Eugene Hasenfus, the American whose capture in 1986 helped unravel one of the most significant political scandals of the Cold War era, has died at the age of 84.
The Downing That Exposed a Secret War
Hasenfus passed away on 26 November 2025 in Menominee, Michigan, following a nine-year battle with cancer, as confirmed by his obituary. He was born on 22 January 1941 in Marinette, Wisconsin. A former US Marine who served in Vietnam, he later worked in private aviation before becoming an unwitting central figure in the Iran-Contra affair.
The scandal stemmed from a covert operation during President Ronald Reagan's administration. In 1981, Reagan authorised the CIA to support the Contra rebels, a right-wing guerrilla force fighting Nicaragua's leftist Sandinista government. When Congress cut off all military aid to the Contras in 1984, senior White House officials secretly established an alternative supply network.
This clandestine operation was managed by National Security Council aide Oliver North. Its objective was to sustain the Contras until official funding could be restored. The scheme unravelled dramatically in October 1986, when a cargo plane carrying Hasenfus and three others was shot down over Nicaraguan territory.
Capture, Conviction, and the Unraveling Truth
The three other crew members perished, but Hasenfus survived by parachuting into the jungle. He evaded capture for over 24 hours before being seized by Sandinista forces. The Nicaraguan government charged him with several crimes, including terrorism.
Following his capture, Hasenfus publicly stated that the CIA was supervising the supply flights to the Contras. Reagan administration officials initially denied any US government connection to the downed aircraft, claims later proven false. His testimony and the incident itself spurred Congress to launch a major investigation into the affair, revealing a complex web of secret arms deals where proceeds from sales to Iran were illegally diverted to fund the Contras.
A Nicaraguan court convicted Hasenfus for his role in delivering arms and sentenced him to 30 years in prison. However, he was pardoned just a month later by Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and returned to his home in northern Wisconsin.
Life After the Scandal
In the years that followed, Hasenfus sought redress through the courts. In 1988, he filed an unsuccessful lawsuit seeking $135 million in damages against two individuals and two companies linked to the Iran-Contra arms deals. His later life was marred by legal troubles unrelated to the scandal. In 2003, he pleaded guilty in Brown County Circuit Court to a charge of lewd and lascivious behaviour. His probation was later revoked in 2005, leading to a jail term.
Eugene Hasenfus is survived by his four children and eight grandchildren. His death closes a chapter on a pivotal figure whose accidental role illuminated a profound constitutional crisis in American politics, exposing the lengths to which government officials went to conduct foreign policy in secret.
