Biography
Kevin McKinley, an Irish national from County Antrim, was linked by authorities to Irish republican procurement efforts in the United States at the end of the 1980s and into 1990. His case sits within a broader history of diaspora-linked attempts to move weapons, components, and funding toward armed groups in Northern Ireland.
McKinley was arrested in January 1990 during an undercover investigation involving a Stinger missile and other weapons intended for export. Under a later plea agreement, he pleaded guilty in March 1995 to arms-smuggling charges and received a 19‑month federal sentence in June 1995. After serving his term, he was released from U.S. custody and deported to Ireland in August 1996.
One-day conflict in the reported 1996 release and deportation date
The Department of Foreign Affairs September 1996 background note and attached roster twice report Kevin McKinley released and deported on August 27, 1996 (original PDF pages 2 and 9), whereas the existing case records August 28. This contemporary source conflict is preserved without overwriting the stored endpoint or counter pending independent physical-release records. The roster distinguishes the later March 1995 guilty plea and June 1995 nineteen-month sentence from the earlier vacated sentence; the sentence length does not independently establish his complete actual custody duration.
Irish Department of Foreign Affairs background note and attached September 1996 roster
