Veronica "Roni" Bowers was an American Christian missionary who became known as a victim of the War on Drugs

War on Drugs

The War on Drugs is a campaign of prohibition and foreign military aid and military intervention being undertaken by the United States government, with the assistance of participating countries, intended to both define and reduce the illegal drug trade...

.

Bowers, her daughter Charity, husband Jim, and six-year-old son Cory were being flown into Peru

Peru

Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....

 when the United States' Central Intelligence Agency

Central Intelligence Agency

The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...

 (CIA) observed the Peruvian Air Force

Peruvian Air Force

The Peruvian Air Force is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with defending the nation and its interests through the use of air power...

 shooting the plane down, believing that they were carrying drugs out of the country. The Peruvian Air Force was operating as part of the Air Bridge Denial Program

Air Bridge Denial Program

Starting in the 1990s the Central Intelligence Agency has operated an anti-narcotics program in Colombia and Peru called Air Bridge Denial . The ABD program targeted drug traffickers that transport illicit drugs through the air by forcing down suspicious aircraft, using lethal force if necessary...

. The CIA couldn't make it clear to the non-English speaking Peruvians that in fact the plane wasn't fitting the profile.

Events leading to death

In a video released by the CIA, the CIA observers can be heard discussing whether the plane is a "bandito" (drug plane) or "amigo" (friendly). A CIA officer then tells a Peruvian Air Force official that it may be possible to have the plane land to check. The Peruvian Air Force plane then issues a warning to the plane for not having an authorized flight plan, but the pilot did not hear it because he was on a different frequency. As the Peruvian Air Force plane prepared to open fire, a CIA officer can be heard saying that the plane "doesn't fit the profile", and another CIA official says, "Ok, I understand this is not our call, but this guy is at 4,500 feet and he is not taking any evasive action. I recommend we follow him. I do not recommend phase 3 [shooting the plane down] at this time."

Later, a Peruvian official asks if "phase 3" is authorized, and the CIA official replies asking if he is "sure it's a bandito". The Peruvian official replies in the affirmative, and the CIA officer says, "If you're sure." The CIA pilot then says, "This is bullshit" and "I think we're making a mistake." The second CIA officer says, "I agree with you." A Peruvian Air Force plane approached, at which point the pilot of the Bowers' plane makes contact with the Iquitos Control Tower, noting that the Peruvian Air Force has showed up, and he is not sure what they want.

In the confusion, the CIA plane notes that the pilot Bowers' plane is in contact with the tower, but the Peruvian Air Force had already opened fire. The pilot can be heard yelling, "They're killing me! They're killing us!" The CIA officer says, "Tell them to terminate!" and another officer is heard saying "No! Don't shoot! No mas! [No more!]" At this point, the plane is already on fire, and the CIA observed the plane crash into a river and turn upside down. A CIA officer remarks that if the Peruvian Air Force has a helicopter in the area, they should get it there to rescue them. The CIA plane then observes a boat in the river attempting to rescue the plane's occupants, and one officer says, "Get good video of this." Over the intervening several years since the incident, many had stated that the CIA "ordered" the Peruvian Air Force to shoot down the plane, when this is not the case.

Bowers and her seven-month-old daughter were killed in the shooting. The pilot, Kevin Donaldson, was shot in the leg but managed to land the plane. Roni's husband and her son were not injured.

Aftermath

After the event, the US government temporarily suspended the practice of advising foreign governments on shooting down planes over Peru and Colombia. The US Government paid compensation of $8 million to the Bowers family and the pilot. The program was discontinued in 2001. CIA personnel had no authority either to direct or prohibit actions by that government, and CIA officers did not shoot down any airplane. In the Bowers case, CIA personnel protested the identification of the missionary plane as a suspect drug trafficker.

A report by the CIA's inspector general

Inspector General

An Inspector General is an investigative official in a civil or military organization. The plural of the term is Inspectors General.-Bangladesh:...

 (CIA-OIG) found that the agency had obstructed inquiries into its involvement in the shooting. Peter Hoekstra (the highest ranking Republican on the United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

The United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence is a committee of the United States House of Representatives, currently chaired by Mike Rogers. It is the primary committee in the U.S...

), who published these findings in November 2008, criticized the CIA for the "needless" deaths.