Cartels, Conspiracies, and Camarena

Episode 49: The Tragically Violent Life of El Chapo’s Former Friend and Partner El Guero Palma

Jesús Héctor Luis Palma Salazar, "El Guero" Palma, has led a tragic and violent life that has seen him rise from an impoverished childhood, to being a main cog in Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo's operation, to being a partner and friend of El Chapo Guzman.  Along the way, El Guero lost his wife and sons to the violent ways of cartels, he was responsible for numerous killings, and has spent decades in prison.  His tale is both a cautionary and a tragic one. 
His relationship with El Chapo also provides interesting clues about El Chapo's relationship with American agencies. 
Finally, El Guero is one of a dwindling few who may have knowledge or information significant to a true and more complete understanding the growth of the cartel system in Mexico and knowledge about cases of interest and import, including, but certainly not limited to, the tragic case of Agent Camarena.  

Episode 48 -- The CIA: Black Ops, Narcotics, and El Chapo

The mythos of CIA involvement in the Camarena case warrants additional consideration and a renewed rebuttal.  In this Episode, we set the stage for such reconsideration by reviewing CIA blacks ops, including public disclosures on black ops and a review of the CIA-backed Operation Gladio.  We then turn our attention to allegations of CIA involvement in drug trafficking around the globe, as well as assertions of a period of cooperation between the CDS and the CIA.  Finally, we look at interesting connections between recently convicted Genaro Garcia Luna and the CIA. Each of these elements provide a foundation a framework for a comprehensive assessment and (likely) rebuke of the allegations of CIA involvement in the Camarena case.  

Episode 47: A Perspective on the Evolution of Cartels in Mexico

The rise of cartels in Mexico has been the result of a number of factors, including anti-drug efforts by law enforcement around the world, the structure of the Mexican government, and the adaptive nature of the cartels and their leaders.  In this Episode, we use the "Organized Crime and Violence Special Report 2021" from the University of San Diego's Department of Political Science and International Relations to examine those factors, particularly in light of recent anti-cartel efforts on both sides of the border. 

Episode 46: The Curious Case of Dr. Humberto Alvarez Machain

Dr. Alvarez Machain was a Guadalajara doctor who often provided medical services to drug traffickers, including Rafael Caro Quintero.  Following the murder of Agent Camarena, a warrant was issued for his arrest and, in April 1990, Dr. Machain was "abducted" from Guadalajara, flown to El Paso, arrested, and charged with crimes connected to Agent Camarena's murder. 
Following Dr. Machain's arrest, his voluntary post-arrest interview and his trial as a defendant in Zuno II present a nuanced case study and call into question Dr. Machain's portrayals in dramatic programs and the statements made about Dr. Machain in "The Last Narc." 

Episode 45: The Trial of Genaro Garcia Luina -- What Happened and Why It Matters

The Brooklyn-based trial of Genaro Garcia Luna, the former Secretary of Public Security of Mexico, has neared its conclusion. In this Episode, we look at the government's case, which was based primarily on the testimony of nine cooperating witnesses, and the defense arguments and tactics.  We also consider what the Garcia Luna case says about prosecutions of cartel members and their alleged associates, both in the past and those yet to be held.  

Episode 44: CDS and CJNG in Europe, the Middle East, and Around the World

Mexican cartels have been steadily expanding their operations beyond North and Central America, particularly in Europe and the Middle East.  In this Episode, we look at these expanded operations, their root causes, and the implications the growth could have on issues such as increased crime and terrorism.  Finally, we look at the impact of the cartels' global presence on anti-drug and counter-cartel efforts in both Mexico and the United States.  

Episode 43 -- The Unholy Trinity: Fentanyl, China and Mexican Cartels

The fentanyl crisis continues to attract media and Congressional attention.  In this Episode, we look at the issue by first looking at the drug itself, its legal and illegal uses, and its manufacturing.  We then investigate China's distribution of precursor chemicals used in the production of fentanyl, as well as Chinese money laundering operations that facilitate the production, manufacturing, and sale of fentanyl.  Finally, we summarize the DEA's public comments regarding the role of Mexican cartels in the trafficking of illegal fentanyl in the United States and its focus on the CDS and CJNG, which the DEA says are the two cartels most responsible for the fentanyl crisis in America.  

Episode 42: The Capture of Ovidio Guzman: What Really Happened and What It Means

New and intriguing details of the January 5, 2023, arrest of Ovidio Guzman, one of Los Chapitos, the leaders of a prime faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, have continued to emerge both in the press and on social media.  In this Episode, we look at those new details and try to draw some conclusions as to what they mean for Los Chapitos, CDS as a whole, and the relationship between CDS and the Mexican government.

Episode 41 -- CDS and CJNG: Past, Present, and Future

CJNG and CDS dominate the cartel landscape in Mexico today. But the two cartels operate in distinct ways and have very different strategies, economically and structurally.  In this Episode, we compare and contrast the operations of CDS and CJNG and identify key questions about the future of each cartel.  

Episode 40 -- El Chapo, Los Chapitos, and the Sinaloa Cartel

In order to understand today's Mexican cartels and the cartel wars, it is critical to understand the (mostly) men and families that formed and lead the cartels of today and the past.  After looking at El Mencho and El Mayo, in this Episode we examine El Chapo's rise to power, his blood battles with the Tijuana Cartel and the BLO, and his arrest and extradition.  We then look at the ascension of some of his sons, Los Chapitos, to leadership of, at least, a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, their expansion of their father's business, and we speculate on their future and that of the Sinaloa Cartel.