Cartels, Conspiracies, and Camarena

Episode 119: Remembering Enrique "Kiki" Camarena

Forty years ago today, DEA Special Agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena was abducted outside the American consulate in Guadalajara.  Agent Camarena was subsequently interrogated, brutally tortured, and murdered.
In this Episode, with my guest Steve Duncan, we discuss Agent Camarena's legacy and impact, the efforts of the Enrique S. Camarena Foundation to educate the nation's youth on the dangers of drugs, and we discuss the possibility of more closure coming for the family and friends of Agent Camarena.  

Episode 118: Plea Negotiations, Plea Negotiations, and More Plea Negotiations

In this Episode, in addition to touching on some recent news, I discuss the plethora of reports asserting that many of the main cartel figures in custody in the U.S. are engaged in plea negotiations with federal prosecutors.  
Specifically, I discuss the nature and prevalence of plea agreements in the federal criminal justice system.  Then I look at the specific reports of plea discussions with Ovidio Guzman, Joaquin Guzman, and El Mayo, including what each may offer to prosecutors and possible impediments to plea agreements.
Finally, I consider the value and wisdom of some of the government's plea-bargaining strategy and question how long that strategy can (or should) continue. 

Episode 117: A Conversation with James Kuykendall

In this Episode, I discuss the Camarena case with James Kuykendall. Significantly, in addition to discussing some little-known facts about the case, Mr. Kuykendall directly addresses many claims, rumors, and inuendo, including many raised by Hector Berrellez and others in The Last Narc.  

Episode 116: The Re-Arrest of El Min Licenciado and America's Failed Policy

In this Episode I discuss the recent re-arrest of El Mini Licenciado who had been given an early release from federal custody as a reward for information on drug traffickers and the Sinaloa Cartel and, most importantly, his testimony against El Chapo.  
I also examine the long-standing policy of the US and the DOJ to "reward" narco traffickers who provide information deemed valuable to the government. Specifically, I consider whether this policy has yielded results sufficient to justify its costs. 

Episode 115: Was Joaquin's Betrayal of El Mayo Part of a Long-Term Plan by El Chapo?

In this Episode, I first discuss the widespread costs in Culiacan as a result of the CDS civil war, including an estimated $1 billion lost by Culiacan-area business.
Next, I discuss reports that the plan for Joaquin to betray El Mayo and arrange his rendition to the U.S. was the result of El Chapo's long held desire for his sons to turn themselves in for better deals and to secure better lives.  I also look into the reports that those concerns were heightened with the 2023 arrest of Ovidio. 
Finally, I address reports of an alliance between Los Chapitos and CJNG, including the belief of some that the alliance will place Ivan Archivaldo at the pinnacle of Mexican drug traffickers.  
 

Episode 114: Leo Silva and the Los Zetas Reign of Terror

Retired DEA Agent Leo Silva has written a fascinating book titled "Reign of Terror" chronicling the rise and fall of Los Zetas.
In this Episode, Leo and I discuss his book, his career in the DEA, and his inside view of the ascendence of Los Zetas and the factors that lead to their demise.  During our discussion, Leo shares personal insights revealing the enormous cost of the fight to bring down Los Zetas -- on both sides of the border.  

Episode 113: What Does the US Election Mean for Mexico and Mexico's Cartels?

One week after the election of Donald Trump, we are getting an idea of some of the policies his administration will adopt that likely will affect the US's relationship with Mexico and both countries' concerns with the cartels and drug trafficking.
In this Episode, I assess some of these potential policies of the next Trump administration and the emerging policies of the Scheinbaum administration.  Specifically, I look at border policies in general, the potential designation of cartels as terrorist groups, economic policies, mass deportations, and a variety of political issues in Mexico.  

Episode 112: The Extraordinary Case of El Azul

Juan Jose Esparragoza Moreno, aka El Azul, may not be the most known of the drug traffickers in Mexico's cartel history but he had one of the most interesting careers, which I discuss in this Episode.
Born in the same town as El Chapo, El Azul worked for the DFS, is credited as being a leader in the so-called Guadalajara Cartel, and was jailed for his involvement in the murder of Agent Kiki Camarena.
After his release from jail, El Azul worked in the Juarez Cartel alongside Amado Carrillo Fuentes, was said to be a consigliere to El Chapo, a friend of El Mayo, and a leader in CDS. Everywhere he went he was a negotiator and mediator, earning the monicker the "Peacemaker" from US investigators.  
Finally, his reported death in 2014 remains shrouded in controversy, much like that of his former mentor Carillo Fuentes.   

Episode 111: The CDS Civil War -- Scheinbaum's First Month in Office and Rumors of an Unexpected Alliance

In this Episode, I update the ongoing battle within the CDS between Los Chapitos and La Mayiza, now under the control of Mayito Flaco by reference to three issues.
First, I look at the difficult circumstances encountered by President Scheinbaum in her first month in office.
Second, I examine the stark numbers in terms of killed, injured, and missing in Sinaloa and how Mexico's military is or may be addressing the violence.
Finally, I discuss various reports that a new alliance has formed or soon may be formed -- an alliance between Los Chapitos and CJNG, possibly including the Morena political party.  

Episode 110: The Trial of El Menchito

In this Episode, I re-cap the recent news and events in the ongoing war between Los Chapitos and MZ in Culiacan.
Then I discuss the trial of El Menchito who was convicted in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia this week.  In particular, I examine the witnesses against El Menchito, including cooperating witnesses with both reasons to testify for the government and, in several cases, deep opposition to the CJNG and El Mencho.
Finally, I draw parallels between El Menchito's trial and the trials of Ruben Zuno Arce, and I express my concerns over the potential for the desire for convictions to overwhelm the commitment to justice.