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Eugene Hasenfus, Pilot Whose 1986 Capture Helped Expose Iran–Contra, Dies at 84

09:02 AM, 12/03/2025
Eugene Hasenfus, Pilot Whose 1986 Capture Helped Expose Iran–Contra, Dies at 84

Eugene Hasenfus, the pilot whose 1986 capture after a CIA-backed supply plane was shot down helped expose the Iran–Contra affair, died Nov. 26 at 84 after a nine-year battle with cancer. His statements after capture—that the CIA supervised flights to the Contras—prompted a major congressional investigation and changed how covert operations were scrutinized. Hasenfus was later sentenced in Nicaragua, quickly pardoned, and returned to Wisconsin; he is survived by four children and eight grandchildren.

Eugene Hasenfus, whose capture after a CIA-backed supply plane was shot down over Nicaragua helped expose the Iran–Contra affair, died Nov. 26 in Menominee, Michigan, after a nine-year battle with cancer. He was 84.

Born Jan. 22, 1941, in Marinette, Wisconsin, Hasenfus served in the U.S. Marines during the Vietnam War and later worked as a civilian pilot. His involvement in the Cold War controversy began in October 1986 when a supply plane he was aboard was downed over Nicaragua.

In the early 1980s, the Reagan administration directed covert efforts to support anti-communist Contra forces opposing Nicaragua’s Sandinista government. Congress cut off direct military aid to the Contras in 1984, but a secret resupply network—overseen operationally by National Security Council aide Oliver North—continued to funnel assistance to the rebels.

When Hasenfus’ plane was shot down in October 1986, three crew members were killed and Hasenfus parachuted into the jungle. He evaded capture for more than 24 hours before being detained by Nicaraguan authorities. During interrogations he said the CIA had supervised the supply flights; U.S. officials initially denied any government connection. The incident prompted a major congressional investigation that revealed the broader Iran–Contra scheme.

Nicaragua charged Hasenfus with crimes related to the arms deliveries and sentenced him to 30 years in prison; President Daniel Ortega pardoned him about a month later, and he returned to northern Wisconsin. In 1988 he filed an unsuccessful lawsuit seeking $135 million against individuals and companies tied to the arms shipments.

Later in life Hasenfus faced legal trouble at home: in 2003 he pleaded guilty in Brown County Circuit Court to lewd and lascivious behavior after exposing himself in a grocery store parking lot; his probation was revoked in 2005 and he served time in jail, according to court records.

Legacy

Hasenfus’ capture and statements were pivotal in bringing the Iran–Contra network to public attention and prompting congressional oversight of covert operations. He remains a controversial figure—credited for exposing a secret operation that reshaped oversight of U.S. foreign policy, yet also marked by legal troubles later in life.

His death was reported in an obituary posted by the Hansen-Onion-Martell Funeral Home in Marinette, Wisconsin. He is survived by four children and eight grandchildren.

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