The Columbus Air Force was the nickname for a group of pilots involved in smuggling marijuana to the U.S. in the 1960s and early 1970s. The group was based out of

Columbus, New Mexico Columbus is a village in Luna County, New Mexico, United States, about north of the Mexico–United States border, Mexican border. It is considered a place of historical interest, as the scene of Battle of Columbus (1916), a 1916 attack by Mexico, ...

, a village next to the Mexican border. The group were reportedly the first pilots to transport drugs across the border by small aircraft. They were headed by Martin Willard Houltin, who served as a World War II B-29 bomber pilot in the

United States Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical r ...

. The other members of the Columbus Air Force were Robert Burke, Tim Morrison, Michael Francis, Kenneth Croucher, and Curly Phillips.

Investigation and arrest

A joint state/federal task force, named Operation Sky Night, and headed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA; ) is a Federal law enforcement in the United States, United States federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Justice tasked with combating drug trafficking and distribution within th ...

was responsible for capturing the members of the Columbus Air Force in October 1973. They were represented in court by criminal defense attorney Lee Chagra, the brother of

Jamiel Chagra Jamiel "Jimmy" Alexander Chagra (December 7, 1944 – July 25, 2008) was an American drug trafficker, carpet salesman and professional gambler. He was implicated in the May 1979 assassination of United States District Judge John H. Wood Jr. in Sa ...

, who was another major drug trafficker. Because of some legal problems with the wire-taps used to ensnare them, the group ended up pleading to only minor charges and received probation. However, in 1974 six members of the group were indicted and convicted on federal conspiracy charges arising out of the same case, and were sentenced to two consecutive five-year terms. Houltin was arrested twice more in his life, once serving a 16-month sentence in 1980 and then in 1993 having the charges dropped because he was suffering Alzheimer's disease. He died in 1999.

Notoriety and cultural references

The Columbus Air Force received a lot of notoriety after their arrest, and were featured in the ''New York Times Magazine'', ''Argosy'', and even ''Popular Mechanics''. ''High Times'' magazine published a 1978 interview of Houltin that called him the "Flying Ace of the Dope Air Force." The song "Treetop Flyer," written by

Stephen Stills Stephen Arthur Stills (born January 3, 1945) is an American musician, singer and songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. As both a solo act and member of two successful bands, Stills has com ...

and performed by

Jimmy Buffett James William Buffett (born December 25, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, and businessman. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffet ...

on his album

Banana Wind ''Banana Wind'' is the twentieth studio album by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was released on MCA and Margaritaville Records on June 4, 1996, debuting at number four on the ''Billboard'' 200. Songs "Jamaica Mistai ...

(as a hidden track), is reportedly about the Columbus Air Force. Ironically, the airstrip in Columbus where the Columbus Air Force flew out of was later the site of a RADAR-equipped aerostat balloon manned by the

United States Customs Service The United States Customs Service was the very first federal law enforcement agency of the U.S. federal government. Established on July 31, 1789, it collected import tariffs, performed other selected border security duties, as well as conducted c ...

, which was used to detect drug traffic.

References

{{Reflist Smuggling in the United States Illegal drug trade in the United States Cannabis trafficking Cannabis in New Mexico History of Luna County, New Mexico