the authority.