CIA Ran Secret Operation to Curb Afghanistan’s Opium Production, Washington Post Reveals
The Washington Post has recently uncovered a highly classified CIA operation in Afghanistan aimed at reducing opium production during the years of U.S. military presence in the country.
According to the investigative report, from 2004 to around 2015, the CIA, under a covert program authorized directly by then-U.S. President George W. Bush, carried out nighttime aerial missions using military aircraft to disperse billions of genetically modified poppy seeds in Afghanistan’s southern and eastern provinces, particularly Helmand and Nangarhar.
These seeds had been altered to produce poppy plants that were nearly devoid of the narcotic compounds needed to make heroin, while maintaining bright and attractive flowers. The goal was for these modified crops to gradually crossbreed with native strains, thereby reducing the potency and quality of Afghanistan’s opium over time.
Notably, the covert operation was conducted without the official knowledge of Afghanistan’s former government led by President Hamid Karzai. Even some senior officials in the White House, State Department, and Pentagon at the time were reportedly unaware of its details. Nevertheless, the initiative was sanctioned through a classified presidential directive known as a “finding.”
The program, developed by the CIA’s Center for Crime and Narcotics, reportedly cost billions of dollars and consumed a significant portion of the center’s budget. While some sources claimed the operation had short-term successes, later evaluations indicated it had little long-term impact and was ultimately deemed economically unsuccessful.
The Washington Post also reported that after halting the program in Afghanistan, the U.S. considered implementing a similar plan in Mexico. However, due to challenging geographical conditions, the idea was eventually dropped.
During the years the program was active, Afghan farmers widely speculated that “foreigners” were spreading contaminated seeds or fertilizers. It has now been confirmed that some of those suspicions were based in reality.
A report from the U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) noted that Washington spent nearly $9 billion in its efforts to fight drug production and trafficking in Afghanistan. Yet, none of these initiatives—including the CIA operation—managed to halt the steady growth of the opium trade.
By the time U.S. forces withdrew in 2021, the opium industry accounted for roughly 14 percent of Afghanistan’s gross domestic product. After taking power, the Taliban government announced a nationwide ban on poppy cultivation.
According to reports, opium cultivation dropped by as much as 95 percent in 2023. However, the most recent figures show that in the following year, cultivation areas increased by 19 percent, with production shifting toward northeastern regions of the country.
