Grayston Lynch
 Grayston Lynch     (Spook) | |
|---|---|
 Before the Bay of Pigs | |
| Born | 1923/06/14 Victoria, Texas |
| Died | 2008/08/10 (Age 85) Tampa, Florida |
| Nationality | American |
Grayston Lynch was a top CIA operative during the 1960's and until 1971 when he joined BNDD. | |
Grayston Lynch was a senior CIA officer who later worked for the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs.
Contents
Career
In 1960 Grayston Lynch joined the CIA and served under Ted Shackley.
Bay of Pigs
Lynch took part in the Bay of Pigs operation and along with Rip Robertson went ashore with the first wave of Cuban exiles.
Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs
In 1971 Grayston left CIA and went to work for the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (the predecessor of the DEA). While working there Grayston noticed that many of the people he was finding who were actively smuggling were current or former CIA operatives. Some[Who?] speculate that Grayston transferred to BNDD because the CIA was under heavy scrutiny and the most secret CIA operations needed to be carried out under other guises.
BUNCIN (Bureau of Narcotics Covert Intelligence Network)
The CIA and BNDD became joined at the hip with the formation of BUNCIN in December of 1972. Lucien Conein hired Grayston into BUNCIN and Bob Medell requisitioned Grayston Lynch to work directly with him. Lynch's primary task was to identify offshore suppliers of drugs. Grayston had been running secret CIA operations in Cuba and South America for many years and knew the people and areas well. Speculation still exists whether this was Grayston's "cover" and more dubious activities were really being employed. With the advent of Watergate the CIA had to find new financing and more clandestine methods of carrying out operations as the CIA was under a microscope because of the Watergate break-in on June 17, 1972. The narcotics "cover" was a great way to support dirty CIA operations carried out by BUNCIN that CIA could no longer undertake because of the unwanted Watergate scrutiny. BUNCIN became the "wild west" of CIA directed dirty special operations activities.
Congo
Lynch was described as being a possible control officer for domestic assets.[citation needed] He also coordinated Western assets with the Congo conflict in 1964-1966.[citation needed]
