Operation Equine: FBI Warning of Steroid Abuse Was Ignored by MLB

Operation Equine was an FBI investigation into the sale and use of steroids in the 1980s. MLB was informed of two prominent players named in the operation and did nothing about it.

I sat down with FBI agent Gregory Stejskal to discuss an investigation (Operation Equine) into the illegal use and sale of steroids launched over 30-years ago. In this operation, two MLB players were named by one of the subjects, a dealer by the name of Curtis Wenzlaff.

They are none other than Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire.

In the interview, Stejskal describes how back when was looking for a code name for his undercover operation into the illegal sale and use of steroids, he decided on “Operation Equine.” According to Greg, as he likes to be referred to as, they fell on this name because, “a lot of the steroids of choice were stuff like Winstrol-V and Equipoise, both veterinary drugs meant for horses.”

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In fact, agent Stejskal recalls taking what he believes was McGwire’s regiment to a veterinary doctor. To his surprise, the veterinarian told him that the amount of steroids McGwire was taking is more than he would give to a racehorse.

Later, agent Stejskal recounts how in August of 1994 he had informed MLB’s director for security Kevin Hallinan of steroid use in baseball. As we know now, MLB decided to do nothing about it.

That is until Canseco admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) such as steroids in a tell-all book entitled “Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant ‘Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big” published in 2005.

That same year Congress opened its hearing into steroid use in baseball, resulting in the Mitchell Report which ultimately forced baseball into its first drug policy that included actual punishments.

Later, McGwire would also admit that he was using PEDs throughout his career and especially in 1998, the season he and Sammy Sosa broke Roger Maris‘ single-season HR record.

For some, baseball was too little too late in this regard and in many ways, their drug policy was and continues to be a convoluted mess with plenty of loopholes at every turn.

Perhaps the whole steroid era could have been avoided had baseball heeded agent Stejskal’s warning back in 1994. I guess we’ll never know.