Yes. They are the same

John Cullen:

[appearing in his hotel room in the middle of the night]
I was recruited by the Agency out of college. I knew Spanish and Law, and I wanted to do good. I wanted to fight some evil empire. I went to Central America. Made nice with radicals. Slept with some of the pretty ones. And turned in names. Then I started noticing that they were disappearing. Permanently. The people that we hunted Murdered All they had was a deep desire to reform the government and have free elections. That's it. After I left the Agency, I worked my way into a major drug cartel. It was early Medellin. I solved logistical issues, bringing supply into the United States. Paved the way, you might say, as the traffic grew - and grew. Gary Webb:
Well someone in Washington knows what you do, and is doing nothing to stop it. John Cullen:
It's all lies and corruption, Gary. You become attracted to the power, then You become addicted to the power, then you're devoured by the power. Gary Webb:
Your thing and my thing, are they connected? Are they the same? John Cullen:
Yes. They are the same