Former Indy 500 racers probed by DEA for alleged drug trafficking

Don and Bill Whittington chat with film star Paul Newman during their 1979 win at France's 24-hour Le Mans. (AP Photo/Bodini)

Two former Indianapolis 500 race car drivers are being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Agency for allegedly supplying aircrafts in Florida to global cocaine drug cartels and then laundering their profits.

According to an Associated Press report on Tuesday, Don and Bill Whittington, who each raced in the Indy 500 five times in the 1970s and 80s, had their World Jet Inc. offices in Fort Lauderdale raided by the DEA on Monday.

The Whittington brothers were sentenced to prison in 1987 after pleading guilty for participating in a marijuana smuggling operation, forcing Bill Whittington to forfeit race cars, boats, planes, a mobile home park and $7 million to the government.

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Now, the brothers face charges that they leased aircrafts in Florida to the cocaine cartels and laundered the money they made from the drug deals through the Springs Resort and Spa in Pagosa Springs, Colo., which is operated by the Whittington's daughters and lists the same corporate address as World Jet. No charges have been filed against the daughters.