Operation Cerberus

"You were all handpicked 'cause you're the best at what you do. Inter-unit rivalry has no place here. Berets, Delta, SEALs, Force Recon, I don't give a shit. This is who we are now. This is Operation Cerberus... and you are my dogs of war. The enemy operates without regard to honor or rules. So neither will we. Our mission is simple. We capture, interrogate and execute high-value targets."

- Colonel Ray Schoonover

Operation Cerberus was a covert military operation aimed at eliminating terrorists stationed in Afghanistan and smuggling heroin into the United States.

History
During the and after the fall of the Taliban government, multiple terrorist organizations would emerge to challenge the coalition-led government in Kabul, leading to the longest war in American history.

CIA Agent William Rawlins, determined to decisively end the conflict, teamed up with Major Ray Schoonover to create an operation that would accomplish his goal. The operation would be carried out by Cerberus Squad, a team of elite US soldiers, and would be centered in Kandahar. Their missions would involve capturing, interrogating, and killing high value targets.

Unbeknownst to the squad, these missions were not only illegal but were unsanctioned by Congress, who Rawlins claimed were fine with it. The interrogations were led by Rawlins who used torture to extract information and often involved the execution of the captive once the info was obtained. Since Operation Cerberus did not have congressional approval, Rawlins used Afghan heroin to finance the operation. Using the bodies of American soldiers, Rawlins smuggled large amounts of heroin from Afghanistan to America. These drugs would then be sold on the streets by Schoonover, who became a powerful drug lord known as the "Blacksmith" in the process.

Assassination of Ahmad Zubair
A member of the Ahmad Zubair began investigating the movement of drugs and murders in Kandahar. He discovered that the illegal activities were being carried out by US soldiers, and relayed his suspicions to Dinah Madani, a Homeland Security Liason. She assured him that he would be protected for his testimony. Unfortunately, Ahmad was captured by Cerberus Squad before he could testify. He was falsely labeled as a terrorist by Rawlins, who tortured him to try and find out who else knew about his illegal operation. When Ahmad did not reveal his confidant, he was executed by Frank Castle and buried outside of Kandahar.

Ambush in Kandahar
As Operation Cerberus progressed, Afghan terrorists and insurgent groups caught onto Cerberus Squad's tactics. They leaked information that a high ranking terrorist leader was located in Kandahar in an isolated compound. Rawlins ordered Cerberus Squad to attack the compound despite the risk of ambush and a terrain unsuited for helicopter evacuation. The battle proved to be a disaster, with Major Schoonover losing an arm and most of the squad dead or injured. The remaining squad members were saved due to the actions of Frank Castle, who single-handedly fought his way into the compound and killed the insurgents inside. When returning to base, Rawlins coldly and repeatedly asked the surviving squad members if they eliminated their target, unconcerned with the large casualty rate. Frank Castle proceeded to punch Rawlins in the side of head hard enough to puncture the orbital socket and blind him in the left eye. With the squad heavily injured and the loss of confidence in Rawlins' leadership, Operation Cerberus shut down soon after.

Trivia

 * In the comics, Ray Schoonover smuggled drugs out of Vietnam in order to finance anti-communist forces until he was discovered and forced to commit suicide by Frank Castle.
 * Operation Cerberus has similarities with Operation Rockhouse, a drug ring that transported drugs from into the United States.