Norwin Meneses Cantarero was a drug kingpin in Nicaragua who held power under Anastasio Somoza. When the Somoza government was overthrown in 1979, Cantarero fled to the United States, and then headed security for the FDN (an early Contra group). According to many sources, including reporter Gary Webb, Cantarero became a drug kingpin in California as a way of funding the FDN, and the Central Intelligence Agency turned a blind eye.