Just saw the movie - fantastic btw - and one thing bothered me. Who the hell was that blonde dude with the southern american accent (think he's the one credited as "Tex")?
I mean, did we ever get an explanation as to his identity? He seemed to be working for the turks, and not the American consulate (he said "something like that" when asked if he was from there, which seemed sorta... shifty).
It was never explained in the movie or book. My best guess was that he worked for Interpol. A shady, slimy SOB for sure
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Tex is exactly the type of guy
who comes after you on a rap like Billy's.
There are a lot of US Marshalls out there
and I wouldn't be surprised if they got alerted once
Billy tried to flee.
He would have been an agent in the Istanbul office (housed at the American Consulate General) of the then Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (BNDD), one of the predecessor agencies of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
shareThe fact that he never showed Billy an ID card, badge, or even a fucking business card really made him look sketchy as hell. I am not sure what the protocol was in those days for the feds interviewing suspects/detainees, but one would assume that somebody working for Uncle Sam would have to show official proof on who they are/who they work for.
Looking back on the film, the fact that the guy never showed up to Billy's trial to testify for the prosecution also made him seem sketchy - I honestly think the guy was part of a larger drug smuggling ring that had a deal going on with the Turkish cops.