Thomas McFadden
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Thomas McFadden was a black Englishman who was caught in El Alto International Airport trying to smuggle 5 kilos of cocaine. His consequent travesty is narrated by Rusty Young in the non-fiction work, "Marching Powder".
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[edit] El Alto Airport
Prior to getting caught with cocaine, Thomas McFadden had made arrangements with the Colonel in charge of the airport. He had had dinner with him and even bought his children tricycles. However, in the end, he was betrayed by his so-called ally. Upon being taken to the Colonel's office in the airport, Thomas vehemently denied any reports of wrong doing. However, when the cocaine was found in his bag, he proceeded to tear up the bags as best as he could, leaving the office under a white cocaine cloud. He says specifically, that he remembered the General's mustache being coated with cocaine. After this, he was taking to the prison holding area of the FELCN, the narcotics agency of Bolivia.
[edit] San Pedro
Mr. McFadden was transported to San Pedro prison shortly thereafter, where he would stay until his court date. Without any food, clothing or money, he was forced to spend a bitter cold night in the worst region of the prison. This prison, he found out later, was like no other. In this prison, people paid and bought their cells. The prison itself was divided into different regions, from the shadiest places to the more 'luxurious' areas. In the most luxurious area resides Luis Amado Pacheco (alias Barbachoca), a graduate of the American Cooperative School. McFadden eventually learned to make his way through the corrupt prison and even spent one "white Christmas" with Barbachoca.
[edit] Forum
On one occasion while in prison, McFadden had become so deft at manipulating the high-ranking officials in the prisons, that he was able to leave the prison for one day. With plenty of money and cocaine, he decided to visit Forum (http://www.forumproducciones.com), a famous discotheque in La Paz. There he met a young Israeli, Yasheeda, who became an instrumental person in his life. There, they both did cocaine and later, Thomas brought her back into the prison. Of course, there was some bribery and corruption involved.
[edit] Aftermath
In the end, after much struggle and hardship, Thomas McFadden was finally released from prison (thanks in part to a new law which cut prisoners' sentences in half) and he returned to England.
