Tommy Lynn Denley's hair, colored like corn silk under the Georgia sun, swept neatly to the side in a style reminiscent of the 60s that screamed, “I may love my mama, but I'm still up for whatever.” His smile blended mischief with innocence. At a lean six feet, Tommy looked like he could fix a car with just a paperclip and a piece of chewing gum, a handy skill one picks from a taxi-driving father.
In the South, Tommy’s weekends were filled with coon hunting in the Mississippi pines, cheering for the Braves on Saturdays, and attending Baptist church on Sunday mornings. Deep family roots anchored him in his community, where his brother, Bobby, not only coached local Little League but also managed the A&P Quick Stop. Both brothers, proud alumni of Rundle High, could easily be imagined charging down the football field on a Friday night, the very picture of all-American vitality.
When it was time for the Denley boys to step up, and be all that they could be, both served their country with pride. However, life threw Tommy a curveball when his father died during his first tour, leaving the 24-year-old to face the challenges of adulthood alone. Returning home as an E4 in the Army, Tommy reenlisted from 1961 to 1963, and again from 1978 to 1979. His military and later civilian careers took him through the complexities of Central American politics as a policeman in the Panama Canal Zone (where Surinamese officers trained in American training centers1), and into the intricacies of logistics and U.S. Customs while monitoring cross-border traffic from Mexicali in Calexico, California.
In the summer of 1984, his life took a seemingly lawless turn, at least on the surface. But, as viewed through the lens of Project Democracy, anything could seem patriotic. That June, just as Richard Barbour assumed his role as the new ambassador to Suriname, Tommy Lynn Denley began managing the office at Georgia Jet, Inc., a company founded by convicted drug smuggler Graham Lee Kendall.23
In 1983, Kendall had been arrested after modifying a Piper Chieftain to include a waterbed as an auxiliary gas tank, enabling it to transport 1,680 pounds of Colombian marijuana, valued at $1.1 million, into Oklahoma. Another of Kendall’s aircraft, a 1973 Bellanca Super Viking, was seized by federal authorities while he was incarcerated, caught smuggling 3,600 kilos of Medellín cocaine with a street value of one billion dollars. Despite his criminal enterprises, Kendall was then the nation's top broker of used aircraft, but his dealings extended beyond selling Cessnas and Pipers. He was deeply involved with a syndicate known as "the Company," a major American arm for distributing Colombian drugs. At their peak around 1978, the Company employed over 200 people to move drugs from boats to aircraft, smuggling approximately 200,000 pounds of marijuana into the U.S.45
The mastermind behind this operation was Richard Dial Thorp, aka “Fuzzy,” a logistics genius who held the titles of president and chairman of the board. Fuzzy established supply lines throughout the Caribbean, northern South America, and Nicaragua, running three DC-6s out of Nicaragua in partnership with former dictator Anastasio Somoza.6 On at least one occasion, Kendall played a crucial role in helping Fuzzy evade law enforcement by leading them on a wild goose chase, hiding Fuzzy’s car, and providing him with a getaway vehicle.7
Little is known about Tommy Denley's tenure at Georgia Jet, Inc. FBI investigators who later delved into his case seemingly overlooked, dismissed, or concealed any connections. The case was rapidly settled out of court, leaving much incriminating evidence undisclosed, forcing us to piece together clues from newspaper scraps and interviews. The sole explicit mention of Georgia Jet I unearthed was tucked away at the bottom of Tommy’s prisoner intake form, buried among hundreds of other pages in the case files stored deep within the Fort Worth National Archives.
Nevertheless, the links between Tommy, Georgia Jet, and "the Company" are crucial, especially given Tommy's own admission of shuttling money in and out of the United States. He also claimed to have collaborated with Green Berets on previous missions and to have been involved in transporting mercenaries to Nicaragua to support the rebels during that turbulent period. Considering his entanglement in gunrunning, hiring mercenaries, handling cash, and planes laden with cocaine, it's hard to envision that such a man wouldn't be connected in some way to Project Democracy and Oliver North’s operations.
Back in Amsterdam, George Baker was becoming an acquired taste—like licorice or vinegar on your french fries, not to everyone’s liking but deeply appreciated by those who acquired the taste. His early efforts to spur the passive, Henk Chin a Sen-backed Council into action had been rebuffed. However, with a new militant Council led by Glenn Tjon A Kiet and Paul Somohardjo’s resistance movements, the tides had turned. Now, Baker's unique hustle and connections were in high demand. Moreover, he was quite literally the man with the plans, possessing American intelligence and a stack of applications from eager mercenaries from around the world, ready for action.
In Ronnie Brunswijk, there lay the hope of a homegrown hero, someone who could rally the Surinamese to action—although they had acquired a reputation for being pacifistic by nature. A loose coalition of resistance movements was coalescing under a common banner—to recapture Suriname. Yet, there was still the matter of logistics. With Captain Zack and his team sidelined, George Baker needed a new crop of mercenaries and someone to lead the charge.
Tommy Lynn Denley, president of Tango Lima Delta, began advertising in Gung Ho magazine in June of 1985, offering services to “transport cargo and people into or out of the U.S.A,” or to establish organizations for specific missions. When George Baker placed an ad in Soldier of Fortune in November, aiming to recruit individuals to guard businesses in Suriname in anticipation of a coup, Tommy responded. His company was put on “standby” pending a governmental change in Suriname. In exchange, Baker was to receive a commission if Tommy’s team was utilized.
This connection positions Tommy as a potential candidate for the gray-haired man Jurgen Roth observed managing the logistics of mercenary applications in a hotel room. Tommy might have coordinated the initial invasion with Captain Zack, or he might have been a last-minute replacement.
Either way, when Jurgen Roth’s exposé was published, the responsibility for overthrowing Suriname shifted from Captain Zack to Tommy Lynn Denley. A new contract was signed between Ansus and Tango Lima Delta promising 1.5 billion Dutch guilders (approximately 420 million pounds or $650 million) to the invasion force upon successful takeover. Between May and June of 1986, Denley placed 11 calls to George Baker of the ANSUS Foundation in the Netherlands.8
Denley claimed support from a handful of unnamed U.S. Senators and members of the Dutch government who had approached him about orchestrating the coup. 9
Fred Rich also made similar claims, boasting about it to his friend, Bill Cross. This lends some credibility to the “ANSUS” theory in the previous chapter, suggesting a covert treaty involving Dutch and American cooperation.10
The Chicago Tribune once described the first member of Tommy's gang, Hector Tellez, as a "pretty nice guy" who "enjoyed athletics, especially football, and considered himself a businessman." Indeed, high school photos of Hector might leave one with the impression of someone living the all-American dream.
However, beyond the nostalgia of those photographs, reality painted a grimmer picture. Life hadn't been kind to Hector lately. At thirty-one, he was a father of two young daughters, aged 4 and 6, separated from his wife and living in a brownstone in the heart of Blue Island, just outside of Chicago. Hector had ventured into various businesses, trying his hand as a landlord and a salesman, and a few years prior, he had launched the Blue Island Fitness Center. Unfortunately, the venture failed, plunging into bankruptcy and leaving both patrons and family backers stranded.
"Hector always seemed to have an angle," remarked William Polk, 30, Hector’s former landlord and friend. "He always tried to beat the system." Hector wasn’t the only one in his family with a knack for navigating grey areas. His brother, Ron, claimed to have been a member of the U.S. Army Special Forces in Panama, where he conducted 33 operations.11 When he returned home, he was no longer satisfied with the daily grind of a Chicago beat cop, he’d developed a taste for murder.
Brothers Hector and Ron grew up with attorney, James "Jim" H. Gentile, whose father, Circuit Court Judge Henry Gentile, was fatally shot in his courtroom by Hutchie T. Moore, a paraplegic ex-police officer. The tragedy occurred after Judge Gentile denied Moore's request for a new attorney, leading Moore to pull a gun hidden beneath his blanket and open fire. This event sent Jim into a downward spiral fueled by alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine. He also developed an intense interest in firearms, a passion he shared with the Gentile boys. Ron possessed about 15 guns, and Hector owned 3-4 semi-automatic rifles, easily convertible to automatic. Jim often joined Ron for target practice at the officer’s shooting range, utilizing one of his eight semi-automatic handguns. His fascination with guns once led to a charge against him for shooting Michael Wood, a former Harvey police officer, with a concealed .45 revolver.12
Ron Tellez’s day job as a Blue Island police officer masked his true aspirations— becoming a mob hitman. His childhood friend, Garty Kessen, a low-level drug dealer, provided him with his first assignment—eliminating his stepfather, Harold Rowley, who owned Corby’s Tavern near the Notre Dame campus. After witnessing Ron's effectiveness in completing the hit, Jim tasked him with another dark undertaking in June of 1985: invading the office of his own mother, Violetta, who managed a trailer park in Dixmoor, a South Suburban Chicago suburb.
This was the same trailer park where Hector had worked as a boy. Theories circulated that the aim was either to intimidate Violetta out of the business for Jim and Ron to take over, or more sinisterly, to kill her for insurance money. Regardless of the intent, the plan unraveled disastrously, resulting in Violetta and a groundskeeper getting shot, presumably by Kessen.1314
After the shooting, Garty Kessen vanished. Detectives speculated his disappearance might have been in retaliation for the attack on Jim’s mother, or perhaps it was a move by the involved parties to cover their tracks. It was believed that Kessen’s body was buried in a forest preserve. Interestingly, a will later found, drawn up by Jim Gentile, named Ron as the beneficiary of $10,000. 15
On Good Friday, 1986, only weeks before Hector Tellez began in earnest his plot to overthrow Suriname, the crime spree involving the Tellez and Gentile families escalated when Ron assassinated millionaire businessman George Archer Mueller, aged 56. In a chilling display of audacity, Ron showered, shaved, and then appeared at the crime scene he himself had orchestrated as a first responder.
During the trial, explosive details emerged. It was revealed that Ron had been engaged in an affair with Mueller's wife, Constantina “Connie” Mueller, who had orchestrated the hit on her ex-husband. Connie stood to inherit $2-3 million from the estate, providing a hefty motive for her involvement. Ron, meanwhile, who harbored ambitions of joining the Mafia, hoped that his relationship with Connie and the successful execution would earn him a recommendation from her father, John Branco—a known Las Vegas mobster.16
Between the summer of 1985 and early 1986, Hector spotted an ad in Soldier of Fortune seeking mercenaries and responded, expressing his interest. Recently, he’d been boasting to friends about his newest scheme, selling confidential numbered bank accounts, similar to those offered by Swiss banks. He began claiming to be an international banker and actively promoted his services through advertisements in Soldier of Fortune.
The ad was placed by man from New Orleans, going by the name Tommy, aka, “Tango,” replied. The two arranged to meet in Chicago, where Hector shared his vision of setting up an international bank to launder money through secret accounts. During this meeting, Tommy revealed his own plans to seize control of Suriname and discussed other operations he was involved in at the time. Investigators later speculated that Hector and Tommy had been planning an expedition to Suriname to overthrow the government for some time before a formal investigation was launched in May of 1986, although the exact duration of their preparations remained unclear. 17
At their initial meeting in early 1986, Captain Zack's plans were still active, so Tommy assigned Hector to another mission intended to support the Contras in Nicaragua. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, in March 1986, Tellez approached a Chicago area dealer in military paraphernalia seeking machine guns, anti-tank rockets, and mines. He explained that he was orchestrating an operation against the Sandinista government, but hinted that if he received a favorable price on the initial order, he would return with a much larger order for another project.181920
In early May of 1986, the landscape of Hector Tellez's and Tommy Lynn Denley's plotting dramatically shifted following Jurgen Roth’s bombshell allegations, which effectively undermined Captain Zack’s surprise attack. This pivot necessitated a shift to Hector’s Plan B. Masquerading as an attorney representing the North American Marine Corp, Citizen National Bank, and Whitney National Bank, Hector reached out to Suriname’s Prime Minister, Willem “Wim” Alfred Udenhout, to discuss potential banking ventures.21
In the discussions, two mysterious figures were noted: Cassinari Vitorio, an Italian about whom little was known, and Juan Brinkmann. The confusion about Brinkmann’s origins ranged from Belgian or Dutch to Argentine with a Venezuelan passport. His name, Juan, is unusual in Suriname where Dutch and Hindi names are more common, while his last name, Brinkmann, suggests Dutch or German roots. This unusual name combination in Suriname led to suspicions that documents presenting him as Suriname’s Minister of Finance inviting Denley to take over a bank were forged. No verifiable records of Brinkmann existed in Suriname at that time. Despite claims of his prominence in international banking, Surinamese intelligence later alleged that he was involved with Ronnie Brunswijk’s resistance movement, sharing strategic support—maps, charts and targets of interest—with them and Tango Lima Delta.2223 242526
Tellez and Denley proposed a $500 million loan to the Surinamese government, which after some negotiation, was agreed upon at $300 million. Denley later claimed to have had contracts with the Dutch government to establish the bank. In return for setting up this operation, the Surinamese government would receive a small commission, presumably on banking transactions. A critical meeting was scheduled for July 21st, 1986, when 23 representatives of the international banks would return to meet with Bouterse in person and to sign the agreement.27 282930
Tellez and Denley had achieved something unprecedented—they had convinced Bouterse to extend a personal invitation to an armed band of mercenaries to visit him in Suriname. Once there, the plan was for Denley to take Bouterse prisoner by force, compelling him to summon other top government leaders, who would also be taken hostage. This would set the stage for high-ranking members of the Suriname military to call for a coup, completing the overthrow of the government. Now, all that remained was to finalize the list of mercenaries for the task and head out for a little military surplus shopping.31
Hector Tellez returned to the Chicago gun shop where he had previously purchased weapons, this time requesting assistance in recruiting mercenaries for an overseas mission. The gun shop owner, feigning interest, patiently listened to Hector's plans, waited for him to leave, and then promptly contacted Chicago's FBI field office. The FBI responded by dispatching three agents, including Tony Dunbar, to the scene. Shortly afterward, Dunbar initiated contact with Tellez, posing as a munitions supplier and leader of a mercenary team for hire named “Jim Duncan” in an effort to infiltrate Tango Lima Delta. The two scheduled a meeting where Tellez provided Dunbar with a detailed shopping list: four rockets, one to two dozen fragmentation and concussion grenades, automatic weapons, 15 to 30 Claymore mines, and 2,000 rounds of 9mm ammunition.3233
After concluding their meeting, Agent Dunbar received an unexpected call from Tommy Lynn Denley, who identified himself as a friend of Tellez. Denley then attempted to recruit Dunbar for a mission to overthrow the Surinamese government. During a face-to-face meeting in Louisiana, Denley disclosed that his group would receive financial support from another country interested in seeing the Surinamese government toppled. Meanwhile, Hector, oblivious to the surveillance, began laying the groundwork for his Swiss banking dreams and needed someone knowledgeable in shadowy contracts and money laundering. He knew just the man for the job.34
Jim Gentile, despite later attempts to minimize his involvement (including lying to the FBI and a grand jury), had long been the brains behind many of their schemes. With a law degree to his name, Jim had orchestrated the invasion of his mother's trailer park, drafted the documents that profited Ron Tellez from Garty Kessen's death, and when Hector approached him about the Suriname operation, Jim was already planning an armored truck heist to launder money through his law firm.3536
Hector arranged a meeting with Jim Gentile to discuss the necessary paperwork. He needed cover to enter Suriname, including legitimate-looking contracts to maintain their guise as international bankers. There was also the matter of draftting an agreement between Tango Lima Delta and a rebel faction in Suriname—likely Ronnie Brunswijk or remnants of Captain Zack’s team. The documents would likely outline the distribution of funds should their coup succeed. Finally, they would need ammunition, lots of it, and someone willing to ship it to them when the time came.
Gentile didn’t take much convincing. With plans in motion and a confirmed date with Bouterse, Hector proceeded to assemble the "representatives of the international banks" that would make up their invasion force.37
Hector Tellez's next move took him to Missouri's "Infinity Self-Reliance Center," which had recently undergone a name change and ownership transfer from Fred Rich to Jim "Tank" Wester. Wester later revealed that this visit was not Tellez's first, and that previous encounters had included unusual requests. "Once," Wester recounted, "he asked me to provide 15 men to do security work for $25,000. We turned him down flat." 38 One can speculate that may have been the mission to Nicaragua that Tellez and Denley were planning early that year.
Despite Wester's insistence on having rejected Tellez's offer, it wasn't long before he’d recruited Fred Rich, and a boat captain named John Ambielli. The men began actively fundraising for their coup using the name of Tank’s organization, Freedom Force One, which boasted 2,000 members. This wasn't merely a fundraising effort for personal gain; it was mixed up with a complex operation that involved Jim and Fred running what they claimed were humanitarian supplies to the Contras in Nicaragua, missions we know were intermingled with arms and narcotics trafficking, facilitated by the Moonies. 3940
As the countdown to Tommy and Hector’s Suriname invasion ticks away, our cast of covert characters are circling the wagons once more. Fred’s deep in debt, just waiting for that perfect score and an opportunity to play spy games. And let’s not forget Dr. John—remember our clinical psychiatrist with a side hustle in guerilla tactics?
Dr. John’s briefcase is a veritable intelligence piñata: we’re talking surveillance shots of military barracks in Albina and a roll call of the troops at the port—a list of buttoned-up guards and those on a casual day-off. He’s got films ready for a debut, showcasing potential hotspots for an incursion, and a video courtesy of his friends at CNN, giving them the inside scoop on Surinamese soil.
There’s his ready-made crew trained at Ft. Mango and Roy Bottse in the Antilles, on standby. Then there’s his friends in M3—the no-frills, ready-to-rumble mercs in Nicaragua, itching for action in exchange for a shot at arming up. Not to mention his contacts with the southern Miskito Contras, run by Hugo Spadafora. Dr. John’s been mixing with them enough to get his boots muddy and even secured a handshake deal in Costa Rica for CIA intel and hardware—if the price is right.
Dr. John is the man with a master key for Suriname’s back door. He’s not showing up to the fight with just sheer bravado; he’s packing a full arsenal. A little more low-key, a little less Rambo, but definitely ready for action. And with the FBI listening to every call and Bouterse on high alert after Captain Zack’s escapades, Tango Lima Delta is going to need all the help they can get.
Hira, Sandew. Balans van een coup : drie jaar “Surinaamse revolutie.” Rotterdam : Futile, 1983. 148. http://archive.org/details/balansvaneencoup0000hira.
United States of America v. Tommy Lynn Denley et al, No. 86-613 Mag. (United States District Court Eastern District of Louisiana August 6, 1986). https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/0evo3f8l4qmma3rjiobm8/Operation-Suriname-Biographies.pdf?rlkey=cj3m4qy12x07mg98rg28rdcv9&dl=0
“Georgia Corporations Division: Business Search,” July 1, 1993. https://ecorp.sos.ga.gov/BusinessSearch/BusinessFilings.
The Daily Oklahoman. “Colorado Man Convicted In Drug-Smuggling Scheme.” May 19, 1983. https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-oklahoman-colorado-man-convict/144151091/
The Daily Oklahoman. “Drug Smuggler Recounts Story of Payoffs, Rip-Offs and Intrigue.” May 24, 1983. https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-oklahoman-drug-smuggler-recoun/144150899/
The Atlanta Constitution. “Richard Thorp- The Company.” May 15, 1981. https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-atlanta-constitution-richard-thorp/37270422/
The Belleville News-Democrat. “Leader of ‘Company’ Still on the Run from Authorities.” September 5, 1983. https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-belleville-news-democrat-leader-of/144150630/
Columbia Daily Tribune. “Phone Taps Confirm Dutch Link to Coup.” August 25, 1986. https://www.newspapers.com/article/columbia-daily-tribune-phone-taps-confir/146018754/
Coup Plotters Claim Ties to Senators, Dutch. The Washington Times, 1987. http://archive.org/details/CIA-RDP90B01390R000500670026-4.
“Phone Taps Confirm Dutch Link to Coup.”
“People v. Tellez, 235 Ill. App. 3d 542 | Casetext Search + Citator.” Accessed April 24, 2024. https://casetext.com/case/people-v-tellez-6.
Chicago Tribune. “Slain Judge’s Son Faces Charges.” October 23, 1985. https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-slain-judges-son-faces/146020782/
“Slain Judge’s Son Faces Charges.”
Chicago Tribune. “Attorney Admits Role in ’86 Theft.” March 2, 1990. https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-attorney-admits-role-in/145965205/
Southtown Star. “Chief.” April 15, 1990. https://www.newspapers.com/article/southtown-star-chief/145966933/
Tribune, Chicago. “OFFICIALS TRY TO LINK COP TO INDIANA KILLING.” Chicago Tribune (blog), July 18, 1987. https://www.chicagotribune.com/1987/07/18/officials-try-to-link-cop-to-indiana-killing/.
Petacque, Art. “Accused Hit Man’s Brother Helped Plot Surinam Coup.” Chicago Sun-Times, July 19, 1987. GenealogyBank.com. https://www.genealogybank.com/nbshare/AC01201119024234081701714003465.
“Accused Hit Man’s Brother Helped Plot Surinam Coup.”
“Phone Taps Confirm Dutch Link to Coup.”
“Accused Hit Man’s Brother Helped Plot Surinam Coup.”
Ibid.
The Daily Advertiser. “Plot Suspects Still In Jail.” August 1, 1986. https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-advertiser-plot-suspects-still/146018382/
“Phone Taps Confirm Dutch Link to Coup.”
NRC. “Groep rebellen aangehouden Bij legeractie in Suriname kind gedood.” August 2, 1986. https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/1986/08/02/groep-rebellen-aangehouden-bij-legeractie-in-suriname-kind-gedood-kb_000030085-a3513922.
Leeuwarder courant. “Suriname Arresteert Twintig Rebellen Na Vuurgevecht Bij Dorp.” August 2, 1986. Delpher. https://www.delpher.nl/nl/kranten/view?coll=ddd&identifier=ddd:010566105:mpeg21:a0160.
Leidsch Dagblad. “Infiltranten van FBI En Douane Bij Huurlingen.” July 30, 1986. Historische Kranten, Erfgoed Leiden en Omstreken. https://leiden.courant.nu/issue/LD/1986-07-30/edition/0/page/1.
FBI. “A Byte Out of History - 1986 Prevention of Suriname Coup.” Accessed August 10, 2023. https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2004/july/suriname_072804.
Latin American Weekly Report. “Holland Blamed for Rebel Attacks;US MERCENARIES ‘LINKED’ TO SLA ASSAULTS ON ARMY POSTS.” August 14, 1986. Latin News Archive. https://www.latinnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=80&Itemid=49&archive=114910.
Leidsch Dagblad. “Bouterse Zeker van Contacten Met Brunswijk Hurrlingen Als ‘Bankiers.’” July 30, 1986. Historische Kranten, Erfgoed Leiden en Omstreken. https://leiden.courant.nu/issue/LD/1986-07-30/edition/0/page/13.
“A NICE GUY OR A REBEL FOR HIRE?” Accessed June 25, 2023. https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1986-08-07-8602260756-story.html.
“A Byte Out of History - 1986 Prevention of Suriname Coup.”
St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “Inquiry Into Attempted Coup Focuses On Survivalists.” July 31, 1986.
“Accused Hit Man’s Brother Helped Plot Surinam Coup.”
“Phone Taps Confirm Dutch Link to Coup.”
Looby, Dave. “Gentile.” Tinley Park Star, April 12, 1990, Vol. 2. No. 66 edition.
Southtown Star. “Murder.” March 1, 1990. https://www.newspapers.com/article/southtown-star-murder/145964103/
Looby, Dave. “Murder.” Tinley Park Star, March 1990, Vol 2. No. 54 edition. https://newspaperarchive.com/other-articles-clipping-mar-01-1990-3947607/.
Daily American Republic. “Suspects Reportedly Visit Missouri Self-Reliance Camp.” July 31, 1986. https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-american-republic-suspects-reporte/127094667/
MOBFAX. The CIA Contra Connection - Drugs For Guns (1987), 2022.
Columbia Daily Tribune. “Moonie Help Pay Local Latin Aid Effort.” August 3, 1986.
The crazy intricacies!