Barry Seal was one of the most controversial figures of the twentieth century, whose life resembled a blockbuster screenplay. Born in 1939, by age 16 he obtained a pilot's license and soon became involved in the dangerous world of international smuggling. His early operations included weapons deliveries, including support for Castro's revolution in Cuba.

By the late 1970s, Seal had deepened his work with the Medellín Cartel, earning the nickname "El Gordo" among his colleagues. Throughout the early 1980s, he orchestrated massive cocaine shipments to the United States, with amounts estimated at $3-5 billion. However, in 1984 came a turning point: Barry Seal began secret cooperation with the CIA and DEA, providing intelligence information about Pablo Escobar's activities and operations.

This cooperation reduced his prison sentence but made him a vulnerable target. On February 19, 1986, the 46-year-old Barry Seal was killed, presumably on the orders of cartel bosses. His unusual biography, three decades later, inspired Hollywood to create the film "American Made" (2017) starring Tom Cruise in the lead role, telling a mass audience the story of an aviator who served both drug cartels and American intelligence services simultaneously.